Challenges to religious experience

1. Challenges to religious experience Lesson Objectives: I will know about the various ways in which thinkers have challenged religious experience and their counter-arguments Hmk: Remember, assessment next Tuesday 9th

2. A. On observing the effects of religious experience, we have to conclude that there is truth to be found in religion G. Found that non-religious adolescents appear to go through stages of anxiety and depression before finding ‘happy relief’ in a conversion experience. 1. Mystical experience 2. Numinous Experience B. We must accept what appears to be the case unless we have clear evidence of the contrary 3. William James’ criteria for mystical experiences H. Believes that faith “means blind trust, in the absence of evidence, even in the teeth of evidence.” C. Used to describe experience of direct contact or oneness with God or ultimate reality 4. James’ conclusions D. Ineffable, Noetic, Transient and Passive. 5. Pragmatism E. Unless we have positive evidence that someone is misremembering, or untrustworthy, we should believe the testimony of the experience. 6. The Principle of credulity 7. The Principle of testimony F. Used to describe experiences of awe-inspiring terror in the presence of God I. Religious experiences are psychological phenomena which occur in the brain, but these experiences may also have a supernatural element to it as well. 8. Edwin Starbuck 9. Richard Dawkins

3. Statements • The very fact that there are many different religions in the world proves that religious experiences are not authentic. • Religious experience is emotional and therefore is not valid. • If there is a God there are likely to be experiences of him. There are religious experiences, therefore there is a God.

4. http://www.teachit.co.uk/custom_content/timer/timer.html Speed Date – Four Challenges: pg 44-45 Challenge 3: Interpretation. Note down the challenge and the counter argument. Explain how a pluralistic interpretation would be helpful Challenge 1: Psychological Note down the arguments of FEUERBACH and FREUD Note the counter-argument from JUNG and JAMES Challenge 2: Physiological Note down what some SCIENTISTS have argued. What is the counter argument? Challenge 4: Is it logically possible? Note down what KANT argues. Note the counter argument from ALSTON and BROAD.

5. Speed dates • On your speed date you must give and receive information • The purpose of this exercise if for sharing knowledge. • Make sure that your date gives you the vital information that you need. Write it down. • At the end we will evaluate how the dates went.

6. Challenge 1: psychological explanations • Ludwig Feuerbach (1804-72) argues that the idea of God is a human projection. All the attributes of God are in our nature, they are human aspirations or desires. We create God in our image. ‘God is man written in large letters.’

7. Challenge 1: psychological explanations • Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) believed that human religious behaviour was a neurosis caused by childhood insecurities and the desire for a father-figure to protect us (Oedipus Complex). According to Freud, religious experience are hallucinations that have a simple psychological explanation. Just as dreams are caused by deep desires we are unaware of, religious experiences are also the product of our subconscious and are caused by the desire for security and meaning.

8. Counter argument • Not all psychologists reject religious experience. • Carl Gustav Jung (1875-1961) accepted the reality of numinous experiences and argued that development of the spiritual aspect of us was essential to psychological wholeness. He claimed that each of us has the archetype (idea) of God within a shared collective unconscious. • Also, you’ll remember that William James accepted that religious experience had a psychological dimension, but did not agree that this meant religious experiences were just psychological events.

9. Challenge 2:physiological explanations • In recent years there has been considerable interest in physical explanations of religious experience. • Much work in the last 20 years has focused on the function of various areas of the brain. Some scientists suggest that there are neuropsychological mechanisms which underlie religious experiences. There refer to the ‘causal operator’ and the ‘holistic operator’ within the brain. These seem to show up on brain scans done on meditating Buddhist monks!

10. Counter argument • As with the psychological explanation, the fact that there is a physical dimension to religious experience need not lead us to reject the experience completely. All experiences can be reduced to a series of neurological blips that show up on brain scans yet we don’t doubt the reality of objects we see. Some thinkers have suggested our brains are constructed in such a way that we are almost wired up to experience God.

11. Challenge 3:Difficulties of interpretation • Religious experiences tend to be described in terms of people’s prior religious faith. For example a Catholic may interpret their experience as caused by the Virgin Mary, whereas a Hindu is unlikely to give this explanation.

12. Counter argument • It can be argued that all our experiences are interpretations. Whatever happens to us, we describe it in our own way. You may have had the experience of discussing an event afterwards with a friend, and you both think something different happened. This does not logically mean that the event you are describing is false. • It could also be argued that a pluralistic interpretation is possible (see William James!). Experiences in different faiths might be genuine experiences of an ultimate reality or God. These ideas are then expressed through the beliefs of a particular faith.

13. Challenge 4:It is logically impossible to experience God • A key objection to religious experience is derived from the philosophy of Immanuel Kant (1724-1804). Kant argues that our senses can only experience things in the empirical realm which Kant refers to as phenomena. There may be a reality beyond our experience (noumena) but it is impossible for us to experience it as a matter of logic. • Perhaps a clearer way to express this is to say that given our human senses are finite and limited, it is impossible for humans to experience an unlimited God.

14. Counter argument • Whilst accepting that humans can’t cause an experience of God, it may be possible for humans to experience God if he chooses to reveal himself to them. • William Alston (1921-) argues that religious experience is similar to our normal sensory perception. There may be an aspect of our human minds that is able to experience God. • C. D. Broad (1887-1971) gave an interesting analogy of a society of blind people where some evolve the capacity to see. Those who were still blind would be sceptical of the information given by those who could now see.

15. Further questions • Questions for discussion • Is God really man written in large letters? • What reasons might people have for inventing the idea of God? • How might a believer respond to this suggestion?

16. Start revision – AO1 stuff What is a religious experience? Definition from William James/from Vardy chapter. What is a mystical experience? Mention James’ criteria for mystical experience to explain different types: ineffable, noetic, transient, passive. Could mention his conclusions on the matter, i.e. how they rest on three key principles; empiricism, pluralism and pragmatism. Relate this to the question. Mention Otto and Numinious experience. Relate to the question. How this differs from Schleiermacher and Buber. Visions and Voices – some examples e.g. Augustine, St Paul, Muhammad, St Teresa of Avila. Conversion as evidence for God? Psychological views to counter, e.g. Edwin Starbuck. Swinburne – Principle of credulity and the principle of Testimony. Challenges to Religious Experience – Psychological, physiological, difficulties of interpretation, it is logically impossible to experience God. Mention key names/ideas and their counter arguments (AO2). Remember, you need to be evaluating throughout your answer.

17. Plenary