Religious Exprience Flashcards

1
Q

Religious experience

A

A moment when a person comes into contact with God in some way

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2
Q

William James

A

American Psychologist and Philosopher
Wrote on the the idea of Religious Experience

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3
Q

4 Main Characteristics of Religious Experience PINT

A

William James believed that there were 4 features of religious experience
PASSIVITY
INEFFABLE
NOETIC
TRANSIENT

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4
Q

4 Main Characteristics of Religious Experience PASSIVITY

A

The EXPERIENCER has a sense something is ACTING UPON THEM
They are not taking the leading role

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5
Q

4 Main Characteristics of Religious Experience INEFFABLE

A

The experience is BEYOND PROPER DESCRIPTION CANNOT be EXPRESSED with WORDS
James claimed this was the most OBVIOUS MARK of RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE

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6
Q

4 Main Characteristics of Religious Experience NOETIC

A

The EXPERIENCER feels they have GAINED DEEP and DIRECT KNOWLEDGE of God
Knowledge DEEPER than that of EVERYDAY EVENTS

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7
Q

4 Main Characteristics of Religious Experience TRANSIENT

A

It PASSES with TIME it’s only TEMPORARY.
EFFECTS of the EXPERIENCE may be LONGER LASTING

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8
Q

William James’ Key principles for his RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE

A

Pragmatism
Empiricism
Pluralism

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9
Q

William James’ Key principles for his RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE Pragmatism

A

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

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10
Q

William James’ Key principles for his RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE EMPIRICISM

A

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

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11
Q

William James’ Key principles for his RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE -PLURALISM

A

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

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12
Q

Mystical experience William James

A

William James and other thinkers believed Religious Experiences as primarily MYSTICAL in Nature

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13
Q

Mystical Experience Definition

A

A DIRECT EXPERIENCE of God or ULTIMATE REALITY
A sense of ONENESS of all things

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14
Q

Mystical Experience St Teresa of Avila

A

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

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15
Q

Mystical Experience St Teresa of Avila QUOTE Example

A

“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 “

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16
Q

Rudolph Otto

A

Protestant Theologian
Attempted to identify what made religious experience RELIGIOUS rather than just Experience
Believed it was RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE was NUMINOUS

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17
Q

Numinous Experience

A

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

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18
Q

Three Qualities to Numinous Exprience
According to Otto

A

Otto describes a Numinous Experience in THREE WAYS;

Mysterium-Mysterious
Tremendum-Tremendous/terrifying
Fascinans- Fascinating/Compelling

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19
Q

Three Qualities to Numinous Exprience
According to Otto -MYSTERIUM

A

A religious experience containing a MYSTERIOUS QUALITY
The REALISATION that God can never TRULY BE UNDERSTOOD
Similar to ASLAN from LION WITCH WADROBE

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20
Q

Three Qualities to Numinous Exprience
According to Otto -TREMENDUM

A

God is Recognised of SUPREME IMPORTANCE thus we are FILLED with
AWE AND RESPECTFUL-FEAR of Him
; AWE-INSPIRED TERROR

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21
Q

Three Qualities to Numinous Exprience
According to Otto -FASCINANS

A

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

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22
Q

Conversion Experience

A

An Expreince which causes a SUDDEN or GRADUAL CHANGE in SOMEONE’S BELIFE SYSTEM

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23
Q

Conversion Experience -William James

A

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

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24
Q

Genuine religious experience WILLIAM JAMES

A

The recipient truly believed they made CONTACT in SOME WAY with the DIVINE

25
Q

Real religious experience WILLIAM JAMES

A

Comes from God
God makes himself known

26
Q

William James Fruits of Religious Experience Definition

A

Believed that GENUINE RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE had certain Affects which he referred to as FRUITS OF RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE

