God & Its Discontents: Atheism, Suspicion & Theology

As Canadian philosopher Charles Taylor observes, in the contemporary West it is no longer the case that belief in 'God' is the default setting, and no longer do the majority opt to embrace one of the more 'traditional' religious forms of life. In fact, the present climate is characterised by the availability of a variety of religious options, movements, or ways of life. In this context, what does it mean to speak of 'God' when 'god' is a word that is used to describe all manner of things? This course will reflect on the pluralised theological options; will genealogically trace the themes and ideas through the intellectual development of 'modernity'; and will engage several of the creative theological responses to 'modernity'.