Religious Exprience Flashcards
Religious experience
A moment when a person comes into contact with God in some way
William James
American Psychologist and Philosopher
Wrote on the the idea of Religious Experience
4 Main Characteristics of Religious Experience PINT
William James believed that there were 4 features of religious experience
PASSIVITY
INEFFABLE
NOETIC
TRANSIENT
4 Main Characteristics of Religious Experience PASSIVITY
The EXPERIENCER has a sense something is ACTING UPON THEM
They are not taking the leading role
4 Main Characteristics of Religious Experience INEFFABLE
The experience is BEYOND PROPER DESCRIPTION CANNOT be EXPRESSED with WORDS
James claimed this was the most OBVIOUS MARK of RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE
4 Main Characteristics of Religious Experience NOETIC
The EXPERIENCER feels they have GAINED DEEP and DIRECT KNOWLEDGE of God
Knowledge DEEPER than that of EVERYDAY EVENTS
4 Main Characteristics of Religious Experience TRANSIENT
It PASSES with TIME it’s only TEMPORARY.
EFFECTS of the EXPERIENCE may be LONGER LASTING
William James’ Key principles for his RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE
Pragmatism
Empiricism
Pluralism
William James’ Key principles for his RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE Pragmatism
A philosophical movement that argues that TRUTH is not something FIXED
But whatever has VALUE for us.
A THEORY Must be treated as TRUE if it WORKS in PRACTICE
Therefore we must conclude RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCES are True, as the EFFECTS are EVIDENTAL
William James’ Key principles for his RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE EMPIRICISM
The idea that OBSERVATIONS via our SENSE lead us to UNDERSTANDING of the world
The EFFECTS of RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE;CONVERSION EXPERIENCE can be observed as EMPIRICALLY DATA
William James’ Key principles for his RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE -PLURALISM
Idea that TRUTH can be found in ALL RELIGIONS
James claims that EXPERINECE in DIFFERENT FAITHS showed there were SIMILARITIES
Therefore there is TRUTH in all RELIGIONS
Mystical experience William James
William James and other thinkers believed Religious Experiences as primarily MYSTICAL in Nature
Mystical Experience Definition
A DIRECT EXPERIENCE of God or ULTIMATE REALITY
A sense of ONENESS of all things
Mystical Experience St Teresa of Avila
She argues that EXPERIENCES should be subject to TESTS to determine if they are GENUINE
;Does it have a POSITIVE change in the person
Has it left them at PEACE or DISTURBED
Does the Experience FIT with the TEACHINGS of the CHURCH
Mystical Experience St Teresa of Avila QUOTE Example
“For neither with the eyes did I see anything …. I thought he was quite close to me … all the time Jesus Christ seemed to be beside me “
Rudolph Otto
Protestant Theologian
Attempted to identify what made religious experience RELIGIOUS rather than just Experience
Believed it was RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE was NUMINOUS
Numinous Experience
An experience of AWE and WONDER in the PRESENCE of God- how OTTO saw Religious Experience
Aware of our INSIGNIFICANCE in the PRESENCE of God
Three Qualities to Numinous Exprience
According to Otto
Otto describes a Numinous Experience in THREE WAYS;
Mysterium-Mysterious
Tremendum-Tremendous/terrifying
Fascinans- Fascinating/Compelling
Three Qualities to Numinous Exprience
According to Otto -MYSTERIUM
A religious experience containing a MYSTERIOUS QUALITY
The REALISATION that God can never TRULY BE UNDERSTOOD
Similar to ASLAN from LION WITCH WADROBE
Three Qualities to Numinous Exprience
According to Otto -TREMENDUM
God is Recognised of SUPREME IMPORTANCE thus we are FILLED with
AWE AND RESPECTFUL-FEAR of Him
; AWE-INSPIRED TERROR
Three Qualities to Numinous Exprience
According to Otto -FASCINANS
God has a quality that FASCINATES US
We are DRAWN TOWRDS HIM
He is both ATTRACTIVE and DANGEROUS
We feel a SENSE OF PRIVILEGE in his PRESENCE
Conversion Experience
An Expreince which causes a SUDDEN or GRADUAL CHANGE in SOMEONE’S BELIFE SYSTEM
Conversion Experience -William James
William James believed it was a way of SHIFTING ENERGIES
He also claimed that from a PSYCHOLOGICAL viewpoint it can be claimed that the SUBCONSCIOUS may be ACTIVE in a similar way to when someone is in a HYPNOTIC STATE
Genuine religious experience WILLIAM JAMES
The recipient truly believed they made CONTACT in SOME WAY with the DIVINE
Real religious experience WILLIAM JAMES
Comes from God
God makes himself known
William James Fruits of Religious Experience Definition
Believed that GENUINE RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE had certain Affects which he referred to as FRUITS OF RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE
William James Fruits of Religious Experience 4 types
ELATION
