What is a religious experience?

Religious Experience
• Potential ‘A’ question

• “What is a religious experience?”

So, what is a religious experience?

• “An event that people

feel gives them direct
contact with God.” OR

• “A powerful experience
that draws you closer to
God.”
 Different religious experiences:
• Numinous – the feeling of the
presence of something greater
than yourself
• Prayer – an attempt to
communicate with God, usually
through words
• Miracle – something which
seems to break a law of
science, to which the only
answer is God
• Conversion – when your life is
changed by giving yourself to
God
 Numinous:
• Feeling in the presence
of God...

• Where would you feel

in the presence of
something greater than
you?
• Looking up at the stars
• In a church
 Prayer:
• Attempting to
contact God...

• Helps you build your

relationship with God

• Feel God’s presence

 Miracles:
• God performing acts
that go against the laws
of science

• Make you see God’s

power
• Show you God must
exist – due to God
acting in the world
 Conversion:
• Changing your life
by dedicating it to
God
• The most famous
Biblical example of
a conversion
experience is the
conversion of Saul
to Paul...
 Saul to Paul...
• Saul was on the road to
Damascus, where he
would persecute Christians

• God appeared to Saul in

the form of a blinding light

• God said to Saul, “Saul,

Saul, why do you
persecute me?”

• God revealed who he was

to Saul, and then Saul
became a new man – and
changed his name to Paul
 Paul
• Paul then went into hiding,
because he was classed as
a traitor by everyone who
still hated Christians and
Christianity
• After his time of hiding, he
went to many different
places spreading the word
of God
• He made his way all the
way to Italy telling people
about Christianity
 Miracles:
• A miracle is an event which seems to break a
law of science and the only explanation seems
to be God

• The wedding at Cana – Jesus

turning into wine
• Jesus healing Jairus’ daughter
• Mary appearing to St Bernadette
 Potential Exam Questions:
• (A) What is a miracle? (2)

• (B) Do you think miracles prove that God exists? Give two
reasons for your point of view (4)

• (C) Explain how religious experience can lead to, or support

belief in God (8)

• (D) ‘Religious experiences prove that God exists’

i) Do you agree? Give reasons for your opinion (3)
ii) Give reasons why some people may disagree with you (3)
 Plenary:
• (C) Explain how religious experience can lead
to, or support belief in God (8)

• Tips:
• Use words like:
• Because, therefore, this shows that.