Religious Experiences

Question 1

What is religious experience defined as?

Answer 1

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

Question 2

What did Richard Swinburne argue?

Answer 2

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

Question 3

How many main classifications of religious experience are there?

Answer 3

Four

Question 4

What are visions?

Answer 4

The believe that someone has seen or heard something supernatural

Question 5

What are intellectual visions?

Answer 5

Brings knowledge and understanding

‘And again my mind supplied an answer’

Question 6

What is an imaginary vision?

Answer 6

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

Question 7

What is a corporeal vision

Answer 7

Something seen that is externally present

Question 8

What is the numinous

Answer 8

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

Question 9

What is conversion

Answer 9

Conversion is when somebody adopts a new reloigios belief that differs from the previously held one
Eg conversion of st paul

Question 10

What aremystical experiences?

Answer 10

People who have these often feel as though they have achieved union with god or some Devine being.

Question 11

What did William James define religious experiences as?

Answer 11

‘The feelings acts and experiences of induviduals men in their solitude, so far as they may consider the divine’

Question 12

What were the four characteristics of mystical experiences we could use to identify them?

Answer 12

Ineffability, noetic ,transient , passive

Question 13

What is ineffability

Answer 13

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

Question 14

What is noetic

Answer 14

These experiences will give the person knowledge, revelations and illuminations that would not be possible wi5hout direct experience with the diving

Question 15

What is transient

Answer 15

The experience will not be permanent ebbed if it felt like it went on for a long time, it was actually very short

Question 16

What is passive?

Answer 16

The subject has no control over what has happening to them, it is a gift from god.

Question 17

What is Richard Swinburne argument?

Answer 17

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.

Question 18

How does swinburne define religious experience?

Answer 18

An experience of god or of some other supernatural thing

Question 19

What are the two parts swinburnesargument can be broken into?

Answer 19

Principle of credulity and principle of testimony

Question 20

What is the principle of credulity?

Answer 20

What one seems to perceive is probably so, we have no reason to deny what the subject experiences is true unless there is proof

Question 21

What are the challenges to the principle of credulity?

Answer 21

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

Question 22

What is the principle of testimony?

Answer 22

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

Question 23

What does swinburne use to build a case for gods existence?

Answer 23

Cosmological argument, design argument, moral argument

Question 24

How were these conclusions challenged?

Answer 24

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

Question 25

What are the challenges to the religious experience argument?

Answer 25

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.

Question 26

What is the conflicting claims challenge?

Answer 26

If one religious relies on their religious experiences to prove the truth of their religion, then each religion apcan claim the same

Question 27

What is the psychological challenge?

Answer 27

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

Question 28

What is the anti realist challenge?

Answer 28

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’

Question 29

What is proffessor Nicholas laehs challenge

Answer 29

Rejects the idea that god can be experienced directly

He says god is experiences through everyday events

Question 30

What does William Alston say about this

Answer 30

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