Religious experience
2002
2 a) “Religious experience presents a convincing argument for the existence of God.” Analyse this claim. [12]
Requires argument and not just accounts. Similarities of principle of credulity in empirical context transferred to claims about experience of God including ideas about testimony.
b) Discuss criticisms of this argument. [8]
Reasons to doubt notions of credulity and testimony such as their applicability to religion; issues about the interpretation of experience; alternative explanations to religious experiences.
2003
1 a) Analyse the key concepts of religious experience as an argument for the existence of God. [12]
Concept of religious experience; analogy between a range of human experiences and religious experience and principles of credulity and testimony; why this may be a reasonable and simple explanation. Accounts of religious experience only will have a ceiling of 8 marks if no focus on thrust of question.
b) Evaluate the view that this argument supports the probability of the existence of God. [8]
Weaknesses of argument such as supposed parallels between religious experience and other types; a consideration of the problems of interpretation as untrustworthy and alternative interpretation; evaluation of responses to criticisms with an understanding of the notion of probability in this context.
2004
Analyse and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the argument for the existence of God based on religious experience. [20]
2005
4 a) Analyse the key features of religious experience and explain how these are used as an argument for the existence of God [12]
b) To what extent is this a weak argument for the existence of God? [8]
2006
1 a) Compare and contrast proof and probability. [6]
b) Examine the argument from religious experience for the existence of God. To what extent does this argument support the probability of God? [14]
