Religious Experiences: Communal and Charismatic
Explore communal religious experiences that occur simultaneously to multiple people, such as group visions, and delve into charismatic experiences marked by the bestowal of spiritual gifts like speaking in tongues. Discover examples like Fatima and the Toronto Blessing, illustrating the profound impact of such encounters on individuals and communities.
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Communal religious experience An experience which happens simultaneously to a number of people. From the mark scheme Communal forms include institutional worship, religious rites of passage, mass pilgrimage. Some forms, e.g. charismatic and paranormal phenomena, may be in either category, depending on what aspects presented.
Communal religious experience Examples include group visions: Fatima - the Virgin Mary, appeared 6 times to 3 shepherd children and told them messages of wanting peace in Russia, its conversion to the Catholic faith and an end to war. Medjugorje Our Lady appeared to several teenage girls and gave messages of conversion, faith and prayer The Angel of Mons - WW1 miracle happened when the British Army were awaiting the approached German Army at Mons in Belgium In some versions a vision of St George and a phantom bowman kept the Germans at bay, others claimed angels had thrown a protective curtain around the British, saving them News of the Angel of Mons quickly spread far and wide
Charismatic Experiences Moojen Momen describes the Charismatic s experience thus: This experience makes those involved feel that a gift has been bestowed upon them. This gift may include a feeling of being in a wider life and a sense of elation and joy as the sense of self and attachment to the world is abandoned. There is inner equilibrium and calm. The first Pentecost Pentecostalism began in the early twentieth century. Its key belief was in the possibility of a dramatic encounter with God termed baptism with the Holy Spirit . The evidence for having received this experience was speaking in tongues. American Lutheran minister Harald Bredesen coined the term "charismatic" in 1962 to describe what was happening in mainline Protestant denominations. Confronted with the term "neo-Pentecostal", he preferred to call it "the charismatic renewal in the historic churches". Charismatic Christians believe that the gifts of the Holy Spirit as described in the New Testament are available to contemporary Christians through the infilling or baptism of the Holy Spirit, with-or-without the laying on of hands.Although the Bible lists many gifts from God through His Holy Spirit, there are nine specific gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 that are Supernatural in nature and are the focus of and distinguishing feature of the Charismatic Movement: Word of Wisdom, Word of Knowledge, Faith, Gifts of Healing, Miraculous Powers, Prophecy, Distinguishing between Spirits, Speaking in different Tongues (Languages), and Interpretation of Tongues. Typically this gift gives its recipient the ability to heal, drive out evil spirits, speak in tongues, and perform other miracles or wonders. The receipt of this gift is often marked by trance or ecstasy. The Phenomenon of Religion
Examples of Charismatic Religious Experience: 1. Toronto Blessing - 10th January 1994 at Toronto Airport Vineyard Church (and replicated in a variety of settings since this time) Recorded as an outpouring of the Holy Spirit Individual testimonies of the participants do contain differences Descriptions given by witnesses are remarkably similar: People falling in the Holy Spirit people fall to the ground or are stuck to the fall by Holy Ghost Glue Shaking the body shakes under the power of God Weeping said to be a result of repentance for sins or for the burden of the souls of those not saved Laughter expression of the joy experienced when the Holy Spirit enters your life (this is a controversial element, seen by some as mass hysteria ) The blessing occurred during a sermon by Pastor Randy Clark and witness, Pastor John Arnott, described 80% of people were on the floor it was like an explosion. We saw people literally being knocked off their feet by the spirit of God others shook and jerked some danced, some laughed. Some lay on the floor as if dead for hours. People cried and shouted. 2. The first recorded experience of this type was in 1979 by South African minister, Rodney Howard- Brown. Howard-Brown considers himself to be the Holy Ghost bartender , dispensing the new wine of joy leading to people being drunk in the spirit
Mass Pilgrimage The pilgrimage site of Lourdes is near the Pyrenees mountains in France from BBC Every year, it is visited by millions of pilgrims, particularly Roman Catholics. They come to Lourdes to see the site of a famous vision experienced by a young girl called Bernadette Soubirous and to be healed by its supposedly miraculous waters. Bernadette Soubirous was born in 1844 to a poor miller. One day, while collecting firewood, Bernadette is said to have seen Mary, the mother of Jesus, dressed in white with a blue sash and a yellow rose on each foot. Bernadette is said to have witnessed the same vision many times. During one vision, the figure of Mary asked Bernadette to drink at the spring beneath her feet. Even though this area was muddy, the next day, the ground flowed with clear water. Bernadette was then told to have a chapel built in the exact spot where the vision had taken place. Christian pilgrims now visit and pray in the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes and worship at the grotto where the vision is said to have taken place. Pilgrims also take part in a Torchlight Marian Procession which takes place every evening before a service of mass takes place in the grotto. Pilgrims also confess their sins at the Reconciliation Chapel.
Nature and importance why is it considered to be a religious experience Lourdes is considered a special place to visit because prayers and services are believed to bring real blessings to the pilgrim. Pilgrims may visit to be cleansed of their sins and to be cured of their illnesses. It is believed that spring water from the grotto can heal people if they are sick. Millions of visitors come to Lourdes each year in the hope of being cured. The International Medical Committee of Lourdes began in 1947 and passes judgement on whether or not any of the healings that take place in Lourdes are miracles. By 2015, 69 cases had been recognised as miracles by the Roman Catholic Church. The opportunity to focus closely on their faith helps pilgrims feel secure in the knowledge that God will look after them, forgive them for their sins and even cure them of their illnesses.
Institutional worship Institutional religion refers to the religious group or organization, and plays an important part in a society's culture. Personal religion, in which the individual has mystical experience, can be experienced regardless of the culture. Anglicans, Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians have a set form of worship. It is a formal ritual based around the sacraments, particularly Holy Communion. This type of worship is called liturgical worship. Other Christian churches practise non-liturgical worship, eg Baptists and Quakers. This kind of worship has no set form and often does not involve Holy Communion. It is usually centred on Bible readings, a sermon, music and prayers. It can be structured or unstructured and spontaneous. Whatever style of worship is used, most Christians believe it is important to come together to share acts of devotion and honour to God. Public worship helps Christians to achieve a deeper understanding of the Bible, the life of Jesus and Christian teachings. It also enables those who receive Holy Communion to welcome Jesus into their hearts Christians regard worship as something that they don't only do for God, but that God, through Jesus's example and the presence of the Holy Spirit is also at work in.
Quaker (Society of Friends) worship Quaker (Society of Friends) worship The Quaker place of worship is called a meeting house, which they describe as 'a space of gathered stillness.' Meetings are based on silence, waiting and listening to the promptings of truth and love that arise from God. This silence is different from meditating alone. It is a shared experience in which everyone is aware of each other as they seek to experience God for themselves.
