numinous experiences Flashcards
(17 cards)
what is a numinous experience?
the sense of being in the presence of an awesome power and feeling separate from it
who is the main theologian for mystical experiences?
Rudolph Otto
where does Otto say religion must come from?
a being which is completely separate from the world
what is an example of a numinous experience?
Moses’ vision of the burning bush
explain Moses’ vision of the burning bush:
‘the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush…”the place on which you are standing is holy ground” ‘
God appeared as a voice from a burning bush and told Moses that he had been chosen to lead his people out of Egypt
who does Otto say the religious experiences are encounters with?
the wholly other
holy meaning transcendent and numinous
what does ‘numen’ mean?
power of deity/spirit
what does ‘sui generis’ mean?
of their own kind
what does Otto mean when he says numinous experiences are ‘sui generis’?
unique
non-rational/beyond comprehension
what does ‘mysterium tremendum et fascinans’ mean?
a tremendous and fascinating mystery
what does Otto mean when he says numinous experiences are ‘mysterium tremendum et fascinans’?
tremendous power
inspires the feeling of awe and majesty along with dread, fear and terror
human is small compared to the deity and are overwhelmed by it
what do numinous experiences often lead to people doing?
conversion
what does conversion mean?
the person who experiences the vision usually has a greater understanding of their faith as a result of the vision
this may lead them to have a more religious lifestyle
example of someone who converted?
St Paul
explain St Paul’s experience and why he converted?
he heard the voice of Jesus on the road to Damascus
Jesus said ‘why do you persecute me?’
he converted to Christianity and preached the gospel
what two things happen when someone goes through a conversion?
realise in their present life that they have lots of sins and that they want to change
realise they want to make positive changes
explain conversions as gradual or sudden:
gradual- some welcome faith over time
sudden- accept faith immediately and make the faith a significant part of their life straight away
