This discussion is now closed.

Check out other Related discussions

value of religious experience - confused - rs12

somethingbeautiful

---

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 1

gaygrad

Hi I'm not actually doing this topic but I thought I'd help you since no one else has. :wink:

There are many non-religious people who have conversion experiences.

C.S. Lewis is one example. He moved from atheism to theism and described the process in his autobiography: 'Surprised by Joy'. On the top of a bus in Oxford in 1929 he realised he was keeping God at bay and some weeks later he gave in and admitted that 'God was God and knelt and prayed; perhaps that night the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England'. He is now famous not least for his children's Christian allegories (the Narnia books), but also for his many philosophical apologetic writings in which he defends the reasonableness of the Christian faith. So his experience was obviously valuable in the sense that he became a believer and went on to do positive things.

There are also people who move from nominal belief in God to a deeper commitment, for example John Wesley. He was an Anglican minister dissatisfied with his work for God. While reading a commentary on Paul's letter to the Romans in the New Testament he felt his heart 'strangely warmed' and subsequently went on to lead a religious revival in England called the 'Great Awakening'. He also founded the Methodist movement.

You could also explain how revelations/visions have negative consequences for non-religious people, eg cult leaders such as Jim Jones and David Koresh.

I'm not sure about other religious experiences, but I hope they are useful. :smile:

Reply 2

lily_of_the_valley

Hey

I'm doing this module too. What we've been told about the value of religious experience is basically to look at the effect it has on people. The CS Lewis example is a good one for showing the value of religious experience to the individual, you could also talk about Lourdes, and how millions of people visit it eah year because of the visions of St. Bernadette. The non-religious part you could use as a counter argument for saying that religious experiences have little or no value: if someone's an atheist then if they hear about a religious experience they're not likely to be profoundly moved by it, so overall religious experiences have more value for religious people. However, you've also got to bear in mind: what is the most valuable aspect of religion for religious people? Very few people have such a profound religious experience such as St. Bernadette or the children at Fatima, and yes, whilst religious experiences are the source of many things, ultimately most religious people look to the Bible for inspiration and not a religious experience. Hope this has helped, sorry if its a bit confusing, very tired at the minute!

Reply 3

Absinth

Does anybody know who Farhadian and Rambo are? They're in the mark scheme but I can't find anything about them online in terms of religious experience. :s-smilie:

Reply 4

gaygrad

Absinth

Does anybody know who Farhadian and Rambo are? They're in the mark scheme but I can't find anything about them online in terms of religious experience. :s-smilie:

This is what I have from my notes from last year:

- In 'Understanding Religious Conversion' (1995), Lewis Rambo defines conversion as 'a dynamic, multifaceted process of change. For some, that change will be abrupt and radical; for others, it will be gradual'.

- Rambo claims that conversion will lead to a total change in all aspects of a person's life and a new appreciation for the well-being of others. This change will be precipitated by a catalyst, for example:
> Some sort of crisis (John Wesley had an unhappy love affair)
> Conversations with believers (Wesley met the Moravians whose 'personal relationship' with Jesus enabled them to cope during a storm on sea)
> A mystical experience (Wesley attended a meeting during which his heart felt 'strangely warmed').

- Rambo notes the following results of conversion:
> Commitment - often rituals such as adult baptism (Paul was baptised on receiving his sight)
> Enhanced self-esteem
> New relationships - a new 'family' of similar believers
> Sense of power and transcendence (awareness of God; desire to pray)
> Transformed life (Paul became a teacher)
> Decisive action (Paul immediately began to preach about Jesus).

I haven't got anything on Farhadian, but I hope the above helps. :smile:

Reply 5

Absinth

Thanks.

I can't believe that we have to gain just 50 marks in 1 hour 30 minutes. I wonder how much we have to write for one mark. :s-smilie:

Reply 6

gaygrad

Absinth

Thanks.

I can't believe that we have to gain just 50 marks in 1 hour 30 minutes. I wonder how much we have to write for one mark. :s-smilie:

Yeah I think we'll be pushed for time. Well if you're aiming for a high A, that is. What grade are you hoping for?

Reply 7

Absinth

I'm hoping for an A. I don't know if I'll get it because I only really started revising today. The only problem I have with the exams is that I tend to explain things in a long winded way, and sometimes I fear I might not be able to get a focussed essay. There is a lot of stuff to write because of the way the questions are broader than at AS, and I also feel I might start writing about irrelevant stuff, or stuff they aren't looking for.

For a question like "What are the different descriptions and definitions of religious experience?" I am inclined to think that you're allowed to write about the types of religious experience aswell? Would Rambo's stages of conversion be relevant here?

How long are you planning on spending on each question? I'm so nervous because I haven't got any exam help whatsoever because I'm teaching myself this subject. :s-smilie:

Reply 8

gaygrad

Absinth

You're learning it all by yourself?! I'm actually revising Life After Death, but I'm contemplating switching to Religious Experience now...

For that question, I would include types of experience as well as general definitions. By general definition, I mean for example: 'A religious experience involves some sort of 'perception' of the invisible world, or involves perception that some visible person or thing is a manifestation of the invisible world' (Ninian Smart). I think it is relevant to look at conversion, revelation, visions and mystical experience individually as well.

I'm slightly concerned about the timing for this exam. If they want us to go into a lot of depth, then I don't see how that's possible in 90 mins.

Reply 9

Absinth

Oh good, that's the kind of answer I'd give, looking at each experience individually. The only problem is, for each of the religious experiences, you can talk about a lot of things, and could write a few paragraphs for each type of religious experience, but if it's a 20 mark question, it seems as if you don't actually need to write that much. :s-smilie:

Exam papers (1 hour 30 mins) are usually worth 100 marks, and not 50. That's the thing that confuses me.

Reply 10

gaygrad

Absinth

Exam papers (1 hour 30 mins) are usually worth 100 marks, and not 50. That's the thing that confuses me.

Yes be prepared to write fairly quickly, that's all I can say. I think the examiners realise there is a lot you could cover, but you have to be selective and pick out the most relevant information. Remember it's quality not quantity, and depth rather than breadth. So if you only cover say 3 types of religious experience, but describe them in great detail, it will look better than briefly describing 5 or more different experiences.

Reply 11

Absinth

Do you think they'd still award marks for breadth? I thought either depth or breadth were acceptable.

Reply 12

gaygrad

Absinth

Do you think they'd still award marks for breadth? I thought either depth or breadth were acceptable.

Yes, depth and breadth are both 'acceptable'.

But my teacher (who's an examiner) stresses the importance of depth; it's one thing writing generally about something, but being able to write in detail is more likely to demonstrate to the examiner that you have a good understanding of the subject. I also think cos it's a synoptic exam, they are expecting you to go into a lot of depth anyway.