Explain the argument from religious experience for the existence of God.

Noetic Quality refers to the fact that religious experiences provide a sense of deeper understanding and knowledge of the divine. St. John on the Cross describes his understanding of Noetic Quality through his religious experience as “My mind had found a surer way: a knowledge of unknowing, rising beyond all science.” Whereas James’ third way; Transience is the spontaneous and sometimes unpredictable duration of the religious experience a person experiences.

James’ final characteristic of a religious experience includes passivity – during the experience the individual becomes the passive recipient (they lose control because of the overwhelming presence of God). St. Teresa of Avila states passivity through her literature as “Christ has no body now, but yours. No hands, no feet on earth, but yours.” Showing the individual in the experience has no control of their minds and body.

Another form of the argument from religious experience includes Swinburne’s Cumulative argument which follows the ideology that many people have had the experience and have shared the similar characteristics William James states; therefore this is logical and reasonable argument for the existence of God. Swinburne’s argument can then be broken down into two principles: the principle of credulity – explaining that we should accept what appears to be the case, unless there is good evidence against the experience. If the experience seems to be genuine (matching it along with the characteristics), this is evidence for God’s existence, and the principle of testimony - In the absence of evidence against, we should rely on the reports that we hear, it is reasonable to believe people.

A final form of the argument from religious experience includes direct awareness. This follows the premise that the person/people who experience divine are overwhelmed and become unaware of anything else, focusing mainly on carrying out the work of God. A person’s direct awareness can determine the credibility of the religious experience and the change in the person’s life after the events.