religious experience (5)

Question 1

William James

Answer 1

defined religion as a personal experience, he thought primary experience of the divine was the heart of religion and came before secondary, like texts. emphasised ‘fruits’ of religious experience.

Question 2

core of mystical experiences

Answer 2

passive- feeling that you are not in control of the experience
ineffable- experience was difficult to put into words
noetic- provided insight or knowledge
transient- short lasting but a great effect on person

Question 3

Christian mystics

Answer 3

Julian of Norwich- visions of JC when she was close to death. saw JC bleeding in front of her, she used language of love and motherhood to describe him.
Teresa of Avila- she had a vision of a spear poking her in the side and feeling great amount of love.
they both struggled to explain.

Question 4

mystical experiences are reliable

Answer 4

• James argues that whilst there are pyschological elements, similarities could point to the divine. similar features means more reliable.
• passive means not desired or expected
• noetic, how could we explain getting new information
• transiency shows their influence as short but significant

Question 5

Scheliermacher

Answer 5

there is more to existence than the physical, if we stop and reflect we can realise this.

Question 6

mystical experiences are not reliable

Answer 6

• could all be in the mind, similarities is because they occur in the pysche
• passivity could be the unconsious mind convincing itself
• neurology may one day explain religious experience
• changing perspective can be found through films or books

Question 7

god helmet

Answer 7

Persinger 1997, the experiment had people feeling as if they were beyond themselves- like passivity. a product of electromagnetic radiation, not God. incoclusive results.

Question 8

pragmatism

Answer 8

James based his understanding on pragmatism, practical outcomes seen.

Question 9

St Paul

Answer 9

on his way to Damascus to persecute Christians he converted to Christianity after seeing a vision and became a missionary. Act 9 and 22. he described it as being ‘re-born’

Question 10

how does James describe conversion

Answer 10

inner self is aware of being unhappy and through conversion becomes happy. religious habits become central to life.

Question 11

S Hadley

Answer 11

a homeless drunk who considered suicide. after his conversion he never wanted a strong drink again. his soul had been unified through God.

Question 12

Starbuck and conversion

Answer 12

volitional- gradual change of new morals
self-surrender- pivotal and sudden change

Question 13

Starbuck

Answer 13

believed conversion was a ‘normal adolecent phenomenon’ because it mainly happened 15-24. search for identity may result in religion.

Question 14

fruits of religion

Answer 14

• conviction of something beyond world
• immense feeling of elation of freedom
• feeling of having met a friendly power
• change in emphasis of life, more spiritual and charitable

Question 15

conversions are the most convincing religious experience

Answer 15

• pragmastism gives insight and shows there are practical consequences that influence us
• ‘fruits’ of religion are evident, character shift is convincing
• even if not possible to directly communicate with God, can still experience his power

Question 16

conversions are not the most convincing religious experience

Answer 16

• Starbuck concluded it is normal for young. feeling of depression and loss seen as growing up
• Kant says its logically impossible to experience God as in world of senses
• lasting influence not only for religion but other experiences

Question 17

Teresa of Avila

Answer 17

James- used her criteria to see if genuine conversion. it should fit with teachings of church and lead to pos change.
Freud- church cause of much guilt repressed in the super ego. teachings of church manifest in things like prayer.

Question 18

pluralism

Answer 18

James argues that there is truth in all religions. he said no argument is sufficient to answer to existence of God. James started with religious experiences and branched out into philosophy.

Question 19

God’s significance

Answer 19

whilst he is not definitive, James said there is evidence that Christian and Buddhist role models lived similarily. as experiences are subjective, it is the teachings made following the experience that sets them apart.

Question 20

James pluralism

Answer 20

seen through vague descriptions of experiences, wanting to be inclusive. James described religion as a belief in unseen order to the universe.

Question 21

James and a pyschological phenomena

Answer 21

says they are psychological with a huge subjective meaning. James says RE do not unequivocally support God, but concludes it could not be ruled out. argues there must be an unconsious power beyond conscience self.

