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Spiritual Speculation Space

Religious Experiences

January 4, 2024

Discussion Questions

More questions will be added to these. These questions are just to help get the discussion going. They do not need to be discussed in order and conversation outside of the bounds of these questions is welcome. 

  1. What kinds of religious experiences have you had?

  2. Have you had any mystical experiences? 

  3. How do you define religious experience or mystical experience?

  4. Have you encountered leaders facilitating, or manipulating spiritual experiences?

  5. How do we know if a religious experience is "all in our head" or is something more? Does this question matter, in light of the argument that "everything is all in our head"?

  6. Are religious experiences available to all people? Do they require certain personality traits? 

  7. What is the relationship between the veracity of religious claims, and the spiritual experiences connected to those claims?

  8. Can you be a mystic without religious experiences?

  9. If you have had spiritual experiences, can you separate them from their religious context? Is this advisable?

Discussion Background materials

Book Recommendations

Links below provide the full text, which is in the public domain. 

Religious Experiences facilitated by manipulative or problematic people

The fictional character of Evangeline is inspired by the controversial faith healer Aimee Semple McPherson. The archival footage used in this video is of another faith healer named Kathryn Kuhlman, who was frequently compared to McPherson.

 

​The song concisely says,

"There's a miracle that occurs somehow in spite of her." 

​

An almost comically verbose way of expressing similar ideas is found in the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, Article of Religion XXVI. 

"Of the Unworthiness of the Ministers, which hinders not the effect of the Sacrament. ALTHOUGH in the visible Church the evil be ever mingled with the good, and sometimes the evil have chief authority in the Ministration of the Word and Sacraments, yet forasmuch as they do not the same in their own name, but in Christ’s, and do minister by his commission and authority, we may use their Ministry, both in hearing the Word of God, and in receiving of the Sacraments. Neither is the effect of Christ’s ordinance taken away by their wickedness, nor the grace of God’s gifts diminished from such as by faith and rightly do receive the Sacraments ministered unto them; which be effectual, because of Christ’ s institution and promise, although they be ministered by evil men. Nevertheless, it appertaineth to the discipline of the Church, that inquiry be made of evil Ministers, and that they be accused by those that have knowledge of their offences; and finally being found guilty, by just judgement be deposed."

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