Concepts and religious experiences: Wayne Proudfoot on the cultural construction of experiences
Religious Studies July 18, 2011 DOI: 10.1017/s0034412511000102 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Citations | 15 |
| Key points | Argues that Wayne Proudfoot's constructivist defense contains significant unresolved issues that constructivists need to address more adequately, without defending perennialism. |
Abstract
Abstract The constructivist position, that mystical experiences are determined by the experiencer's cultural context, is now more prevalent among scholars of religion than the perennialist position, which maintains that mystical experiences have a common core that is cross-culturally universal. In large part, this is due to the efforts of Wayne Proudfoot in his widely accepted book,Religious Experience. In this article, I identify some significant unresolved issues in Proudfoot's defence of constructivism. My aim is not to defend perennialism, but to specify some objections to the constructivist thesis that constructivists need to address more adequately.