3D Influence of Religious Experience on Practice and Faith Flashcards
Who set up the Religious Experience Research Unit in Oxford, when, and what was its purpose?
- Alister Hardy - marine biologist
- 1969
- To examine the extent/nature of r.e. in UK
What was Alister Hardy’s view of religious experience?
- He had a biological approach to how religion had ‘evolved’; saw it as a development in response to “another dimension to life”
- Obvious that there = a huge variety of such experiences
- “the everyday world is not the whole of reality”
- “it alters behaviour and changes attitudes”
What was Alister Hardy’s view of religious practice?
- It includes ritual, ceremonies, festivals, duties, reflections
- Ritual = a r.e. + a trigger for further r.e.
- Festivals = celebrations of a past event grounded in r. significance from r.e.; e.g. Ramadan - verses of the Qur’an revealed to prophet Muhammad
What do most thinkers regard faith as?
• A mix of action of will and trust/belief in a body of truths expressed in statements/propositions
What does Aquinas regard faith as?
- Rational and supported by statements
- But, reason alone cannot discover truths/insights
- Divine revelation = required + is stronger than human reason
What is the difference between ‘belief-that’ and ‘belief-in’?
• ‘Belief-that’ makes a claim that is directly true/factual
- E.g. “I believe that Guru Nanak was the first Guru”
• ‘Belief-in’ conveys an attitude of trust or commitment; turns ‘belief-that’ into a metaphysical statement
- E.g. “I believe in Jesus”
How can you move from ‘belief-that’ to ‘belief-in’?
• Through a r.e., either personal or somebody else’s
-E.g. Can read about the life of Muhammad and be converted, such as Cat Stevens
How can religious experiences encourage/strengthen faith in Charismatic Christianity?
• The gifts of the HS provide edification for the community of believers
Religious experiences have a wide range of manifestations. Give the lowest and highest forms.
- Quiet reflection - private prayer
* Contemplation of the divine - public expressions e.g. tongues
How does the divine become known to humanity through revelation?
- Any type of r.e can be a revelation communicated either directly or indirectly by G or by gaining insight
- Can be a moment of realisation at the end of a period of reflection
What is the propositional view of revelation?
• Body of truths about G/ultimate reality
What is the non-propositional view of revelation?
- Human attempts to understand the significance of revelatory events; spiritual significance
- E.g. OT prophets saw Fall of Jerusalem as exp. of judgement on its ppl ∵ of disobedience ∴ reflected the belief that G = active in world
How do religious experiences provide affirmation of a belief system for a community?
- In most r.s, a pivotal figure = linked to founding of r ∵ usually exp. an event that starts their ministry
- Their authority derives from their r.e. - seen as confirmation of their message
Give some examples of how religious experiences provide affirmation of a belief system for a community.
- Islam: Angel Gabriel appeared to Muhammad and commanded to write verses in the Qur’an; a passive channel through whom Allah communicated the final message to humanity
- C.ty: Revelation through angels appearing to Mary+Joseph affirms incarnation+virgin birth
- C.ty: Disciple’s exp. of the res.d J affirms belief about life after death + efficacy of J’s sacrifice to forgive sin
How many books in the NT are attributed to Paul?
• 14/27
How does God confirm the authority of some influential figures?
- Through r.e.s, ppl are convinced that the person is G-appointed - affirms their role + status of authority
- J = seen of SoG whose authority = confirmed by miracles, death, resurrection
How do religious experiences promote a faith value system for a general community?
• R.e.s = guarantor of received revelation about doctrine + beliefs and = source of revealing ethical standards
How do religious experiences promote a faith value system for Jews?
• Moses = honoured as ‘lawgiver of Israel’
- The burning bush commissioned him as a prophet + liberator of the people
- Later received Ten Comm.s + laws of covenant; included customary law + ritual ordinances which give explicit moral guidance ∴ govern behaviour of believer
How do religious experiences promote a faith value system for Buddhists?
- Buddha’s enlightenment exp. = example of meditation to be emulated by others
- He placed emphasis on searching+testing for oneself
How do religious experiences promote a faith value system for Christians?
• Jesus + Paul revealed/clarified ethical standards + behaviour
How can a community celebrating a past religious exp. strengthen it?
• The Act of coming together to worship/commemorate an event = lifeblood of r. living
How do gatherings provide the opportunity for further religious experiences and spiritual benefits?
- Strengthens community spiritually through collective worship
- Greater sense of unity through fellowship
- Establishes common identity
- Highlights a common purpose through specific events e.g. festivals
- Reaffirms faith e.g. creeds, rituals, hymns
- Expresses and shares spirituality with others e.g. testimonies
How can a community celebrating a past religious exp. strengthen it? (Buddhists)
• Wesak celebrates Buddha’s enlightenment
- homes = decorated; temple services
How can a community celebrating a past religious exp. strengthen it? (Muslims)
• Ramadan celebrates when the Qur’an = revealed to Muhammad
- Fasting = obligatory; spend time with family/friends
• Eid al-Adha remembers Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son when Allah ordered him to
- Prayers in mosque; gifts given
How can a community celebrating a past religious exp. strengthen it? (Jews)
• Pesach remembers events of Passover
- Sedar meal w/ family+friends involves retelling story and expresses common identity
Which Bible passage suggests there is something special to be found in gathering?
• Matthew 18:20 - “Where two or three gather in my name, there I am with them”
How can religious experiences restore an individual’s faith?
- If faith = struggling, r.e. can remove doubts; e.g. Hajj
* May come from prayer, meditation, reading of sacred text, being w/ others, pilgrimages
How can religious experiences strengthen an individual’s faith in the face of opposition?
- Listen to other ppl’s r.e.s when they faced opp.
- May include account of an act of G that rescued them from a situation or when a believer = given strength to overcome opp.
- Sikhism: Story of origin of Khalsa (5 Sikhs willing to die for faith) can be a source of inspiration + trigger for r.e
- Sense of G being w/ believer enables person to stand firm + continue despite threats of persecution
- Pentecost: Disciples proclaimed about J despite facing persecution - said they could not stop (r.e); obeyed G rather than humans
How can religious experiences lead to a renewal of commitment to religious ideals and doctrines?
- In most r.s, ppl can renew their commitment, often publicly; decision to do this can be a r.e. - a sense of being called
- Initiation into a faith can be a time of renewal of commitment e.g. Sikhism: Amrit ceremony
- Adult baptism/conversion = similar r.e.s - public commitment, often w/ testimony describing their journey of faith
- Festivals e.g. Rosh Hashanah (Judaism) can be occasions where believers are moved to renew commitments to a r. way of life
- Lent = renewal of commitment - fasting, repentance, self-denial, spiritual discipline; goal = develop closer r.ship w/ G
- Fasting = common feature
- Holy Places = trigger for r.e.s, leading to renewal/commitment ∵ of sacred meeting btwn the spiritual and physical
