For over a thousand years, the existence of God and the importance of religion had gone unquestioned in the Western world. But beginning in the 16th century, the Protestant Reformation and the Scientific Revolution began to erode the position of authority held by religion. A new willingness to confront religious authority and a new respect for reason and its accomplishments began to counter established ways of thinking based on revealed religious truth.

As a result, for the first time in human history, it had become possible to challenge faith as a fundamental truth - and to even question the very existence of God. This schism fundamentally changed the course of Western civilization, and it has had consequences that remain with us to this day. Noted scholar and Professor Tyler Roberts of Grinnell College leads you through a 36-lecture journey that will help you understand this challenging debate that has defined Western culture.

By gaining a richer understanding of the debate's key aspects - including the nature of the conflict, the meaning of the arguments, and what is at stake both philosophically and theologically - you can increase your understanding of both Western civilization's past and the direction of its future. It is one of the most intellectually satisfying plunges into philosophical and theological thought you will ever take.