Philosophy of Religion – Religious experience

Religious experience is a central topic in the Philosophy of Religion, exploring claims that individuals have direct encounters with the divine. These experiences range from visions and voices to a sense of unity or overwhelming peace. The WJEC A-Level specification requires you to critically examine the nature, types, and philosophical implications of such experiences, including their potential to provide evidence for God's existence. You will study key thinkers like William James, Rudolf Otto, and Caroline Franks Davis, and evaluate arguments from both believers and sceptics.

Understanding religious experience is vital because it bridges personal faith and philosophical reasoning. It raises profound questions: Can subjective experiences count as objective evidence? Are they culturally conditioned or genuinely transcendent? This topic also connects to debates on miracles, revelation, and the problem of evil, as experiences of a loving God must be reconciled with suffering. Mastery of this area will sharpen your analytical skills and prepare you for essay questions that require balanced evaluation.

In the wider WJEC course, religious experience sits alongside arguments for God's existence (cosmological, teleological, ontological) and challenges from atheism. It is often contrasted with faith and reason, and you will need to compare different philosophical perspectives. A strong grasp of this topic will help you write nuanced essays that acknowledge both the power of personal testimony and the philosophical difficulties of verifying such experiences.