Religious experiences Flashcards
1
Q
what is a religious experience?
A
an experience in which someone believes that they have direct access to God
2
Q
who is William James?
A
- his philosophy is influenced by physical science
- he believes that an experience counts a religious experience if it follows;
1. philosophical pragmatism
2. Religious experience is primary
3
Q
what is william James’ first big idea?
A
- PHILOSOPHICAL PRAGMATISM:
whether or not to judge if the religious experience is true or not should be based on whether or not it provides a useful outcome, or if it has a useful outcome
- For example, “you can achieve anything you put your mind to” [ according to philosophical pragmatism this would be true as it would motivate you to try harder]
4
Q
what is william James’ second big idea?
A
- RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE IS PRIMARY
this is the idea that religious experience comes before anything else, such as religious doctrine
5
Q
what is william James’ criteria of mystical experiences?
A
Passive - the person isn’t in control of the religious experience
Ineffable - the experience is undescribable
Noetic - after the experience, the individual gained more knowledge
Transient - the experience don’t last long (out of time)
6
Q
what is an example of religious/mystical experiences in the bible?
A
- JOAN OF ARC
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