Theistic Religious Experience and Scientific Testing
The Oxford Handbook of Psychedelic, Religious, Spiritual, and Mystical Experiences May 22, 2024 DOI: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780192844064.013.19 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that the features relevant to testing whether an experience is genuinely of God would be morally demanding toward humans, since God's moral character and will would be demanding relative to humans without coercing human wills. The chapter identifies these moral factors and gives reason to doubt that they are subject to scientific testing. |
Abstract
Abstract Inquirers about God often ask whether any religious experience is actually an experience of God. A related issue is whether scientific testing could bear on that question. This chapter explores that issue, attending to the testable indicators in experience of any genuine, factual experience of God for humans. The sciences rely on testable indicators in experience for many hypotheses and are empirical to that extent. Testing theistic religious experience should follow suit, to avoid arbitrariness regarding evidence. This chapter contends that the relevant features for testing for divine reality would be morally demanding toward humans. This results from the fact that the moral character and will of God would be demanding relative to humans, even though not coercive of human wills toward cooperating with God. The chapter identifies these moral factors, exploring whether they are subject to scientific testing. It gives a reason to be doubtful of scientific testing here.