Conversion and corporate experiences

Enjoy :)

?
  • Created by: Abitracey
  • Created on: 17-02-13 18:16
View mindmap
  • Conversion and corporate experiences
    • Corporate religious experiences
      • E.G. the Toronto Blessing
      • A number of people have the experience.
      • All other experiences are private and impossible to verify.
      • Such experiences should be judged on the effects.
      • Critics examine sacred texts and question whether the experience fits in with what is revealed of God's nature elsewhere.
    • Conversion as evidence for God
      • Although the inner experience is not empirically detectable, the resulting changes in behaviou are something that can be empirically observed.
      • William James argues the truth is in the results.
    • Psychological views on conversion
      • Changes are usually gradual.
      • Sometimes 'crisis' type events can cause rapid transformation, so converstion could be seen in the same psychological light.
      • Edwin Starbuck said religious conversions occur to people between the age of 15 and 24.
      • Non-religious adolescents appear to go through similar stages of anxiety and depression before finding 'happy relief' and a sense of identity.
      • Some theists argue that to reduce conversion to just a psychological phenomenon fails to address the question of the cause of the experience.

Comments

No comments have yet been made

Similar Religious Studies resources:

See all Religious Studies resources »