Question 22

religious experiences are evidence for God

Answer 22

• use of pragmatism/empircism v helpful. fruits of experience good proof of God.
• RE are ultimate reality of God but are spoken about through language influenced by our lives
• Davis used a cumulative argument to suggest that (along with other args) RE may prove a God

Question 23

religious experiences are not evidence for God

Answer 23

• rationalist would argue that our senses can decieve us. James accounts include people who used drugs.
• unlikely that one divine source has caused multiple different experiences, Catholics see Mary etc
• Flew says that one leaky bucket cant hold water, no reason why 10 could

Question 24

Jung

Answer 24

pyschologist who considered spirituality and religion essential to human mind. Jung said St Paul experiences a form of emotional breakdown, his guilt triggering his conversion.

Question 25

Feuerbach

Answer 25

argues that God was a pyscological construct, formed from human desires. desire for control lends to an all powerful being.

Question 26

Freud

Answer 26

religion is a neurosis rooted in conflict between a consious and unconsious mind where demands of id/superego try to be balanced. he claims we constructed a father figure, God, as a means of feeling protected

Question 27

problems with psychological construct

Answer 27

Hick developed 'experiencing as' from Wittengenstein, who said 'seeing as'. we all perceieve things in different ways, meaning there could be an underlying 'other' which meant that religion could be experienced differently.

Question 28

psychological effects can explain religious experiences

Answer 28

- evidence of a change in character can be traced back to pyschological factors - some argue that perception is rooted in the mind, religious experiences have no objective truth. - 'inattentional blindness'- ie we see a clear road without the car coming towards it. we can be sincere in our beliefs but be mistaken.

Question 29

psychological effects can not explain religious experiences

Answer 29

- there are long lasting fruits which change a person. it is probable that they are not merely a phenomenan. - we all experience the same thing a different way, we choose how to react so nobody outside can dismiss. - as James noted, there are pyschological elements but this does not negate the importance or effect.

Question 30

effects of diet

Answer 30

drugs and alcohol have mind altering effects, ancient theologians may have had vitamin defincies (B) that lead to hallucinations.

Question 31

effects of brain stimulation

Answer 31

St Paul symptoms of a bright light and unconsious loss may be temperol lobe epilepsy. brain scans on monks when meditating shows how parts of brain effected

Question 32

strengths of physiological explanations for religious experiences

Answer 32

- similar experiences can be produced by electro magnets and may not have supernatural cause - St Paul could have been suffering with epilepsy - fasting in religion can cause vitmain deficinicies- making it more likley for an experience

Question 33

weaknesses of physiological explanations for religious experiences

Answer 33

- if God were to interact then it is logical he would use physical processes, like those in the brain. - reductionist to argue that all human activity to material, it cant explain variety. - difficult to explain the long lasting consequences of such changes

Question 34

corporate

Answer 34

experienced by many people at the same time, like the Pentecost in Acts 2. they provide more evidence and fit with James' empiricism.

Question 35

Toronto blessing

Answer 35

began in 1990s and spread across continents. included speaking in tongues and laughter. it is controversial within christianity, why would God reveal himself in a way that provides no new knowledge

Question 35

problems with corporate

Answer 35

pyschologists would point to social conformity or cases of mass hysteria. questions can also be raised about why God chooses to reveal himself to one group, rather than the starving or persecuted?

Question 36

Swinburne experiences

Answer 36

says religious experiences should be treated as any other private experience, more likely to believe it happened or not.

Question 37

Swinburne's principles

Answer 37

testimony- we usually believe what people tell us, unless we have reason not to. if someone says theyve experienced a nice day we believe them creduilty- unless we have evidence to the contrary we should believe that things are how they seem.

Question 38

corporate religious experiences are more reliable

Answer 38

- more witnesses, cumulative testimony more convincing - empirical impacts, like the Penetcost saw loads of people speaking different languages - Swinburne's principle of creduility defend reliability of corporate

Question 39

individual religious experiences are more reliable

Answer 39

- principle of testimony says we should believe what people tell us. - empirical evidence to a lasting change, 'fruits'. - creduility can also be applied as we should credit indivual with experience unless opposing evidence