RELS 108 1nd Edition Lecture 2 Outline of Last Lecture II Homo Religiosus III 5 Approaches in the Study of Religion IV What is Phenomenology V 4 Stages of Phenomenology VI Comparing Eastern and Western Worldviews Outline of Current Lecture VII Dimensions of Human Spirituality a Spirituality and Human Thought b Belief vs Faith c Spirituality and Feeling d Spirituality and Action Current Lecture Dimensions of Human Spirituality Spirituality and Human Thought Dimension of feeling human interaction morality ethical thinking Includes all yet transcends all How to think about Spirituality o 2 types of thought Calculative Thought Type of thought that helps us get through the entire day Allows us to function Includes reason rationality Meditative Thought Contemplation In order to have a spiritual life we must be able to quiet ourselves recollect The best way to do this is to take a walk through the woods without aim goal The act of walking is a perfect way to get in meditative mode of thinking The mind eventually becomes still No longer centered around an object Allows coming going no identification spacious These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor s lecture GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes not as a substitute What is Belief What is Faith Faith o Comes from the Greek Pistis meaning to be persuaded to come to trust o EX fall in love with someone that person is sharing their deepest thoughts feelings with you why trust that person Can easily claim that the person is making everything up but at some point a person has to develop trust to be persuaded That what the person is saying is authentic true Faith acts like this it is a persuasion a surrender at the far end of reason o Always includes reason but transcends reason as well It is translational o Paul Tillich Dynamics of Faith In order for faith to move us continuously expand it has to include the element of doubt Belief o A mental acceptance of something as being true or false based on evidence o EX if someone says I propose to you X you can accept or not accept Spirituality and Feeling Rudolph Otto Idea of the Holy o In this book characterized religion spirituality as the experience of the holy o Identifies this experience in the realm of feeling rather than thought o The Numinous Numin deity Says this is the ground for all experiences of the holy Power or presence of divinity Experience as wholly other Completely separate distant distinct from ourselves outside the realm of ordinary experience Says the numinous is inevitable cannot be grasped through language beyond language it is also an experience of overwhelming ness Says this experience happens when alone Feeling of being watched 2 aspects of the numinous Tremendum Overwhelming Power One way the tremendum can be encountered is through laying on your back looking at the night sky feeling the overwheling presence of feeling how big infinite the universe is This is an experience of the numinous Grand scale of the cosmos in relation to ourselves being overwhelmed by that Awe inspiring sense of unease over powering ness Says this inspires feelings of humility humbleness Fascinans Tendency of overwhelming power to attract fascinate or compel us EX Told there is a tiger in the next room would feel fear anxiety Told there is a ghost in the next room believed it would feel fear but of a different kind Not the same fear as if you thought there was a tiger Would not be based on the knowledge of danger It is uncanny fear rather than dangerous Type of fear called dread With fear reached the fringes of dread Spirituality is The feeling of absolute dependence Spirituality and Action Act of thinking feeling Spirituality as ritual act o EX Islam have salat prayer performed 5 times daily Shintoism approaching the shrine of a Kami or Spirit making offerings Roman Catholicism participation in Mass Eastern Orthodox Divine Liturgy Communion Confirmation Baptism Exorcism etc