Religious experience

A Religious experience is...

Swinburne: anything that seems to the recipient to be an experience of the Divine or supernatural.

Hay: its a natural phenomonon, according to the laws of nature and natural selection - with an evoultionery benefit.

Unity and understanding of the Divine. 

James argues it to be; ineffable, transient, passive and noetic.

Happold argues there to be two types; love and unity, understading.

These then have three aspects; 

God-mysticism - wanting to return to God

Soul-mysticism - wanting self-fulfilment through God

Nature-mysticism - the idea that God is everywhere.

Otto descripes this to be 'being in the presence of the holy other and realising human nothingness.'

Expression of wonder and awe.

Example Isiah, 'i have unclean lips'. 

Transformation in the recipients lifestyle.

Types: 

Gradual, active: example is Dr Francis Collins

Sudden, passive: example is Nicky Cruz

Effects: 

Social, Intellectual, Moral. 

Rambo's stages: context, crisis, encounter, interaction, commitment, consequence.

Religious example: saul to paul

Smart says this is 'a perception of the invisible world'.

Types: 

Intellectual: knowledge is received.

Corporal: external figure is presented.

Imaginery: in minds eye.

Examples: St Bernadette, Prophet Muhammad, Jacob's Ladder.

Experience is recieved as a collective group.

Example: Toronto blessings.

More reliable?

Comformity?

God reveals Himself.

Types: 

General or special. (Everyone or individual recieves God's messages)

Propostional or non-propostional. (Truths is received through metaphors with the "belief that" or pure "belief in" God)