Religious Experience

Question 1

Peterson et al

Answer 1

“Person has or believes they have had an encounter with God”

Question 2

REs are

Answer 2

Revelations

Question 3

Corporate

Answer 3

Group, church, Makkah, pilgrimage

Question 4

St Teresa of Avila

Answer 4

Had malaria, hallucinations, felt God was there, ineffable, passive, noetic, transient

Question 5

Swinburne’s principle of…

Answer 5

Credulity: testimonies should be taken at face value

Question 6

St Bernadette

Answer 6

Saw Mary the “immaculate conception” on multiple occasions, healing water in Lourdes

Question 7

Against St Bernadette

Answer 7

Brought comfort to her poor community

Question 8

Swinburne’s categorisation

Answer 8

Private, Corporate, Mysticism, Conversion, Visions

Question 9

Saul -> St Paul

Answer 9

Was a prosecutor of Christians - On the road to Damascus Christ presented himself to him

Question 10

William James was a

Answer 10

Psychologist

Question 11

WJ wrote

Answer 11

The Varieties of Religious Experience

Question 12

WJ believed that RE was se___ ________

Answer 12

RE was self authenticating

Question 13

WJ believed that RE is ______ even if ________

Answer 13

The experience is solitary even if corporate

Question 14

WJ believed that RE was not ______ ____ but ________

Answer 14

RE was not logical proof but evidence of God

Question 15

WJ was not concerned about

Answer 15

Proving/disproving religion or God - just the psychological effects of RE

Question 16

WJ 4

Answer 16

INEFFABILITY, NOETIC, TRANSIENCY, PASSIVE

Question 17

Ineffability

Answer 17

Cannot explain w words

Question 18

Noetic

Answer 18

Revelation about God

Question 19

Transiency

Answer 19

Temporary event, long term effects

Question 20

Passive

Answer 20

No control over the experience

Question 21

WJ conclusion 1 if the ____ are ______ there must be a ______ cause and therefore God is ______ real to _____ ______

Answer 21

If the effects are real - there must be a real cause - therefore God is real to these individuals

Question 22

WJ conclusion 2 only the ____ and ____ have ____ effects, as ____ has ______ effects - therefore ____ is _____ and ____ to these _____ because he has _____ effects

Answer 22

Only the real and true have positive effects, as falsity has negative effects - therefore God is real to these individuals and true because he has positive effects

Question 23

Arguments against WJ - Santa

Answer 23

If kids believe in Santa and behave well as an effect of Santa that does not mean that Santa is real

Question 24

Mystical Experience

Answer 24

Experience of something transcendent

Question 25

Mysticism

Answer 25

Direct knowledge of God

Question 26

FC Happold’s types of mysticism

Answer 26

Love and Union, Knowledge and Understanding

Question 27

FC Happold’s aspects of his types

Answer 27

Soul, Nature, God

Question 28

Criticism of RE - Psychological

Answer 28

Hallucinations, illusions, perception errors (NOT DRUGS)

Question 29

Freud + Feuerbach

Answer 29

Believed that RE has negative effects such as living with a false perception of reality

Question 30

WJ counter argument

Answer 30

RE has positive effects

Question 31

Myers believed

Answer 31

(Psychological) prayer is a vital component of psychological wellbeing

Question 32

Feuerbach, religion is an i____, f____

Answer 32

Religion is an illusion, fiction

Question 33

Feuerbach belief 2 alientaion

Answer 33

Religion bc ppl feel alienated in their own lives - therefore project wishes onto God

Question 34

Feuerbach belief 3 potential

Answer 34

Ppl not need religion if reached full potential

Question 35

Feuerbach 4 evolve

Answer 35

Society will evolve - religion will disappear

Question 36

Feuerbach 5 human mind

Answer 36

God is an invention of the human mind

Question 37

Freud belief 1 comfort

Answer 37

Religion is a psychological phenomenon to comfort harsh relaities

Question 38

Freud belief 2 o______ n____

Answer 38

Religion is obsessional neurosis Neurosis - not based on fact

Question 39

Freud belief 3 neuroses ____

Answer 39

neuroses is repressed traumas

Question 40

Freud belief 4 parents

Answer 40

God is to replace parents when smn gets older

Question 41

Criticism of RE - Physiological

Answer 41

Tiredness, illness, depression, fatigue, dehydration, lack of vitamin B12 = hallucinations

Question 42

Delirium tremens

Answer 42

Alcohol withdrawal: Hallucinations, paranoia, visions, traces

Question 43

Alston

Answer 43

Our senses are generally “reliable” - should not be too dismissive

Question 44

Strengths of RE

Answer 44

Individual knows, common, consistent in relocation, not usually mentally ill ppl, intelligent and rational ppl

Question 45

Weaknesses of RE

Answer 45

Drugs, individual only, God is portrayed differently, spontaneous, non physically

Question 46

Toronto Blessing

Answer 46

Mass hysteria

Question 47

William Blake vs St Teresa

Answer 47

William as a child would see God’s face - in his poem The Tyler - described God as chaotic and destructive as well as nurturing - Teresa would see God as ineffable, divine, beautiful

Question 48

Criticisms of WJ

Answer 48

Subjective definition, cannot empirically prove RE, individual experience - not looking at bigger pic of God’s existence, change in behaviour not equ God’s existence

Question 49

Russell

Answer 49

“The fact that a belief has a good moral effect on a man is no evidence in favour of its truth”

Question 50

Flew

Answer 50

A series of weak arguments =/ a strong argument

Question 51

Mackie

Answer 51

Ppl unintentionally mislead / exaggerate accounts

Question 52

WJ had a ____ approach

Answer 52

Pragmatic, practical

Question 53

Mysticism

Answer 53

Direct knowledge of God, spiritual truth, ultimate reality, revelation. Can be subjective and personal

Question 54

Mystical experience

Answer 54

Experience of something transcendent, beyond ‘moral’ awareness

Question 55

Myers

Answer 55

Prayer is vital for the psychological wellbeing of