AIM: To think about numinous religious experiences

1
AIM To think about numinous religious
experiences

• To know what numinosity is.
• To demonstrate an understanding of the difference
  philosophers concept of the numinous.
• To assess the concept of a numinous experience.

2
Aim To explore conversion experiences.

• To know what is meant by conversion.
• To demonstrate an understanding of the different
  types of conversion.
• To assess the concept of conversion as religious
  experience.

3
NuminousThe sense of being in the presence of
an awesome power, and yet distinctly separate
from it.
4
Complete the table after read pg23-24
5
Complete the table after read pg23-24
6
AIM To think about mystical religious
experiences

• To know what mystical experiences are. 
• To demonstrate an understanding of the different
  categories of mystical experiences.
• To assess the concept of the mystical.

7
Induced Mystical Experiences

• James recognised the similarity between mystical
  experiences and those experiences induced by
  drugs or alcohol. Of course it is not uncommon
  that these are using in religion- tea during
  Buddhist meditation, wine in Christian worship,
  spinning and dancing in Islamic Sufism. James
  then saw mystical experiences as states of
  consciousness.

8
What is the difference?

• One difference identified by James between the
  mystical experience and being drunk/high etc is
  that after the experience a profound sense of the
  importance of the experience is retained.

9
AIM To think about mystical religious
experiences in the terms of prayer.

• To know what mystical experiences are.
• To demonstrate an understanding of mystical
  prayer experiences.
• To assess the concept of the prayer as a
  religious experience.

10
What problems might their be with prayer as a
religious experience?

• Prayer is an attitude of general expectancy
  Myers
• It would be rash to say that Christ hears us
  himself. Myers
• Mystics and people who have religious experiences
  may spend long periods of time alone praying.

11
AIM To think about whether religious experiences
can prove the existence of God.

• To know some of problems with religious
  experiences.
•  
• To demonstrate an understanding of how religious
  experience might prove Gods existence.
• To assess the concept of religious experience
  proving Gods existence.

12
A religious experience is a non-empirical event
which happens to an individual. Its cause is
normally spontaneous but can be due to training.
13
- Imagine some one walks into the room and claims
to have had a religious experience. What would
make you believe them?   Make a list of qualities
they would need as a person to make them
believable.   A list of questions would you need
to ask them.   A list of an other factors you
think would be necessary to make you believe what
they have said.  
14
Look at the handout, what problems do you think
there are with the religious experiences as proof
of God.Try to make a point for every point on
the handout.
15
AIM To consider whether the experience of God is
philosophically sound.

• To know the arguments for Religious Experience as
  being proof of God.
• To demonstrate an understanding of the experience
  of God being philosophically sound.
• To assess the concept of religious experience
  proving Gods existence.

16
Make a list of reasons why it could be argued
that Religious Experiences prove Gods existence.
17
First major argument against Religious Experience
is the concept that an Experience of God is not
philosophically sound.
18
Is encountering a table the same as encountering
God? Is God similar to a person? How could
you recognise God? Is it possible for humans to
experience the infinite? 
19
Read pg 55-56 from Cole and complete the table.
Is an experience of God philosophically
sound? Can Religious Experience prove Gods
existence?
20
AIM To consider whether the experience of God is
subjective or objective.

• To know the difference between the objective and
  subjective.
• To demonstrate an understanding of the whether
  the experience of God can be objective.
• To assess the concept of religious experience
  proving Gods existence.

21
-Objective- can be empirically verified or
falsified and shared.-Subjective- personal
non-empirical
22
Read Genesis 3, Genesis 17, Exodus 3 and answer
the questions. How many people see God?Is
God described?How do they know it is God?Do
you think the experience of God is objective or
subjective?
23
Read Jordan pp.39-41 summarise the three
arguments against Religious experience proving
Gods existence.---
24
A) Make a list of all the points for Religious
experience proving Gods existence.B)Make a
list of all the points against religious
experience proving Gods existence.
25
Discuss and evaluate the claim that Religious
experiences are merely ordinary experiences
mistakenly thought to be from God.
26
Aim To evaluate the argument for religious
experience proving the existence of God.

• To know issues surrounding the concept of truth.
• To demonstrate an understanding of
  correspondence, coherence and pragmatic theory.
• To assess the concept of religious experience
  proving Gods existence.

27
Read pg41-42 of Jordan

• According to each theory what is truth?