Anomalous Experiences are ‘abnormal’ experiences that exhibit some altered consciousness or liminal states. These experiences may range between psychotic experiences and religious experiences.
The present lecture describes some of these experiences (Religious Conversion, Possession, Hearing voices and Speaking in tongues) by exploring the possible variety of experiences that could be present. Finally offers some common criteria for discernment. Pretty long lecture.
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Month: December 2013
8 Fowler’s stage model of faith development
Stage 0: Primal Faith (Age: 0-2). Actually a “pre-stage” since the various structures of the subsequent stages are not available for the same empirical verification as the remaining stages. Fowler sees the mutual interaction between infant and primary caregiver during the first, pre-verbal year of life as providing a foundation for faith in the emergence of basic trust vs. mistrust (Erikson 1968). (It could be suggested that a fundamental sense of hope emerges here, since for Erikson that is the outcome of negotiating the conflict between trust and mistrust!)
Stage 1: Intuitive-Projective Faith (Age 2-7). The acquisition of language marks the emergence of the first true stage which is characterized by the abundant imagination of the pre-school child. This emotional and idiosyncratic faith involves powerful images and a fluidity of thought not bound by the logic of later cognitive structures (cf. Piaget 1970). For Piaget, God “God” is a powerful creature of the imagination, not […]
9 Religiosity & Spirituality Through Life-Long Development
Fowler’s Model of Faith Development is one useful model. It does not discuss the specific issues related to religiosity and spirituality through life-long development. In this lecture we focus on such issues. This lecture will cover the following area:
Children’s Spirituality
Youth and Religion
Conversion: Focusing particularly on youth
Gerotranscendence (Spirituality of people in the later years of life)
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10 Attachment theory and Image of God
Kirkpatrick (2005) argues that perceived relationships between believers and God often tend to meet the established criteria for characterizing attachment relationships. In his findings he suggested that believers strive to establish and maintain a sense of proximity or closeness to God, most notably through prayer as a safe haven when distressed (Kirkpatrick, 2005). Kirkpatrick and Shaver, 1990) derived two views on how individual differences in attachment may relate to religiousness, this was based on Bowlby’s (1973) notion of working models which were seen to extend to religion, in particular to the individual’s beliefs about and perceived relationship with God. The implication of this mental model is that securely attached individuals possess positive working models of themselves and others; come to view God in a similar manner as a reliable, secure base with where one can have an enduring personal relationship (Kirkpatrick, 2005). On the other hand, insecure individuals may develop […]