CHANGE
AWARENESS
SELF-SURRENDER
William James Fruits of Religious Experience 4 types-Awareness
Knowledge of the Situation
William James Fruits of Religious Experience 4 types-Elation
GREAT HAPPINESS AND EXHILARATION
William James Fruits of Religious Experience 4 types Change
Different outlook of LIFE
POSITIVE CHANGE
William James Fruits of Religious Experience 4 types Self-Surrender
Surrendering yourself to Belief
F.C Happlod Mystical Expirence Basics
Believed Mystical Experiences are RELIGION in ALL its FORM and HOW they DEPEND on INTUITION
T
F.C Happlod Mystical Experience ‘Divine Ground’
-The Physical World comes from ‘DIVINE GROUND’
The DIVINE GROUND is known through INTUITION
Humans have TWO NATURES :the EGO (conscious) ‘ETERNAL SELF (spiritual spark of DIVINITY)
PURPOSE of Humanity, is to UNITE ETERNAL SELF with DIVINE GROUND
Mystical Experiences: Visions and Voices
Mystical Experiences often consist of Visions and Voices
Mystical Experience Types of Visions
Corporeal
Intellectual
Imaginative
Mystical Experience Types of Visions:Corpoeal
When the person actually sees a FIGURE IN FRONT OF THEM e.g the STORY OF BERNADETTE
Mystical Experience Types of Visions-Intellectual
Aware of Something BESIDE THEM but CANNOT actually see them in the NORMAL SENSE e.g ST TERESA of Avila
Mystical Experience Types of Visions-Imaginative
Visions occurring in Someone’s dream
E.g Joseph seeing God speak to him in his dream to protect Jesus and Mary from Herod
BIBLICAL E.G of Visions
Moses sees the BURNING BUSH (which is GOD APPEARING TO HIM )
IN EXODUS
Mystical Experience Types of Voices
Revelatory
Authoritative
Disembodied
Mystical Experience Types of Voices :Revelatory
The Voice reveals something about GOD of his WISHES
Mystical Experience Types of Voices: Authoritative
The Message has GOD’S AUTHORITY and is therefore RIGHT
Mystical Experience Types of Voices: Disembodied
The Voice appears from NO BODY but is just HEARD rather than being SEEN SPOKEN
Example of Voices -Yorkshire Ripper
Peter Sutcliffe convicted of murdering 13 women,
Claimed it was the VOICE OF GOD that told him to
Examples of Conversion John Pridmore
Former Gnagster involved in NOTORIOUS ACTIVITIES
Until he heard the voice of God, which led him to MEET A PRIEST who told to go to a CHRISTIAN RETREAT which caused him to CONVERT TO CHRISTIANITY
Biblical example of Conversion: Saul
Saul was a PERSECUTOR of CHRISTIANS
Until he was STRUCK BLIND by God-who told him to preach the Word of God
Leading him to CONVERT
Corporate Experience
An experience shared by a group
Religious Ecstasy
An Altered State of Mind BROUGHT BY THE HOLY SPIRIT
Experience INTENSE EMOTION FEELINGS of God
Less aware of the WORLD AROUND THEM
Glossia
Speaking In tongues
HOLY SPIRIT enables people to speak in other LANGUAGES
Examples of Corporate Experience -ANITA MAX WYNNNN
The Toronto Blessing 1994
In Toronto Airport reported there mass amount of of uncontrollable HOLY LAUGHTER with people believing they were UNDER the INFLUENCE of HOLY SPIRIT
Corporate Expriences Biblical Example
Day of PenteCost came and all believers of Jesus gathered
Where they then all fillled with the HOLY SPIRIT -speaking in DIFFERENT LANGUAGES
STRENGTHS OF WILLIAM JAMES Understanding God -NOETIC Experience
If the idea of GOD BEYOND OUR UNDERSTANDING,
Then WILLIAM JAMES’ NOETIC EXPERIENCE- is USEFUL
IT makes an INCOMPREHNSIBLE GOD be able to REVEAL KNOLWEDGE TO US
rather than us trying to GRASP UNDERSTANDING OF GOD
STRENGTHS OF WILLIAM JAMES -Never claims EXISTENCE OF GOD
William James never says EXPLICITLY that Religious Experience PROVES EXISTENCE GOD
Prevents RELIGIOUS ARROGANCE/SUPERIORITY
Just Observing and Suggesting
-UNIVERSAL?
STRENGTHS OF WILLIAM JAMES - Psychological Openness
James is open to study HUMAN FACULTIES(Potentiality/Capacity) of our MIND
Which other areas of SCIENCES DISCREDIT IT
SIMILARITIES BETWEEN Experiences that would be DIFFICULT to Make-Up
Weaknesses Of William James-Bertrand Russell
Argued That Just If was SOMEONE is AFFECTED for GOOD by a STORY of a Hero
This Does not NECESSARILY MEAN it’s true as THIS AFFECT can happen even if the STORY WERE FALSE
Weaknesses Of William James-Anthony Flew Non Empirical statements
Flew argues that statements which cannot be TESTED EMPIRICALLY are MEANINGLESS
“I SAW a VISION OF MARY” means nothing as it can not be EMPIRICALLY PROVEN
Flew would then REJECT James’ idea of the AUTHENTICITY of RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE .
Weaknesses Of William James- Mystical Experience Makes sense?
Something Beyond our Understanding can it be of any use if we cannot understand it
-HAVE WE SAID ANYTHING REALLY USELFUL?
Weaknesses Of William James- Experiences are FALLIABLE
MANY ARGUE James puts too much EMPHASIS on IMPORTANCE OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE
EXPERIENCES CAN BE FALLIBLE and FAIL us
Therefore a THEORY based on it is not VIABLE