Religious Experience Flashcards
(44 cards)
Definition of religious experience
A non-empirical occurrence, and may be perceived as supernatural
Who is associated with numinous experiences?
German theologian Rudolf Otto
The German theologian Rudolph Otto used the term numinous in…
“The idea of the Holy” (1936) in referring to being in the presence of an awesome power
What did Otto claim?
That many of the visions recorded in the Bible, such as Moses’ vision of the burning bush, are experiences of the numinous
How did Otto describe numinous experiences?
an apprehension of the Holy other
“mysterium tremendum et fascinans” = an awe inspiring mystery that provokes terror because it presents itself as an overwhelming power
Numinous feelings are non-rational
We cannot reason our way into understanding numinous feelings because such feelings are non-rational - they are beyond the rational and cannot really be explained. We are then left with a feeling “mysterium tremendum et fascinans” - a “tremendous and fascinating mystery”
What is a mystical experience?
Experiences where the recipient feels a sense of “union” with the divine
Who is William James?
a Philosopher and Psychologist
In what book did James introduce his four criteria that characterise all religious experience?
“The varieties of Religious Experience”
What are William James’ 4 criteria that characterise all religious experiences?
Ineffable
Noetic
Transient
Passive
What is ineffable?
The experience is beyond language and cannot be put into words to accurately describe
Noetic
Some sort of knowledge or insight is gained
Transient
The experience is temporary
Passive
The experience happens to a person; the person does not make the experience happen
What did _____________ state that supports the idea of ineffability?
St Teresa of Avila
“I wish I could give a description of atleast the smallest part of what I have learned, but, when I try to discover a way of doing so, I find it impossible”
James says that the most useful descriptor of a mystical experience is that it…
“defies expression, that no adequate report of its contents can be given in words”
It is ineffable = it has to be directly experienced to be appreciated
James’ pluralist argument for religious experience
There must be an explanation of why these four criteria are found in mystical religious experiences around the world - it clearly can’t be chance.
James concludes that mystical experiences are the core of religion, whereas teaches and practices are “second hand” religion, i.e. not what religion is really about. This makes James a pluralist, the view that all religions are true
Provide a critique for James’ pluralist argument for religious experience
Cross-cultural similarity of the features of religious experiences could have a naturalistic explanation. It could be that all human beings hallucinate similarly because they evolved similarly
We can explain the cross-cultural similarities without needing the therefore unnecessary explanation of a higher spiritual reality
James Pragmatism argument
James was not satisfied with the attempt to dismiss religious experience as mere hallucinations. He points out that (unlike hallucinations) religious experiences can have positive and profound life changing effects
- case study of an alcoholic
Walter Stace mysticism quote
“Either God is a mystery or He is nothing at all. To ask for a proof of the existence of God is to ask for a proof of the existence of beauty”
Stace defines mysticism as..
“non-sensuous and non-intellectual union with the divine. In its highest form, the senses cease to work,and the rational intellect - the conscious “I” - ceases to work aswell, being replaced by pure consciousness
According to Stace, there are two types of mystical experiences…
- extrovertive
- introvertive
In what book does Stace talk about extroverted and introvertive mystical experiences?
“Mysticism and Philosophy”
Define extrovertive mystical experiences
a kind of “half-way house” to introvertive religious experience. Unlike the introvertive experience, sense experience is still active although objects are transformed by the “unity that shines through”
