contemporary arts week 1 (

What is the Religious Experience?

Huston Smith, a renowned philosopher of religion, says the religions that he has studied go back thousands of years “and they are motivating more people today than ever before” (The World’s Religions, p. 2). So what are the motivating forces within religion? What do we need to know to discover those forces?

There are three considerations:

Firstly, “there are faiths that everyone should be acquainted with simply because millions of people live by them” (p. 3). In other words, while some of us may be devotees of a particular religion or embrace the belief systems of either atheism or agnosticism, we need to understand that people comprehend the divine or spiritual realm, as well as the soul or spirit, in many different ways.

Secondly, there is a benefit to our own mind, because in gaining an understanding of world religions, the sense of soul, and spirituality, they can help us in our own lives (p. 3).

Thirdly, we ought to know that “every religious tradition is mixed with various dimensions, and in this course, we will be focusing on the experiential and emotional dimensions of the human experience of soul or spirit.

Religion, as we may experience it, is also about values, some particular to religion and culture whereas others thread through many different faith traditions. Smith goes on to say that religions are also about empowerment: The empowering theological and metaphysical truths of the world’s religions [and philosophies] are … inspired (p. 5).

Further, the religious experience is not primarily a matter of facts; it is a matter of meanings (p. 10). Questions you might ask yourself as you read through the text: Leading with Soul may be: What does it mean to have a soul or spirit? Who can serve as a spiritual guide?

As we embark on this course of study, consider Smith’s recommendations:

First, we need to understand the religious experience, as a person, who faced problems much like our own. Second, we must rid our minds of all preconceptions that could dull our sensitivity or alertness to fresh insights. If we lay aside our preconceptions about the role of the human spirit, and try to see it as something that could give meaning to our lives; and if we then try to see for ourselves, if we do these things, the veil that covers our own spirit will be lifted (p.11).