...York University College of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies Department of Humanities AP/HUMA 1860 6.00 The Nature of Religion: An Introduction Term Y Section A Course Director: Dr. Jason C. Robinson Y: Fall/Winter 2014-2015 Office: 126 Founders CollegeOffice Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays by appointment | Email: jasonro@yorku.ca Class Time: Tuesday 4:30-6:30 | Classroom: Curtis Lecture Halls (CLH) C | Tutorial Leaders and Times | Type | Day | | Start Time | Duration | | | Location | Instructor | | LECT 01 | T | | 4:30pm | 120 | | | CLH C | Jason Robinson | jasonro@yorku.ca | TUTR 01 | T | | 7:00pm | 60 | | | ACE 012 | Jason Robinson | jasonro@yorku.ca | TUTR 02 | T | | 7:00pm | 60 | | | SC 220 | Cristiana Conti | menrua19@yorku.ca | TUTR 03 | T | | 7:00pm | 60 | | | SC 223 | Irfaan Jaffer | irfaanjaffer@gmail.com | TUTR 04 | T | 8 | :00pm | 60 | | | ACE 012 | Cristiana Conti | menrua19@yorku.ca | TUTR 05 | T | | 8:00pm | 60 | | | BC 325 | Irfaan Jaffer | irfaanjaffer@gmail.com | TUTR 06 | T | | 8:00pm | 60 | | | MC 215 | Janet Melo-Thaiss | janetmt@yorku.ca | | | Note: This is an approved LA&PS General Education course Course credit exclusions: AP/HUMA 1865 6.00, AP/HUMA 2800 9.00 (prior to Fall 2014), AP/SOSC 2600 9.00 (prior to Fall 2014). PRIOR TO FALL 2009: Course credit exclusions: AK/HUMA 1860 6.00, AS/HUMA 2800 9.00, AS/SOSC 2600 9.00. Camtasia Recording This...
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...Final Essay This paper will give a brief critique of the articles that have been provided. Every article will be summarized with the main points of the article examined, and the overall significance of the article appraised. By doing this, it will be possible to read this paper and obtain a general feel for all the articles the have been provided. WHAT DO WE EXPERIENCE IF WE HAVE RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE? By Peter Antes. This article looks at why people who have religious experiences never “...saw a person who was totally unknown in the respective religious context where the apparition took place.” (Antes 3). Why don’t people ever see the God(s) from other religions, why do some people “...see Kali or Durga, while in Christian contexts, if the vision is that of a woman, St. Mary is seen instead.” (Antes 3). This thesis is rather profound in the fact that almost every religion claims to have religious experiences and divine visions, but never of the God(s) from other religions. An interesting contrast shown in the body of the article is between Madeleine Le Bouc, and Ramakrishna. The former, was said to be quite mad by Doctor Pierre Janet while the ladder was considered a saint. Antes points out that “...they had similar types of experience which, according to their surrounding milieus, found very different explanations: a medical one in terms of mental illness in the secular context of France, and a religious one in the Indian context of Hindu spirituality.” (Antes 2). By using...
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...essays purpose is to finalize the spiritual needs assessment of a person that is to be selected to regulate his/her spiritual needs. Religion as well as spirituality do not contain the same definition, although they have been utilized regarding many opportunities. “The primary purpose of a spiritual assessment is to identify a need in the patient and formulate a care plan (Power, 2006, p. 17)”. This assessment plays an essential role within the patient’s care and assessment. The experience of health care is also something that can become as progressing or positive as for a patient as they can give and receive spiritual support that is satisfactory. This assists in promoting the health of a patient, preventing sickness or illness for example anxiety or depression, and to also assist patients to deal with difficulties in times during sickness. A spiritual assessment tool to gain a guide assistance for the health care professionals to cope and embrace the patient’s spiritual needs will be discussed in this paper by the author. According to “(Joint Commission, 2005), the main purpose of the spiritual assessment should be to identify the patient’s needs, hopes, resources, and possible outcomes regarding spirituality (p. 6)”. The best holistic care to patients should be provided by health care providers through well and proper spiritual assessments. Miss Nina, was interviewed by the writer. Nina is a fifty one year old Hindu female. In order to produce an assessment tool that assesses the...
