Key Terms for Religious Experience (Philosophy) Flashcards
What is ‘Conversion Experience’
a change of heart and turning around of one’s priorities, following a new direction in life
What is ‘Corporate Religious Experience’
a religious experience shared with many people
What is ‘William James’ Definition’
“the feelings, acts and experiences of individual men in their solitude, so far as they apprehend themselves to stand in relation to whether they may call the divine”
What is ‘Numinous Experience’
(Otto) - the experience of the ‘wholly other’
What is ‘Principle of Credulity’
things are as they see, to be unless they have evidence to the contrary
What is ‘Principle of Testimony’
we should assume people are telling the truth, unless we have good reason to believe otherwise
What is ‘Passive’
not in control of the experience; feeling of being taken over by a more powerful being
What is ‘Noetic’
provided new knowledge or insight
What is ‘Ineffable’
cannot be described / difficult to put into words
What is ‘Transient’
experienced does not last long but it’s significance is out of proportion with its duration
What is ‘Pragmatism’
(James) the effects of an experience are most important and show it holds value for the individual
What is ‘Pluralism’
one of Jame’s conclusions - all religions are valuable and hold truth
What is ‘Volitional Conversion’
(Starbuck) gradual change and slow development of new moral and spiritual habits
What is “Mystical Experience”
an experience of something beyond normal awareness
What is ‘Self-surrender Conversion’
(Starbuck) a sudden, pivotal or crisis experience followed by a change of life
