"Religious Reality" is a thought-provoking book written by A. E. J. Rawlinson that explores the nature of religious experience and the reality of a religious belief. Rawlinson, a British theologian, and philosopher argues that religious experience is a fundamental aspect of human nature and that it reveals a deeper reality beyond the material world. The book begins with a study of the different forms of religious experience, including mystical experiences, ethical experiences, and experiences of divine revelation. The author's approach is interdisciplinary, drawing on insights from psychology, anthropology, and sociology as well as from the history of religion and philosophy. He engages with a wide range of thinkers, from William James and Carl Jung to Friedrich Nietzsche and Ludwig Wittgenstein. Throughout the book, Rawlinson emphasizes the importance of personal religious experience and the need for religious beliefs to be grounded in lived experience rather than abstract doctrine or dogma.
A. E. J. Rawlinson (1880-1957) was a British philosopher, theologian, and scholar of religion who is best known for his contributions to the field of religious studies. Rawlinson's work was deeply influenced by his own religious experiences and his lifelong interest in exploring the nature of religious reality. Rawlinson was educated at Oxford University, where he studied classics and theology. After completing his studies, he worked as a parish priest before returning to Oxford to teach theology and philosophy. He later became a professor of comparative religion at the University of Manchester. Throughout his career, Rawlinson was known for his interdisciplinary approach to religious studies. He drew on insights from psychology, anthropology, and sociology as well as from the history of religion and philosophy. He was also deeply interested in the ways in which religious experience could be understood in relation to scientific and philosophical frameworks. Rawlinson's work on religious reality was groundbreaking in its emphasis on the importance of personal religious experience and its rejection of dogma and doctrine as the sole basis of religious belief.