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... Religion and spirituality are arguably among the most important factors which structure human experience, beliefs, values and behavior. Religion and spirituality are clearly important to most Americans; however, most counselors have little or no training in dealing with religious and spiritual issues. Since the mid-1990’s, the integration of spirituality and religion into therapeutic sessions has generated much interest as an area that needs to be addressed with regards to diversity in clients. This paper will address the inclusion of religion and spirituality in client’s session and counselor’s attitudes toward a client’s faith based on the assumption that the client’s faith and the counselor’s attitude can have significant impact on the outcome of the treatment of the client. A counselor’s willingness to attend to faith as a means of growth can build rapport and lessen potential resistance with clients who are religious (Worthington, 1989). Spirituality in Counseling: Integrating Religion and Spirituality Spirituality has become increasingly important in counseling and prayer has become the spiritual intervention of choice for Christian counselors, as well as secular counselors. The controversial nature of including prayer in counseling requires much consideration on the grounds of ethical boundaries. Majority of mental health professionals who claim a type of religious affiliation, believe spirituality is relevant in their client’s well-being and value the outcomes...
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...2-16-2013 Instructor: Mr. Todd Forrest Worldview Essay My worldview is my set of assumptions and beliefs, which helps me determine right from wrong, and helps me define how the world works. I understand a very few things in this world, yet here are two facts that I have come to accept after hard-earned personal experience: I was heavily influenced as a child by my family’s worldview and my experiences in the world forced me to develop my own worldview. My worldview has been dramatically impacted by the sum of my experiences and has shaped all my beliefs. I have many and varied life experiences, including multiple jobs, I have interacted with thousands of people in my travels and have shared stories, experiences, and dialogue with them. I spent one complete career already in my life in the United States military and I entered the service at a very young, impressionable age where initial training serves one purpose; to break a person’s will, to make one doubt one’s self, and to question personal beliefs. Then the training moulded me and all the other individuals into different people with a whole new set of beliefs and ideas, thus reinforcing my point that my experience from basic training impacted my worldview. My travels in the military forced me to accept other cultures exist, they espouse different beliefs, and some of those beliefs conflict with my worldview. What I believe is almost as complex as how I developed why I believe in these ideas and philosophies. I believe in...
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...Developing a Spiritual Assessment Toolbox A. Wilmer Developing a Spiritual Assessment Toolbox Summary When a client’s spirituality is an active component of his belief system and culture, assessing his quality of life from a mental health perspective would not be complete without an accurate assessment of his spiritual needs (Hodge, 2005). Experts are stating that a holistic approach to counseling incorporates both psychological and spiritual assessments (Hodge, 2005). The accrediting body of hospitals, Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), recognizes the importance of spiritual assessments and recommends that health care providers conduct these assessments to understand their clients’ religious beliefs and spiritual habits (Hodge, 2005). David Hodge (2005) presents a review of five qualitative assessment tools for effective analysis of a client’s spiritual and cultural wherewithal. The design of these assessment tools gives a more definitive construction of a client’s worldview for the purposes of integrating spiritual beliefs and attitudes in the therapeutic process and discharge planning (Hodge, 2005). Hodge asserts that this form of assessment allows the healthcare professional to explore a client’s “spiritual strengths that might be used to ameliorate problems or cope with difficulties” (Hodge, 2005, para. 1). The five qualitative assessment tools offered by Hodge (2005) provide a detailed description and comparison of each tool...
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...WEST VISAYAS STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF EDUCATION SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES LA PAZ, ILOILO CITY METHODS OF RESEARCH (FND 501) ROSENDO D. MIJE FORTUNATO J. BASAL Researcher Course Facilitator RESEARCH PROPOSAL: PASTORAL COUNSELLING COMPETENCIES OF THE CONVENTION BAPTIST MINISTERS’ ASSOCIATION JANIUAY-BADIANGAN CIRCUIT MEMBERS INTRODUCTION: At any time, we can face uncertainties and experiences that threaten our emotional and spiritual well-being. Caught off-guard by the numerous crises and transitions that accompany life, we may not know how to cope or where to turn for help. Some people turn to psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers for help in coping with these crises and transitions. Others look for support and the opportunity to discuss these issues within a spiritual context. But can one find spiritual help and psychotherapy at the same time? Most religious leaders have little time or training to provide in-depth and extensive therapy. And most psychotherapists have little training or desire to discuss in-depth spiritual matters during sessions with patients. The answer may be pastoral counseling. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK: According to the American Association of Pastoral Counselors (AAPC) pastoral counseling is a form of psychotherapy that uses spiritual resources as well as psychological understanding for healing and growth. The central theme in pastoral counseling is an awareness of the spiritual dimension...
