Religious experience Flashcards
Define mystical experience
Experience of something beyond normal awareness
What are James’ 4 characteristics of mystical experience
. Passive - feeling of not being in control
. Ineffable - cannot describe
. Noetic - revelation
. Transient - limited time
Julian of Norwich (reevaluations of Divine love)
Saw a vision of Christ bleeding in front of her but experienced an overwhelming sense of God’s unconditional love - used language of love + motherhood to describe Jesus
Teresa of Avila
One of her famous vision was of a spear, it’s golden rip on fire, piercing her side + leaving her with an immense feeling of elation + love
What does James say about conversions experiences
It is the strongest evidence for for the divine - their observable effects are often life-changing
Define pragmatism
The effects on and value ro the individual - used by James to emphasise the importance of the effects of a rel. exp
Paul conversion experience
On his way to Damascus to persecute Christians - saw Jesus = convert to Christianity + become an influential missionary
Describe exp as having been ‘re-born’
How did James describe the psychological process of conversion
Inner self is aware of being divided + unhappy but during conversion to rel. becomes unified + happy
What are Starbucks two types of conversions
. Volitions - gradual change of new moral and spiritual habits
. Self-surrender - sudden experience followed by change ; subject ceases struggling again + surrenders to new psychological centre
What did Starbucks suggest conversion was
‘ a normal adolescent phenomenon’ - occurs in 15-24 yrs old
Define pluralism
All religions are valuable + hold truth
What does James say is insufficient to explain God?
Logic and reason
What did Jung argue about St Paul conversion
Paul exhibited symptoms of an emotional breakdown, perhaps triggered by his guilt at the number of Christian he had condemned to death
What does Feuerbach argue about God
God was a psychological construct, formed from human desires eg, desire for control led to belief in an all-powerful God
What does Freud see religion
It is a neurosis which rooted in a conflict between conscious + unconscious mind.
It is wishful thinking = rel. exp is an illusion, a deception of the mind = psychological construct
What is Hicks ‘Experiencing as’?
We may all experience the same thing but perceive it differently
Define corporate religious experience
A religious experience shared by many people
Toronto Blessing
Started in Toronto Airport Vineyard Church in 1990 - described as a move of Holy Spirit + manifests on various ways, including speaking with tongue
What are Swinburne two principles for investigating individual religious experience
. Principle of testimony - believe what people tell unless we have a good reason to believe otherwise
. Principle of credulity - unless there’s overwhelming evidence to the contrary, we should believe that things are as they seem to be
