Christianity & Visions (Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B)

Visions as proof of the existence of God

What are visions?

• Visions are experiences where individuals believe they see or hear something spiritual or divine, often with a message or purpose

  • They are seen as a form of special revelation, where God communicates directly with people

• There are several different types of visions

  • Objective Visions are where the person believes they are seeing something external to themselves, like a physical appearance of a divine figure or angel

  • Subjective Visions are Internal experiences, such as a sense of God's presence or a personal message, not seen physically but felt deeply

• There are many accounts of visions in the bible in both the Old and New Testaments

  • Many Old Testament prophets (like Isaiah and Ezekiel) experienced visions where they received messages from God about the future, often warning about judgment or offering hope

    • In the Book of Daniel, he has visions about the future of nations and God's ultimate kingdom

  • In the New Testament, Paul had a vision of Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9), which led to his conversion from persecuting Christians to becoming one of the most influential apostles

    • The Book of Revelation is based on the visions of John, where he witnesses the end of the world, the return of Christ, and God's final judgment

• There are also Non- Biblical accounts of visions in history

  • Joan of Arc was a French girl who conquered the English in the 100 years war

    • She had a vision from God who told her to drive out the English

    • She had many victories before she was captured and the English called her a heretic and burned her at the stake

    • The Church believed her vision and pronounced her a saint

Visions as proof of God’s existence

• Visions are sometimes seen as proof of God's existence for Christians because they are believed to be direct experiences of God communicating with individuals

• Christians believe that visions are a way for God to reveal Himself to people

  • When individuals have visions, they feel they are encountering something supernatural or divine, which can be seen as evidence that God exists and is active in the world

• Many people who experience visions claim to feel a deep, personal connection to God

  • These experiences can strengthen their faith and lead them to believe that God is real because of the powerful impact visions have on their lives

• In the Bible, figures like Moses, Isaiah, Paul, and John all had visions that they believed came directly from God

  • These visions often revealed important messages or prophecies, which many Christians view as proof that God is real and communicates with humanity

• Sometimes, visions are accompanied by miracles (like healings or other supernatural events)

  • For example, some saints are said to have had visions and also performed miraculous acts

  • Christians may see this as further evidence that God is behind these experiences

• Visions experienced by many different people, at different times, in various places, and often with similar themes (e.g., God's love or messages of hope)

  • These are seen by some Christians as evidence of a consistent and real presence of God

• Some visions are confirmed or recognised by religious authorities, such as the Catholic Church, which may affirm that a vision is an experience of God

  • This recognition can lead believers to see visions as further proof of God's existence

The nature and importance of visions for Christians

The nature of visions 

• Some Christians experience visions and believe that they have experienced God first hand

  • Visions are often seen as a way God communicates His will, guidance, or warnings to individuals, especially when important actions need to be taken

  • Many visions provide prophetic insights into the future, including divine judgment or the promise of salvation and the coming of God's Kingdom

  • Some Christians believe visions can be personal experiences of God, helping them feel closer to Him or guiding their faith journey

  • Many saints and mystics in the Church, like St. Teresa of Avila or St. Faustina Kowalska, reported visions of Jesus or Mary, which are considered important in Catholic and Orthodox traditions

• Some Christians believe that, while visions are important, they are not necessary for salvation 

  • They can still be spiritually significant for the individual who experiences them

The importance of visions 

• Visions can be important to Christians for a number of reasons

  • For some Christians, visions can offer direction or answers to life’s challenges

  • They can reveal God’s plan, especially for individuals or communities

  • Visions can strengthen a person’s belief in God or give them courage to continue in their faith

Christian responses to non-religious arguments

Atheist and Humanist responses to visions

• Some people believe visions are genuine divine experiences, while others may view them as psychological experiences or hallucinations

• Atheists and Humanists do not believe in the existence of God, so they offer alternative explanations for visions that people experience

