C: challenges to objectivity and authenticity Flashcards
1
Q
Caroline Franks-Davis work and categories of criticism
A
“The Evidential Force of RE”- within this she provides three categories of challenges to RE.
- Description related- can the reliability of the description of the RE be doubted? (not believing the account)
- Subject related- can the reliability of the person having the RE be doubted? (not trusting subject recounting the experience)
- Object related- can the reliability of the claimed experience itself be doubted?
2
Q
First category outline
A
Description related challenges.
A: Inconsistencies or incoherence- Teresa of Avila
B: Inconsistencies between expected behaviour and actual behaviour following the claimed experience.
C: Person may be unreliable through previous accounts.
D: Memory is unreliable- Augustine
E: Experience may have been misunderstood.
3
Q
Criticism 1A
A
- Description related
- Logical inconsistencies or incoherence within the description.
- Teresa of Avila ‘seeing’ Christ at her side, but clarifies she didn’t really ‘see’ him but more experienced him.
4
Q
Criticism 1B
A
- Description related
- inconsistencies between actual behaviour and what you would expect if they had the claimed experience.
- Oneness with God through the rejection of physical possessions proclaimed, wouldn’t be likely to charge a sum to hear the account.
5
Q
Criticism 1C
A
- Description related
- Person may be unreliable through a history of telling untrue fantastical claims. (Boy who cried wolf- makes the content of a claim more unreliable)
6
Q
Criticism 1D
A
- Description related
- unreliable nature of memory.
- Augustine may remember hearing voices chanting “take it and read”, but the experience may have heard a similar or misheard statement.
7
Q
Criticism 1E
A
- Description related
- Experience may have been misunderstood.
- Prescribed medication/ the work of doctors may not have immediate results. After visiting ‘healing spring’ may attribute healing to this, when it was medical work.
