IDEA OF THE HOLY
A 1917 discussion of religious experience by the German Thinker, Rudolf Otto
IMPORTANT FOR TWO REASONS
A feeling you get when you encounter something really
powerful or mysterious.
Rudolf Otto
Born: Sept. 25, 1869 Peine Prussia
Died: March 6, 1937 Marburg Germany
German Theologian, Philosopher, and
Historian of Religion
Religious Experience and the Numinous1.
The Dark Side of Religious Experience2.
The Numinous
Mysterium Tremendum et Facinans
Mysterium - This refers to the mysterious aspect of the numinous
experience. It involves encountering something that is beyond ordinary
human comprehension or understanding.
Facinans- This refers to the feeling of fascination or attraction that can
also come with encountering the numinous. It's like being drawn to
something amazing and captivating.
Tremendum - This refers to the feeling of awe, fear, or even terror that
can come with encountering something numinous, something greater and
more powerful than ourselves.
Creature-Feeling
The term is designed by Rudolf Otto to describe the sense of smallness,
insignificance, and dependence that humans feel when they encounter
the numinous, or the divine. It’s the feeling of realizing how tiny and
dependent we are compared to the vastness and power of whatever is
numinous.
Wholly Otherness
It is a concept introduced by Rudolf Otto in his exploration of the
numinous, or the experience of encountering the divine. It refers to the
idea that the divine or sacred is fundamentally different and separate
from ordinary human experience.
The Role of Religious Language
and Symbols
Otto discusses how religious language and symbols attempt to convey
the numinous experience, although they ultimately fall short of capturing
its full significance. Religious symbols and rituals serve as bridge for
expressing and mediating encounters with the divine.
Ineffability and Paradox
Otto emphasizes the ineffable nature of the numinous
experience, meaning it cannot be fully described or understood
through language or rational discourse. Furthermore, the
experience often involves paradoxical elements, such as feelings
of both attraction and fear, which challenge ordinary human
comprehension.