  • Atheists and Humanists often explain visions as psychological experiences, where the mind creates powerful images or feelings, especially in times of stress, grief, or religious devotion

  • Some atheists believe visions are hallucinations, where the brain creates images that aren’t real

    • This can happen due to mental health issues, drug use, or sleep deprivation

  • Atheists may argue that visions are influenced by the cultural and religious beliefs of the person experiencing them

    • For example, if someone is religious, they may interpret vivid dreams or unusual experiences as visions of God, but an atheist might see them as the result of cultural expectations or personal desires

  • Atheists may believe that visions are the result of natural causes such as brain activity or certain chemical imbalances

    • They may point to scientific research that shows how the brain can produce vivid images or spiritual experiences during certain activities or under specific conditions

  • Atheists argue that visions do not provide objective evidence for the existence of God because they are personal and subjective experiences

    • Since visions cannot be verified or tested by scientific methods, they do not prove God's existence in a way that everyone can agree on

  • Atheists do not accept visions as proof of God's existence

    • They typically explain them through psychological, cultural, or natural causes, arguing that personal experiences of visions do not provide reliable evidence for God

Christian responses to non-religious arguments

• Christians believe that visions can be a genuine way for God to reveal Himself to people and they would reject atheist arguments relating to visions

  • Christians believe that visions are genuine encounters with God or messages from God

  • They argue that such experiences can't be explained purely by natural causes because the person experiencing them often reports a deep spiritual or life-changing encounter

  • Visions are seen as part of God’s ongoing communication with humanity, and they are often transformative

  • Christians believe that visions reveal God’s plan, offer comfort, or call people to action, which they argue cannot be fully explained by psychology or brain activity alone

  • Many Christians point to personal testimonies of people who have experienced visions as evidence that God exists and is active in the world. 

    • They believe these personal experiences provide real, subjective evidence of God's presence

    • While these experiences are subjective, they argue that the life-changing impact of visions on individuals (such as conversion or deepened faith) suggests that they are more than just psychological phenomena

  • Christians point to many biblical examples of visions, such as those experienced by Paul, John, and Daniel, where God used visions to reveal important messages

    • They argue that the Bible teaches that visions are a legitimate way for God to communicate with people

    • Christians believe that if God could reveal Himself to prophets in the past through visions, He can still do so today

Christianity and divergent understandings of the nature of God

Divergent Christian understanding of visions and the nature of God

• Christian ideas on visions vary, and different denominations interpret visions in different ways

• Many Christians, especially in more charismatic or evangelical traditions, believe that visions show that God is personally involved in the world and communicates directly with individuals

  • For them, visions reveal God’s desire to guide and speak to people today, not just in the past

  • This view emphasises that God is immanent, meaning He is actively present and involved in the lives of believers

  • Visions are seen as evidence of God's ongoing relationship with humanity

  • Individuals who experience visions often report a sense of closeness to God, a personal relationship, and a call to action (e.g., a call to evangelism or to make life changes)

• In some Catholic and Orthodox traditions, visions are seen as moments when God reveals His mysterious nature but in a way that is beyond full human understanding

  • These visions may not provide all the answers, but they show that God is mysterious, holy, and transcendent

  • God’s nature is understood as transcendent and far beyond human comprehension

  • While visions provide some insight into God's will, they don’t fully reveal His nature, underscoring His otherness

  • Saints and mystics, such as St. Teresa of Avila or St. Faustina Kowalska, had visions that revealed aspects of God's holiness or the divine mystery, but God’s nature remains hidden

• Some Christians, particularly those influenced by prophetic traditions, understand visions as showing God’s justice, holiness, and judgment

  • Visions in this context are seen as warnings or calls for repentance

  • This view emphasises God as just and righteous, and that He has the right to judge the world

  • Visions are seen as a way God communicates warning or calls for moral change

  • Biblical figures like Isaiah or Ezekiel had visions that revealed God's judgment on the nations, and this is often reflected in Christian teachings that visions show God’s justice