Religious Experiences Flashcards
Individual Prayer
The practice of prayer in itself is a religious experience - private prayer involves listening to the ‘voice’ of God
Prayer is about communion with God
Those who are deeply committed to faith may spend a lot of time in prayer
However, individual prayer doesn’t compare to other acts of prayer such as the prayer of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane
How did William James describe prayer?
As ‘the very soul and essence of religion’
Meditation
One of the goals of meditation is to obtain a religious experience (Buddhism - Nirvana)
Theistic religions seek union with God, while non-theistic religions seek the loss of self
Participation in a Rite of Passage
The Roman Catholic understanding of the Eucharist (transubstantiation) is a religious experience as they experience the transformation of the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ
However, just participating in a religious experience doesn’t guarantee a religious experience
- Participation could become mechanical (Mool Mantra)
- True intent (Niyyah) validates a religious act
- The affirmation of beliefs can still be valid even if a religious experience doesn’t occur
The Creed
In Christianity, the creed has been formulated from some key religious experiences that have been affirmed through religious beliefs
Religious Practice
Religious experiences are often the reason for a religious practice e.g. pilgrimage or a festival
However, in the 21st century, many have called into question the truth of these claimed past religious experience - they see the events as symbolic rather than historical and literal
- It could be argued that symbolism still holds significance and value
Examples of Religious Festivals
Ramadan - Muslims celebrate the time when verses of the Qu’ran were revealed to Muhammed
Wesak - Buddhists celebrate the life of the Buddha and his teachings and revelations
Religious experiences aren’t necessary for belief and practice
Assembling at a place of worship isn’t a religious experience but it strengthens cohesion within the religious community
However, the reason for assembling at a place of worship is usually linked to some religious experience of the past
Conversion Experiences
Conversion experiences dramatically change the person’s life e.g., St Paul and Yusuf Ali (Cat Stevens)
However, it could be argued that conversion experiences are really inner battles and the conversion would have happened regardless of the religious experience
What did William James argue?
That religious experiences impact positively on a person’s life
However, it’s difficult to prove that these changes are due to religious experiences and not psychological
Affirmation of Belief System
In most major religions, there appears to be a key figure who is linked to the founding of that religion
E.g., Guru Nanak (Sikh) went missing for 2 days and nights and returned with the Mool Mantra
To have faith, is to believe in religious experiences
Promotion of Faith Value System
Religious experiences can be seen as the source of revealing ethical standards
E.g., The Ten Commandments were revealed to Moses
Faith Restoring
If one’s own faith is struggling and doubt is setting in, then having a religious experience can clearly remove doubts and renew faith
Strengthened in the Face of Opposition
Having a religious experience gives the individual strength when in the face of conflict
Accounts of martyrs could possibly inspire an individuals faith in the face of opposition e.g., St Oscar Romero and his work in El Salvador
Renewal of Vow to Religious Ideals
When a religious experience can bring upon a restitution of commitment to various religious standards and policies
