The aim of the Rutgers Center for the Philosophy of Religion is to foster the study of philosophical questions that arise within religious doctrine and practice. The means of doing so include:
- Graduate seminars
- Weekly reading groups
- Lectures by distinguished visiting professors
- Workshops and conferences
- Post-doctoral fellowships
- Senior fellows
- The annual Sanders Lecture
- A network of affiliated faculty at Rutgers and neighboring institutions
The philosophy faculty principally associated with the Center at present are Brian Leftow (Director) and Dean Zimmerman. Other Rutgers faculty participating in or helping to plan the Center’s projects include Tao Jiang (Religion), Edwin Bryant (Religion), James Jones (Religion), Mark Baker (Linguistics), and Colin Jager (English).
External Affiliates of the Center include Hans Halvorson (Princeton), Andrew Chignell (Princeton), Gideon Rosen (Princeton), John Bowlin (Princeton Seminary), Mark Johnston (Princeton), Bryan Frances (Fordham), Stephen Grimm (Fordham), Daniel Garber (Princeton), Anthony Appiah (Princeton), Eric Gregory (Princeton), Charles Comosy (Fordham), and Brian Davies (Fordham).
RCPR has sponsored many seminars in the recent past. During the academic years 2013-14, 2014-15, and 2015-16, the Center sponsored six seminars: three taught by Robert Adams, two by the late Marilyn Adams, and one co-taught by Dean Zimmerman and Mark Baker. More recently, in 2019, Howard Robinson and Dean Zimmerman co-taught a seminar titled "God, the Intellect, and Perception", and Brian Leftow and Dean Zimmerman co-taught a seminar entitled “Perfect Being Theology.” In 2020, Brian Leftow taught a seminar entitled “Greatest Hits of Medieval Philosophical Theology.” And in 2022, Dean Zimmerman and Louise Antony co-taught a seminar entitle “Philosophy of Perception and Religious Experience”.
RCPR always welcomes visiting scholars and guest speakers. At present, RCPR is hosting two post-doctoral fellows: Timothy Perrine and Wes Skolits. Other recent visitors have included Christina Van Dyke (Calvin), William Lane Craig (Talbot), Stephen Wykstra (Calvin), Eleonore Stump (St. Louis University), Eric Steinhart (William Paterson), Sarah Coakley (Cambridge, emeritus), Charity Anderson (Baylor), and Paulina Sliwa (Cambridge). If you are visiting the area and would like to participate in the reading group or seminars, email either Brian Leftow (
