Numinous and Mystical Experience of God, Doctrine, and Myths Essay Example

such that an individual feels illuminated beyond his/her own intellectual understanding. They are transient in nature in that they fleet in linear time although they seem eternal. They are passive as a person may feel swept and held by some mystical power (Smart and John, p3). An example of mystical experience is that of 19 year old boy who was moving north along the West Coast of Japan. Standing alone in the rail of a ship and watching the Japanese shore some few meters away, the boy saw what looked like a lighthouse. He felt wholly held within the lighthouse rather than being far from it. Though frightening, it was very beautiful and life-affirming in equal measure.

One of the functions of Doctrines is that they instill order following the events given through revelation, story and biblical format (Gunton, p170). For instance, the trinity doctrine puts God the creator and his son Jesus Christ together so as to achieve consistency of plurality and oneness of God. Another function of Doctrines is that they safeguard the meaning of mythical theories in relation to their meanings beyond. For instance, most of the religious doctrines emphasize on the universality behind everything in the world as far as God is concerned. He is the one behind and within all the happenings in the whole world. Religions show these through symbols, scriptures and rituals. Finally, the doctrines also the serve the purpose of helping Christians relate their ideas with the knowledge of the current age and making these ideas applicable to the world of human knowledge and wisdom. This is in order that philosophy and culture should not impede religious growth.
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cultural world view is basically a general set of beliefs and claims people use to interpret the world around them. In some way, doctrines define the world view of a certain culture. One way doctrine shapes world view is the perception that people were created and did not just evolve. These doctrines define God and his supremacy. Doctrines try to define the existence of God through analogous descriptions and how he reveals to humankind. For instance, a culture dominated by Christians believes that God reveals to them through the Bible, and the Muslims believe His revelation through the Quran. Another way doctrines define cultural world views is through moral teachings. Doctrines try to distinguish between what is wrong and right and thereby shaping the worldview of a certain culture. It deals with acceptable behaviors between people as well as the motives behind that. For instance, most religious doctrines detest any form of murder and while others teach against torture of young children simply because of deriving personal pleasure.

One of the religious rituals is the mass of the Roman Catholic Church. The Catholic Church often refers to this ritual as the “Summit of Christian Life”. As a characteristic of religious rituals, formalism lays emphasis on form rather than the content. It describes the affinity of the aesthetic attributes and the formal liturgies as well (Bell, p140). The mass formalistic worship depends on the authority of the clergy. The service during the mass ritual employs a set of regular patterns such as the opening prayer, some recitations from the congregation, meditation of scriptures, inner light experiences and finally the closing prayer. Traditionalism emphasizes on upholding the culture

of a particular religious ritual (Bell, p150). This is evidenced by ecclesiastical tradition during the mass that entails various elements such as the liturgy of hours and observing the law of fasting and abstinence. As Bell describes, Invariance implies careful choreograph that has less appeal to traditionalism. The key is body discipline mostly performed by people in unison. During the mass, this is exhibited through monastic prayer, group’s presentations and meditation. Rule-Governance implies that rules govern mass rituals. They are meant to instill norms and regulate behavior by defining some limits based on acceptable standards. Particular objects are used as a sacred symbols through consecration processes to create sacred settings. For instance, the sacred heart of Mary symbolizes Jesus Love for the humankind. Finally, performance during rituals imposes theatrical experiences to the participants. During mass rituals, music is performed as a way of entertaining or offering praises to God.

Works Cited

1. Smart, Ninian, and John J. Shepherd. Ninian Smart on World Religions: Traditions and the Challenges of Modernity. Farnham, England: Ashgate, 2009. Print.
2. Bell, Catherine M. Ritual: Perspectives and Dimensions. New York, N.Y: Oxford University Press, 1997. Internet resource
3. Gunton, Colin E. The Cambridge Companion to Christian Doctrine. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. Internet resource