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...First name Last name Lecturer Date Spiritual Life needs Critical Mind The core postulation of the Buddhist doctrine is the assumption that all is misfortune, our irrelevant souls are at bay forever in a confusion, and the exclusive way to avoid the misfortune is via a specific route to open mindedness, which changes with every communion of Buddhism, which always entails adherence to different attitudes and behaviors (Carrier 1). In correlation, the core postulation of Christian doctrine is the assumption that we completely have imperishable spirits which are barred by the fault of Adam and individually enjoin condemnation not only to suffering and evil in this universe, but to an endless of life in heaven, but the exclusive means to avoid this doom is through accepting that Christ was the offspring of the Almighty and liberated us by His death on the cross (Carrier 1). Besides that, Christian communions alternate with account to the correct entry demands for eternity home but they are all likely to concur that heartfelt and true belief in the aforementioned main thesis not only advance to a liveliness of goodness and happiness in this universe, but to endless life. According to Carrier (1), to disallow one of the two allegations is to disallow the entire validness of the indicated religions. In fact, even to propose that these allegations are inappropriate or of only secondary significance are to disallow the entire validness of these communions, because everything they enlighten...
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...reflects the calling of Jesus Christ? In their book, A Peaceable Psychology, Alvin Dueck and Kevin Reimer discuss means in which to approach the art of counseling psychology that amply appeals to an ever-increasing diverse client population. The writers suggest a prominent shift ensues when counselors no longer reside strictly within the objectivist, non-religious mentality of therapeutic sessions. Instead, Dueck and Reimer propose the counselor integrate the clients’ spiritual and religious beliefs with the therapy session in order to assist in distinguishing and accessing the healing resources available to the client. Within the realm of psychology, many researchers and practitioners have considered areas of faith and religion to be irrelevant. The book describes how these psychologists were educated from early in their studies to regard religion and morality as nonfactors. The authors claim “an enculturated American psychology will displace local traditions in favor of presumed psychological universals” (Dueck and Reimer, 2009, p. 48). These “psychological universals” restrict a person’s life and identity by hindering the religious and spiritual affiliations unique to that individual. The therapist is withholding potential sources of healing in the client’s journey through counseling by depriving him or her of this integral aspect of life. Instead, religion and spirituality should be treated like any other cultural aspect of a client’s life, a fundamental feature of his or her...
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...Well-Being Research has discovered that through most religious or spiritual involvements there is a positive correlation between religiosity or spirituality and well-being (Koenig, 1995a; Levin, 1997). These establishments provide an environment that fosters prosocial and adaptive qualities, which increase positive mood and decrease stress (Donahue & Benson, 1995). Most religious or spiritual institutions serve as a support system for young adults and families, socially and emotionally. Religious or spiritual organizations offer individuals a sense of connectedness (Blaine & Croker, 1995), which has a positive effect on self-esteem and outlook on life. According to research, teenagers who have religious or spiritual affiliations are less likely of suicide ideation, suicide attempts, alcohol use, and sexual involvement, while being more likely to be involved in volunteer work (Varon & Riley, 1999). Research has also shown that those living through traumatic experiences have discovered that coping though a religious framework has been beneficial (Plante, Saucedo, & Rice, 2001). Miller and Thoresen (1999) has discovered “increasing spiritual and/or religious integration in psychotherapy has improved treatment outcome for religious clients.” Depression Research proposes that religiosity and spirituality are linked with reducing levels of depression on a general scale (Captipovic, Ilakovac, Durjancek, & Amidzc, 1995; Cosar, Kocal, Arikan, & Isik; Plante...
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...RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE A2 Philosophy of Religion What is Religious Experience? • A religious experience is a non-empirical occurrence and may even be perceived as supernatural • It can be described as a “mental” event which is undergone by an individual and of which that person is aware. • Such an experience can be spontaneous or it may be brought about as a result of training and self-discipline. • Recipients of religious experiences usually say what has happened to them has drawn them into a deeper knowledge or awareness of God. • It is very important to remember that the experience itself is not a substitute for the Divine, bit a vehicle that is used to bring people closer to the Divine. • The experience that each individual has is absolutely unique and cannot be shared with anyone. • Finally, genuine religious experiences seem to be encouraging, they do not condemn the individual, but help them to live a better life or, for example, to help others. Arguments from Religious Experience from William James. The most famous commentator on Religious Experience is William James (1842 – 1910) He recognised that the term mystical is used in a wide variety of contexts but suggested that using it to refer to “any person who believes in thought transference and spirit return” is far too ambiguous. His famous work “The Varieties of Religious Experience”, published in 1902 includes his categorisation of the four characteristics which, he claims, will enable us to...