27
Q

William James Fruits of Religious Experience 4 types

A

ELATION
CHANGE
AWARENESS
SELF-SURRENDER

28
Q

William James Fruits of Religious Experience 4 types-Awareness

A

Knowledge of the Situation

29
Q

William James Fruits of Religious Experience 4 types-Elation

A

GREAT HAPPINESS AND EXHILARATION

30
Q

William James Fruits of Religious Experience 4 types Change

A

Different outlook of LIFE
POSITIVE CHANGE

31
Q

William James Fruits of Religious Experience 4 types Self-Surrender

A

Surrendering yourself to Belief

32
Q

F.C Happlod Mystical Expirence Basics

A

Believed Mystical Experiences are RELIGION in ALL its FORM and HOW they DEPEND on INTUITION

T

33
Q

F.C Happlod Mystical Experience ‘Divine Ground’

A

-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

34
Q

Mystical Experiences: Visions and Voices

A

Mystical Experiences often consist of Visions and Voices

35
Q

Mystical Experience Types of Visions

A

Corporeal
Intellectual
Imaginative

36
Q

Mystical Experience Types of Visions:Corpoeal

A

When the person actually sees a FIGURE IN FRONT OF THEM e.g the STORY OF BERNADETTE

37
Q

Mystical Experience Types of Visions-Intellectual

A

Aware of Something BESIDE THEM but CANNOT actually see them in the NORMAL SENSE e.g ST TERESA of Avila

38
Q

Mystical Experience Types of Visions-Imaginative

A

Visions occurring in Someone’s dream
E.g Joseph seeing God speak to him in his dream to protect Jesus and Mary from Herod

39
Q

BIBLICAL E.G of Visions

A

Moses sees the BURNING BUSH (which is GOD APPEARING TO HIM )
IN EXODUS

40
Q

Mystical Experience Types of Voices

A

Revelatory
Authoritative
Disembodied

41
Q

Mystical Experience Types of Voices :Revelatory

A

The Voice reveals something about GOD of his WISHES

42
Q

Mystical Experience Types of Voices: Authoritative

A

The Message has GOD’S AUTHORITY and is therefore RIGHT

43
Q

Mystical Experience Types of Voices: Disembodied

A

The Voice appears from NO BODY but is just HEARD rather than being SEEN SPOKEN

44
Q

Example of Voices -Yorkshire Ripper

A

Peter Sutcliffe convicted of murdering 13 women,
Claimed it was the VOICE OF GOD that told him to

45
Q

Examples of Conversion John Pridmore

A

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

46
Q

Biblical example of Conversion: Saul

A

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

47
Q

Corporate Experience

A

An experience shared by a group

48
Q

Religious Ecstasy

A

An Altered State of Mind BROUGHT BY THE HOLY SPIRIT
Experience INTENSE EMOTION FEELINGS of God
Less aware of the WORLD AROUND THEM

49
Q

Glossia

A

Speaking In tongues
HOLY SPIRIT enables people to speak in other LANGUAGES

50
Q

Examples of Corporate Experience -ANITA MAX WYNNNN

A

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

51
Q

Corporate Expriences Biblical Example

A

Day of PenteCost came and all believers of Jesus gathered
Where they then all fillled with the HOLY SPIRIT -speaking in DIFFERENT LANGUAGES

52
Q

STRENGTHS OF WILLIAM JAMES Understanding God -NOETIC Experience

A

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

53
Q

STRENGTHS OF WILLIAM JAMES -Never claims EXISTENCE OF GOD

A

William James never says EXPLICITLY that Religious Experience PROVES EXISTENCE GOD
Prevents RELIGIOUS ARROGANCE/SUPERIORITY
Just Observing and Suggesting
-UNIVERSAL?

54
Q

STRENGTHS OF WILLIAM JAMES - Psychological Openness

A

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

55
Q

Weaknesses Of William James-Bertrand Russell

A

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

56
Q

Weaknesses Of William James-Anthony Flew Non Empirical statements

A

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 .

57
Q

Weaknesses Of William James- Mystical Experience Makes sense?

A

Something Beyond our Understanding can it be of any use if we cannot understand it
-HAVE WE SAID ANYTHING REALLY USELFUL?

58
Q

Weaknesses Of William James- Experiences are FALLIABLE

A

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