Religious Experience as an Observational Epistemic Practice
Sophia April 1, 2012 Bruce R. Reichenbach
William Alston modeled religious experience on sense perception, but God is unobservable, making that model problematic. Drawing on Dudley Shapere's distinction between philosophical 'observe' (sensory perception) and scientific 'observe' (evidential, providing justification), the article argues that religious experience of an unobservable God can function as an observational epistemic practice. This practice satisfies epistemic obligations and justifies religious belief, even without sensory observation of God.