God and the World Flashcards
what is known as a direct experience
refers to cases where a person encounters God in a direct way
for Otto was was a numinous experience
an experience that is outside our knowledge and experience
who came up with public and private examples of religious experience
Swinburne
what are the two categories in Public experience
ordinary and extraordinary experience
for Swinburne was is an ordinary experience
an ordinary experience is when a person interprets a natural event, for example in awe of a natural creation
what is an extraordinary experience
an experience that violates human understanding, such as Jesus walking on water
what are the two categories in private experience
non describable and non specific
what is a non describable experience
one that is beyond human power, for example Bernadette’s visions of Mary
what is a non specific experience
a person looking at the world from a religious perspective
what was William James’ four criteria for a mystical experience and what do they mean
- ineffable - unable to explain
-noetic - gains knowledge
-passive - happens to a person, it cannot be induced
-transient - happens for only a short length of time
what is Swinburne’s principle of Credulity
argues that you should believe what you expense unless you have a reason not to
what is the principle of testimony
argues that you should believe what others tell you, unless you have a reason not to.
what is the cumulative argument by Swinburne
that there is an abundant amount of people that have had a religious experience so the testimony accounts as strong evidence for God.
how did James argue that RE can be explained by a fault in the mind
“god may find an incomplete mind more suitable instrument for a particular job”
what did William James add to his argument to distinguish between RE and other factors
the idea of a life changing experience is one that is religious
what is an issue with William James’ idea of religious experience being life changing
any hallucination can be life changing, if a theist hallucinates an angel then that will make it life changing, it does not mean it was God
how does James respond to the argument identifying the varied beliefs and experiences across cultures
“I do not see how it is possible for people in such different positions should have exactly the same duties”
what is corporate religious experience
a RE that happens simultaneously to a number of people.
what is an example of a corporate religious experience
the Toronto blessing, included people ‘drunk on the spirit’ and people speaking in tongue
why is Corporate experience not reliable
psychological group dynamic has been seen in the past which can explain, for example entire villages in the past would be convinced they had seen a witch
further, why would God give humans free will then take it away for a while instead of helping with suffereing.
what is the most famous story of conversion
the experience of St paul, a jew who persecuted Christian, then had an experience and changed his name and spread the Christian faith
what is Freud’s psychological challenge to religious experience
Freud believed religion derived from two psychological forces, fear of death and the desire to be a child forever.
how does Freud counter Conversion experience
a person lost in a desert will hallucinate water, to is a trick of the mind to delude oneself.
what is a weakness of Freuds explanation
it cannot explain mystical experience
