1. Epistemological Foundations and Boundaries of Knowledge Terence Palmer School of Theology & Religious Studies Bangor University Beyond Boundaries Post-Grad Conference 2009

2. Epistemology The philosophical theory of knowledge. One view is that justification distinguishes genuine knowledge. There are two types of justification: 1. Rationalism – logic and maths – pure reasoning. 2. Empiricism- impressions of sense data. 2

3. Fear viewed through scientific empiricism Darwinian evolution Fear as the natural response to a threat Survival mechanism in a hostile world Fight or flight Physiological homeostasis Understanding stress related illness and stress management 3

4. Fear to the clinical psychologist Fixation to trauma hypothesis Helplessness and loss of power and control Hard wired schemata Unconscious drive to overcome helplessness Self repeating cycle The fear is real – but... Can the real danger be overcome? – and... Is the threat real or imagined? 4

5. Epistemology of religion What is the origin of knowledge? What of universal or transcendental knowledge? What has religious experience to contribute? What is the nature of truth? Hermeneutics - how truth is interpreted Subjective meaning 5

6. Plato’s Model of Knowledge 6

7. A synthesised epistemology Scientific empiricism – impressions of sense data Religious empiricism – subjective experience Radical empiricism – impressions of 6 th sense data Pragmatism – does it work? 7

8. Fear as an emotional energy Transmitted like a beacon Sensed, but not by the five senses Universal Law of Attraction – like attracts like Emotional energy attracts spiritual energy Earthbounds Non- human Fixed in fear Turning the tables Demons become angels 8

9. Justification & Validation To believe we know the truth from one epistemological foundation is a mistake To reject any idea or hypothesis that is based on belief without rigorously testing it is a mistake Pragmatism – does it work? 9