Theme 4: Religious Experiences

What are the three types of Visions ( that have been grouped by their nature)

1. Sensory - a vision where external objects/sounds or figures convey knowledge and understanding to the recipient

2. Intellectual - in terms of visions that of which brings the recipient knowledge and understanding

3. Dreams - in terms of visions the recipient is in an unconscious state and knowledge and understanding is gained through a series of images in a dream narrative that wouldn’t be available to the individual if they were conscious

What does ‘conversion’ mean?

changing from one state to another

What are the three types of conversion

• from unbelief to belief

• from one religion to another

• a strengthening of faith

What are the the 4 ways that conversions can happen?

individual, communal, sudden and gradual

an example of a communal conversion

the day of Pentecost in Acts when the disciples were gathered in a room and recieved the Holy Spirit but after Peter had courage and addressed the crowds and began preaching encouraging them to repent ( acts 2:37-41)

Who argued the key features of conversion?

William James

characteristic features of a conversion

• gradual or sudden

• voilitional or self-surrending

• passive or active - experience comes upon them unexpectedly without them deliberatley seeking it OR someones might seek a spiritual experience

individual conversion

• occurs for one person

• may be a private experience e.g Saul of Tarsus

communal conversion

• simultaneously occurs to a group of people

• part of a public experience shared by others e.g day of Pentecost

sudden conversion

• self surrender

• unconscious

• involuntary

• spontaneous or unexpected

gradual conversion

• cannot be pinpointed in time

• involves conscious effort

• usually voilitional/voluntary

• takes time

A conversion may be moral and …

intellectual - where new ideas are accepted

mysticism

a religious experience where union with God or the absoloute reality is sought or experienced

Ed Miller summarises the features of a mystical experience as :

1. transcendent - beyond space and time

2. Ineffable - not expressible in language

3. Noetic - provides knowledge unobatainable by any other source

4. Ecstatic - overwhelming feeling of peace and bliss

5. Unitive - a sense of oneness with reality

example of transcendent mysticism

Sufism - mystical group within Islam focused on the divine union with Allah through meditation, dance and other mystic practices that Rumi was associated with

What does Rumi believe?

all human beings have a yearning inside them and that even though Allah is closer to an than his own jugular vein humankind was still separated from Allah. He developed the practice called Sema a sacred dance (constantly turning) and is meant to generate a spiritual ascent to Allah

example of an estatic experience

Teresa of Avila - “ one perceives that the natural heat of the body is lessened the coldness increases though accompanied with exceeding joy and sweetness

example of a unitive experience

St Bernard of Clairvaux - described the experience as a “mutuality of love”

Henry Suso and many more

Teresa of Avila

• Born 15 March 1515 in Spain

• She had an illness which left her paralysed for 3 yrs

• She had a vision of a sorely wounded Christ

• The vision re energised Teresa’s spiritual journey and inspired her to write about the great works of prayer

Teresa says it’s impossible for an individual to achieve union with God by themselves but it is through God’s grace. She compares the soul to a garden and how it can be watered in four ways and that once watered it become vibrant. This is the effect of prayer. What is the garden analogy?

1. The bucket - getting water from a well with a bucket is hard work just like the beginning process of prayer it it easy to become tired

2. The windlass - makes watering easier but is still hard but once you have a routine the process of prayer becomes a little easier

3. The river - takes the burden of watering from you and after practice God begins to take the burden from you

4. Rain - no effort is required once contemplative prayer is established the soul is given to God and union with Him is complete

What else does Teresa consider the soul to be?

A castle that contains seven suites / mansions

What are the 7 stages of prayer? Starting from the fourth one

4. Prayer of Quiet

5. Prayer of Union

6. Stage of Spiritual marriage

7. Stage of mystical marriage

7 mansions