Year 8 - Religious education
Atman: the divine within all
Knowing God: does religious experience prove God exists?
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit pupils investigate the idea of religious experience. They start with the ideas of William James before examining case studies from history and Christian, Islamic and Hindu worldviews.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to explain different understandings of the atman as divine and evaluate the claim that experiences across religions cancel each other out.
Key Notes
- Atman is a Sanskrit word for the true or eternal self and most Hindus believe it is in every living being.
- Atman comes from Brahman and could be seen as a part of the ultimate being within each of us.
- In different Indian philosophies, atman is part of the individual self and ultimate reality or completely separate.
- The multiple claims issue is the problem that conflicting religious experiences challenge the proof of one specific God.
- John Hick argues that religious pluralism means different religious experiences interpret the same divine reality.
Vocabulary To Learn
- atman: the spark of Brahman or spirit within all living beings
- Brahman: the supreme spirit or ultimate reality
- John Hick: philosopher who argues for religious pluralism
- multiple claims argument: conflicting religious experiences challenge the idea they can prove the existence of God
- pluralist: someone who believes that different religions are paths to understanding the same divine truth
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Atman is just like the soul in other religions.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
Atman is a Sanskrit word for the true or eternal self and most Hindus believe it is in every living being. Atman comes from Brahman and could be seen as a part of the ultimate being within each of us.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'atman'
the spark of Brahman or spirit within all living beings.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: Atman is just like the soul in other religions. Correction: While atman is similar to the soul, in Hinduism, it's not only the individual self but also connected to the larger, ultimate reality (Brahman). So, it's more than just an individual soul; it can be seen as part of everything.
More Lessons In This Unit
Browse all guides in the Year 8 Religious education guide library.