Religious Experience Flashcards
Conversion Experience
A change of heart and turning around of ones priorities, following a new direction in life
Corporate Religious Experience
A religious experience shared with many people
Numinous Experience
Otto - the experience of the ‘wholly other’
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 whatever they may call the divine”
Principle of Credulity
Things are as they seem to be unless we have evidence to the contrary
Principle of Testimony
We should assume people are telling the truth, unless we have good reason to believe otherwise
Passive
not being in control of the experience; feeling of being of being taken over by a more powerful being
Ineffable
Cannot be described
Noetic
Providing new insight or knowledge
Transient
Experience does not last long but holds immense significance long term
Pragmatism
the effects of an experience are most important and show it holds value for the individual
Pluralism
All religions are valuable and hold truth
Volitional Conversion
Starbuck - gradual change and slow development of new moral and spiritual habits
Mystical Experience
An experience of something beyond normal awareness
Self-surrender Conversion
Starbuck -a sudden pivotal or crisis experience followed by a change of life
James’ Conclusions
Religious experience highlights Gods existence but doesn’t guarantee this existence
James used St. Teresa of Avila’s Criteria
Consequences should fit in with the teaching and traditions of the church and should lead to positive changes in the character
Toronto Blessing
Corporate Religious Experience
Freud - Religion is wishful thinking
We fear dangers in the world and religion creates the belief that a superior is actually in control (like a father figure)
Paul - other explanations for his religious experience
- Mental breakdown
- Epilepsy
- Sunstroke
Feuerbach - God is a human protection
God is a psychological construction of our human desires
Religious experiences are subjective
- Schliermacher’s self authentication
- James individuality and solitude
Visions are linked to fasting
we can make no distinction between a man who eats little and sees God and the man who drinks much and sees snakes - Russel
