Rudolf Otto and The Idea of the Holy

Dr. Anthony Paul Smith - Religion Matters

Rudolf Otto and The Idea of the Holy

Background of Rudolf Otto

  • Lifespan: September 25, 1869 – March 6, 1937
  • