RE: vision and numinous

Question 1

what are the 3 types of RE

Answer 1

vision, numinous, mystical

Question 2

Define corporeal

Answer 2

presence and personal communication from a spiritual figure (st Bernadette seeing virgin Mary)

Question 3

Define imaginative

Answer 3

seen in a dream/ minds eye (paroh an his dreams)

Question 4

Define numinous

Answer 4

emotional proximity

Question 5

verifying RE

Answer 5

-personal RE are non-verifiable in philosophy
-assumed therefore that it is something that happens spontaneously

-however, those who involve themselves in religious study and practice will develop sensitivity to notice a RE

-maybe a RE is the individuals awareness of God in their environment

-RE are invariably (always) a positive experience, this will motivate the recipient to become more religiously observant/ involved in good acts

Question 6

what is a religious vision

Answer 6

occurs when an individual believes to have seen or heard something supernatural or a supernatural being

Question 7

Corporeal vision

Answer 7

-person experiences the presence and personal communication from a spiritual figure (present with them)

examples:
-King Saul summoning the ghost of Samuel
-St Bernadette saw virgin Mary who told her the waters at Lourdes had healing powers and a chapel should be built there (used as a place of healing to this day)

Question 8

Imaginative (vision)

Answer 8

-seen in a dream or the minds eye

example:
-Jacob and his vision of a ladder extending to heaven with the angel ascending and descending upon it

Question 9

Intellectual (vision)

Answer 9

-receives a message from God (sometimes in a dream)
-makes a person wiser or more understanding

examples:
- (book of Jeremiah) prophet was shown a vision of the conquest of Jerusalem and destruction of the First Temple
-He was to warn the people of the imminence of the catastrophe

Question 10

what is a numinous experience

Answer 10

-a person experiences emotional proximity of holiness
-includes feeling of aw, fascination, religious awakening & smallness of oneself

-some consider it to be a regular feature of RE others consider it to be a distinct and separate category

Question 11

Who was Rudolph Otto & examples of numinous experiences in bible

Answer 11

-one of the most influential thinkers on religion in first half of 20th century

examples from bible:
-moses encounter with God at burning bush
-elijah vision of small voice at mount horeb

Question 12

Rudolph Otto Mysterium (1)

Answer 12

-numinous is wholly other
-different to anything in this life
-evokes a reaction of silence

Question 13

Rudolph Otto Mysterium Tremendum (2)

Answer 13

-the awe and fear of being in the presence of an overwhelmingly superior being

Question 14

Rudolph Otto Fascinans (3)

Answer 14

-despite that fear, being merciful, gracious and strangely drawn to the experience

Question 15

Against Otto

Answer 15

-other suggest the biblical examples are not truly numinous as they involve dialogue with God

-moses experienced an intellectual vision which contained a message
-elijah experienced an imaginative vision

-in a numinous experience one observes God without communicating