3D - Influence of Religious Experience on Practice and Faith

Who set up the Religious Experience Research Unit in Oxford, when, and what was its purpose?

- Alister Hardy - marine biologist
- 1969
- To examine the extent/nature of religious experiences in UK

What was Alister Hardy's view of religious experiences?

- He had a biological approach to how religion had 'evolved'; saw it as a development in response to "another dimension to life"
- Obvious that there = a huge variety of such experiences
- "the everyday world is not the whole of reality"
- "it alters behavior and changes attitudes"

What was Alister Hardy's view of religious practice?

- It includes ritual, ceremonies, festivals, duties, reflections
- Ritual = a religious experience + a trigger for further religious experiences
- Festivals = celebrations of a past event grounded in r. significance from religious experiences; e.g. Ramadan - verses of the Qur'an revealed to prophet Muhammad

What do most thinkers regard faith as?

• A mix of action of will and trust/belief in a body of truths expressed in statements/propositions

What does Aquinas regard faith as?

- Rational and supported by statements
- But, reason alone cannot discover truths/insights
- Divine revelation = required + is stronger than human reason

What is the difference between 'belief-that' and 'belief-in'?

• 'Belief-that' makes a claim that is directly true/factual
- E.g. "I believe that Guru Nanak was the first Guru"
• 'Belief-in' conveys an attitude of trust or commitment; turns 'belief-that' into a metaphysical statement
- E.g. "I believe in Jesus"

How can you move from 'belief-that' to 'belief-in'?

• Through a religious experience, either personal or somebody else's
-E.g. Can read about the life of Muhammad and be converted, such as Cat Stevens

How can religious experiences encourage/strengthen faith in Charismatic Christianity?

• The gifts of the HS provide edification for the community of believers

Religious experiences have a wide range of manifestations. Give the lowest and highest forms.

- Quiet reflection - private prayer
* Contemplation of the divine - public expressions e.g. tongues

How does the divine become known to humanity through revelation?

- Any type of religious experience can be a revelation communicated either directly or indirectly by G or by gaining insight
- Can be a moment of realization at the end of a period of reflection

What is the propositional view of revelation?

• Body of truths about God/ultimate reality

What is the non-propositional view of revelation?

- Human attempts to understand the significance of revelatory events; spiritual significance
- E.g. OT prophets saw Fall of Jerusalem as exp. of judgement on its people ∵ of disobedience ∴ reflected the belief that G = active in world

How do religious experiences provide affirmation of a belief system for a community?

In most religions, a pivotal figure = linked to founding of religion ∵ usually experience/ an event that starts their ministry
Their authority derives from their religious experience - seen as confirmation of their message

Give some examples of how religious experiences provide affirmation of a belief system for a community.

- Islam: Angel Gabriel appeared to Muhammad and commanded to write verses in the Qur'an; a passive channel through whom Allah communicated the final message to humanity
- Christianity: Revelation through angels appearing to Mary + Joseph affirms incarnation + virgin birth
- Christianity: Disciple's experience of the resurrected Jesus affirms belief about life after death + efficacy of Jesus' sacrifice to forgive sin

How many books in the NT are attributed to Paul?

14/27

How does God confirm the authority of some influential figures?

- Through religious experiences, people are convinced that the person is G-appointed - affirms their role + status of authority
- Jesus = seen of Son of God whose authority = confirmed by miracles, death, resurrection

How do religious experiences promote a faith value system for a general community?

• Religious experiences = guarantor of received revelation about doctrine + beliefs and = source of revealing ethical standards

How do religious experiences promote a faith value system for Jews?

• Moses = honoured as 'lawgiver of Israel'
The burning bush commissioned him as a prophet + liberator of the people
Later received Ten Commandments + laws of covenant; included customary law + ritual ordinances which give explicit moral guidance ∴ govern behavior of believer

How do religious experiences promote a faith value system for Buddhists?

- Buddha's enlightenment experience = example of meditation to be emulated by others
- He placed emphasis on searching + testing for oneself

How do religious experiences promote a faith value system for Christians?

- Jesus + Paul revealed/clarified ethical standards + behaviour

How can a community celebrating a past religious exp. strengthen it?

• The Act of coming together to worship/commemorate an event = lifeblood of religious living

How do gatherings provide the opportunity for further religious experiences and spiritual benefits?

- Strengthens community spiritually through collective worship
- Greater sense of unity through fellowship
- Establishes common identity
- Highlights a common purpose through specific events e.g. festivals
- Reaffirms faith e.g. creeds, rituals, hymns
- Expresses and shares spirituality with others e.g. testimonies

How can a community celebrating a past religious exp. strengthen it? (Buddhists)

• Wesak celebrates Buddha's enlightenment
- homes = decorated; temple services

How can a community celebrating a past religious exp. strengthen it? (Muslims)

• Ramadan celebrates when the Qur'an = revealed to Muhammad
- Fasting = obligatory; spend time with family/friends
• Eid al-Adha remembers Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son when Allah ordered him to
- Prayers in mosque; gifts given

How can a community celebrating a past religious exp. strengthen it? (Jews)

• Pesach remembers events of Passover
- Sedar meal w/ family+friends involves retelling story and expresses common identity

Which Bible passage suggests there is something special to be found in gathering?

• Matthew 18:20 - "Where two or three gather in my name, there I am with them"

How can religious experiences restore an individual's faith?

If faith = struggling, r.e. can remove doubts; e.g. Hajj
* May come from prayer, meditation, reading of sacred text, being w/ others, pilgrimages

How can religious experiences strengthen an individual's faith in the face of opposition?

- Listen to other people's religious experiences when they faced opp.
- May include account of an act of God that rescued them from a situation or when a believer = given strength to overcome opp.
- Sikhism: Story of origin of Khalsa (5 Sikhs willing to die for faith) can be a source of inspiration + trigger for religious experience
- Sense of God being w/ believer enables person to stand firm + continue despite threats of persecution
- Pentecost: Disciples proclaimed about Jesus despite facing persecution - said they could not stop (religious experience); obeyed God rather than humans

How can religious experiences lead to a renewal of commitment to religious ideals and doctrines?

- In most religions, people can renew their commitment, often publicly; decision to do this can be a religious experience - a sense of being called
- Initiation into a faith can be a time of renewal of commitment e.g. Sikhism: Amrit ceremony
- Adult baptism/conversion = similar religious experiences - public commitment, often w/ testimony describing their journey of faith
Festivals e.g. Rosh Hashanah (Judaism) can be occasions where believers are moved to renew commitments to a r. way of life
- Lent = renewal of commitment - fasting, repentance, self-denial, spiritual discipline; goal = develop closer relationship w/ G
- Fasting = common feature
- Holy Places = trigger for religious experiences, leading to renewal/commitment ∵ of sacred meeting between the spiritual and physical