Religious Experience

What are the four types of religious experience?

Visions, sensory, intellectual, conversion

What is a vision?

In a religious context, seeing something either with ordinary vision or spiritually, and understanding it to have deep religious significance.

Give an example of a vision religious experience

In Acts 10, Peter has a vision where he realises Christians don’t need to keep the food laws of Judaism.

What is a sensory experience?

Somebody is awake and conscious, and has an encounter with an external reality that can be experienced with the senses.

Give an example of a sensory religious experience

St Bernadette reported seeing visions of a lady by a stream in Lourdes. The figure she later identified as Mary told her to drink the water, which ran clear.

What is an intellectual experience?

Gaining a deeper understanding of God within the soul or has information imparted to them.

Give an example of an intellectual experience

Joseph had a dream of angel Gabriel telling him not to worry, and that Mary was going to give birth to the Son of God.

What is a conversion experience?

A radical change of belief resulting from an encounter with an external reality

What are the two types of conversion experience, and give an example of each

• Individual conversion - St Paul on the road to Damascus

• Communal conversion - The Toronto Blessing

What is the difference between an active and passive conversion?

• Active - the person takes initiative to search for answers, e.g. by reading Bible

• Passive - the person doesn’t know they’re looking for God and is taken by surprise