COMMENTARY: Comparing Apples to Oranges: A Response to Schoenrade, to Hay, and to Boyatzis

Abstract

In a former article (Edwards & Lowis, 2001), we proposed a revised version of a model of religious experience originally proposed by Batson, Schoenrade, and Ventis (1993). Our revision took the form of a three-stage model, describing the three stages of Consciousness of High Superego Activity, Renunciation, and New Vision. Criticisms of our proposed model were offered by several commentators-Patricia Schoenrade, David Hay, and Chris Boyatzis. Fears were that our model was working with too limited a view of religious experience; may only have applicability to Western, Christian populations; and may be a model of religious development rather than a model of religious experience. In responding to such criticisms, we note: (a) accusations that our model has been based upon too limited a model of religious experience may be based on definitions of the term "religious experience" other than the one we propose; (b) close attention to our original article reveals how both the original model of religious experience proposed by Batson et al. (1993) and our proposed revision can be applied to cases of religious experience in diverse creeds and cultures; and (c) a model of religious development implies that stages consistently represent moves toward greater maturity, but religious experiences may represent either moves toward greater maturity or regressive patterns. We also respond to Boyatzis's (2001) fears that past empirical data challenge our model, emphasising how assessments of conscientiousness, rather than state or trait anxiety, can be deemed central to empirical tests of the model.