Religious Experiences Flashcards
What is religious experience defined as?
Something non empirical that can be perceived as supernatural
It includes a wide range of experiences, from prayer to nearing god
Some are random, some come from years of training
It can convert people but also gives already religious people a better understanding of god
What did Richard Swinburne argue?
He argued that these experiences could be categorised into 5 different types
Public
1) ordinary, interpreted experience (eg claiming the sunset is his work)
2) extraordinary experience (Jesus walking on water)
Private
3) experiences that are describable in normal language
4) experiences that can only be described using metaphors or negative language
5) no specific experience
How many main classifications of religious experience are there?
Four
What are visions?
The believe that someone has seen or heard something supernatural
What are intellectual visions?
Brings knowledge and understanding
‘And again my mind supplied an answer’
What is an imaginary vision?
Something seen in the minds eye
Like when I’m Matthew gospel Joseph is warned in a dream to take Jesus and Mary to ejypt
What is a corporeal vision
Something seen that is externally present
What is the numinous
It is often said to be a feeling of being in the presence of something supernatural/ something greater than yourself
German theologian rudolfsaid you could also be disconnected from it
What is conversion
Conversion is when somebody adopts a new reloigios belief that differs from the previously held one
Eg conversion of st paul
What aremystical experiences?
People who have these often feel as though they have achieved union with god or some Devine being.
What did William James define religious experiences as?
‘The feelings acts and experiences of induviduals men in their solitude, so far as they may consider the divine’
What were the four characteristics of mystical experiences we could use to identify them?
Ineffability, noetic ,transient , passive
What is ineffability
Inability to describe the experience, or at least will not give the experience justice. It cannot be comprehended by someone who didn’t have the experience themself
What is noetic
These experiences will give the person knowledge, revelations and illuminations that would not be possible wi5hout direct experience with the diving
What is transient
The experience will not be permanent ebbed if it felt like it went on for a long time, it was actually very short
What is passive?
The subject has no control over what has happening to them, it is a gift from god.
What is Richard Swinburne argument?
He argued that although people have experiences the revelation are more likely to believe in god, these experiences can convince those who didn’t experience it of his existence.
How does swinburne define religious experience?
An experience of god or of some other supernatural thing
What are the two parts swinburnesargument can be broken into?
Principle of credulity and principle of testimony
What is the principle of credulity?
What one seems to perceive is probably so, we have no reason to deny what the subject experiences is true unless there is proof
What are the challenges to the principle of credulity?
Circumstances around the event can provide unreliable results, such as intoxication
Sometimes the recipient does not have the proper facilities to interpret the experience, such as being to young
What is the principle of testimony?
Unless there are special considerations, the experiences of others are probably as they report, we normally are told the truth
The principle of prior responsibility is key to this argument
If all arguments are considered, there is a reasonable probability that god exists, it doesn’t prove it but makes it more probable
What does swinburne use to build a case for gods existence?
Cosmological argument, design argument, moral argument
How were these conclusions challenged?
Anthony flew used his ten leaky buckets analogy.
Ten deeply flawed arguments DONT make a string one
Are they deeply flawed or do they make a cumulative case!
The religious experience argument doesn’t stand on its own, it depends on the prior probability of gods existence being established
What are the challenges to the religious experience argument?
Vicious circle challenge- religious experience depends on the prior assumptions of those involves -more likely to be generated by existing faith commitments instead of religious experiences being based on faith
Reinforces pre existing faith
However there have been cases where experiences challenge people’s existing faith.
What is the conflicting claims challenge?
If one religious relies on their religious experiences to prove the truth of their religion, then each religion apcan claim the same
What is the psychological challenge?
Same physiologists holds that religious experiences can be explained by lyscological factors
Eg St. Paul’s experience could be because of an epileptic fit
However god van work through ones psyche
What is the anti realist challenge?
There are no direct experiences of god religious religious experiences are the way the world is viewed by a religious believer ‘learn to find god in all things’
What is proffessor Nicholas laehs challenge
Rejects the idea that god can be experienced directly
He says god is experiences through everyday events
What does William Alston say about this
He says that religious experiences are true but do not prove gods existence
Concentrates on non sensory experiences as god is purely spiritual
He rejects kants limitations of the 5 senses
Advocates for a perceptual model relies on a theory of appearing
If x is to appear, x must exist, x must make a important contribution to the experience of x
Perceiving x must give rise to believes about x
