1. Think, Pair, Share
What is the difference between the experiences of John Nash and those of a religious believer?

2. Different forms of religious experience: visions and voices

3. Learning Outcome
To be able to indentify the features of religious experiences where visions or voices are involved (Grade C).
To be able to explain St Teresa of Avila's views on religious experiences (Grade B).
To be able to evaluate the validity of visions and voices (Grade A).

4. Cow time! Literacy Target
Check that you have spelt all the key words correctly.
Take the time to check over the rest of your work for any other spelling mistakes.
Ask for a dictionary or use the internet to check over any words that you are not sure are correct.

5. Visions and Voices
RE’s are associated with hearing things, but more than just a voice, a communication of knowledge.
Christians believe God communicates messages too, e.g. calling of Samuel, God’s voice calls him to be a prophet.
2 types of visions:
Corporeal vision e.g. Bernadette sees Mary like a physical person.
Imaginative visions e.g. happening through dreams. Message of God revealed through dreams.
3 features of voices:
Disembodied voice – doesn’t come from a person speaking.
Voice communicates a revelation.
Authoritative, passing God’s authority.

6. Vision and Voices Exodus 3:1-17 Matthew 1:18-25
Read each example and explain whether each one is corporeal vision or an imaginative vision, give reasons.
To be able to indentify the features of religious experiences where visions or voices are involved
To be able to explain St Teresa of Avila's views on religious experiences.
To be able to evaluate the validity of visions and voices.
Stretch yourself: Do you think an imaginative vision is a valid religious experience? Give reasons for your answer.

7. But how do you know the experience is from God?
Genuine or not?
But how do you know the experience is from God?
E.g. There are people with mental health problems who have killed people because the claim to have heard God’s voice telling them to do it.
In order to overcome this, St Teresa of Avila offered two tests to see if genuine:
Does it fit with Christian teaching?
Does the person feel at peace after the experience?
If these effects are not present then the experience is from Satan not God.

8. However...
But just because the voice fits with Church teaching, it still doesn’t prove that the voice has to be from God, it still could be from their mind.
Sometimes visions/voices are linked to factors like extreme fasting. Maybe the weakened body leads a person to seem like they are having an experience?

9. Look up these examples of REs:
Visions and Voices
Look up these examples of REs:
Bernadette at Lourdes
Augustine’s experience
Muhammad’s vision
Explain whether these are REs are genuine or not according to St Teresa’s views.
To be able to indentify the features of religious experiences where visions or voices are involved.
To be able to explain St Teresa of Avila's views on religious experiences.
To be able to evaluate the validity of visions and voices.
Stretch yourself: Research and explain what Freud says about religious experiences.

10. Think, Pair, Share
A: Explain the first test St Teresa used to check whether REs where genuine. B: Explain the second test St Teresa used to check whether REs where genuine. A: What is a problem with St Teresa’s definition? B: What is a problem of accepting seeing visions or hearing voices as a RE?

11. Evaluation zig-zag
Complete the zig-zag in your notes. Zig-zag from arguments that support and criticise Vision and Voices.
For
Next steps:
Research and include Blaise Pascal’s views
Against
For
To be able to indentify the features of religious experiences where visions or voices are involved.
To be able to explain St Teresa of Avila's views on religious experiences.
To be able to evaluate the validity of visions and voices.
Against
Stretch yourself:
To reach a better A02 grade you must always link your arguments. E.g. However St Teresa would disagree with James because…..

12. What have we learnt? 1) State two types of visions.
2) Explain St Teresa’s two tests to see whether REs are genuine.
3) What is one problem with accepting visions and voices are valid REs?
To be able to indentify the features of religious experiences where visions or voices are involved (Grade C).
To be able to explain St Teresa of Avila's views on religious experiences (Grade B).
To be able to evaluate the validity of visions and voices (Grade A).

13. Homework
Research St Teresa’s 3 types of Prayer (a method of communication between man and God – visions happen in them).