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...by many writers who have debated whether or not this is a setback for women, to be attracted to a submissive relationship, or a breakthrough, to be able to openly read and discuss a book so sexually explicit that it is often referred to in the media as “mommy porn.” I think the “Fifty Shades” phenomenon is a thinly veiled rewrite of religion. Not religion in the conventional sense of the word, but in how we are redefining faith practices today as more and more people, especially women, shun man-made traditions yet continue to yearn for religious experiences. Something, yet again, to reassure those afraid of the unknown. Diana Butler Bass writes in “Christianity After Religion,” that millions of people share her story “of growing up in a formal religion, finding that somehow chilly or distant, and rediscovering God through a mystical experience.” She continues, “Religion morphed from an external set of rules into a vibrant spiritual experience of God. Somehow the word religion did not seem quite adequate to explain what had happened.” Never before have there been more “seekers” who are not satisfied with the religion they grew up practicing, those who are possibly secular but want...
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...known through sensory experience or logical argument • Ordinary language cannot do justice to religious experience, because it is an experience beyond normal sense-experience • Religious language is a ‘schema’ – an attempt to find clusters of words which approach the idea of expressing an inexpressible idea • God is ‘wholly other’ – completely different and distinct to humans • Humans are not able to know God unless he chooses to reveal himself • The numinous is where God reveals himself and his revelation is felt on an emotional level Objections • Confusing regarding the issue of whether knowledge of God is gained through experience • He says the theological ideas come after the experience • He implies that numinous experience is a ‘once and for all’ experience – implies there can be no further experience • To suggest that all religious experiences are numinous is limiting as other forms are so well documented Friedrich Schleiermacher (1768-1834) – inspired Otto He agreed that religious experiences are primarily emotional and that every person has a consciousness of the divine. These emotions are deeper than reason and it is ‘self-authenticating;’ not requiring testing to see if it is genuine. Doctrines such as the creed were attempts by individuals to understand their religious experience. He disagreed with this because the experiences should have priority and statements of belief should be formulated to fit them. He contended that the experiences are not numinous but...
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...some confusion between "spirituality" and" religion." Generally, spirituality is described as an individuals personal experience with the sacred, that can be experienced anywhere. Religion, on the other hand is often described as an organized community of faith. (Tisdell, 2008). Spirituality has had an important influence on adult education throughout history. There are four primary ways spirituality influences adult learning. The first way states that many adult learning professors have had a career in ministry, at some point (Tisdell, 2008). The second way states that recent writers have discussed the influence of spirituality and soul in how it affects learning on an individual level (Dirkx, 1997, 2001; English and Gillen, 2000; Hunt, 2001). The third influence would be learning in the workplace, here authors focus on how it influences how they think or act in a professional environment or in working for the common good as a leader or educator (Bolman and Deal, 1995; Daloz, Keen, Keen, and Parks, 1994; Conger, 1994; English, Fenwick, and Parsons, 2003; Fox, 1995). Finally we see a strong influence of spirituality present in those educating for social justice in myriad adult education settings (Clover, Follen, and Hall, 1998; Dillard, 2006; English, 2005; Tisdell, 2003; Tolliver and Tisdell, 2006). Much of the learning from these types of spiritual experiences, especially from spiral learning, resulted in further spiritual development, as well as development of the overall self...
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...Religious Experiences What does the phrase ‘Religious Experience’ mean? There are many definitions of religious experience which can in a general way be divided into two groups; direct and indirect experiences. Direct religious experiences; Refer to events where God reveals her/himself directly to the person having the experience. The religious experience is not chosen or willed by the person; the person experiences or observes God in some way. Indirect religious experiences; Experiences, thoughts or feelings about God that are prompted by event in daily life, for example observing the stars in the sky and having thoughts about the greatness of God the Creator. Types of Religious Experiences Richard Swinburne in his The Existence of God has suggested that there are five recognisable types of religious experience, which he divides into two groups; public experiences and private experiences. Public experiences 1. Ordinary Experiences – Experiences where a person interprets event as having religious significant. (e.g. the beauty of nature or the natural world.) 2. Extraordinary Experiences – Experiences that appear to violate normal understanding of the workings of nature. (e.g. Jesus turning water into wine an Cana). Private experiences 1. Describable in ordinary language – Experiences such as dreams. 2. Non-describable experiences – This refers to direct experiences of God in which God/the wholly other/the divine is revealed to people. These experiences...
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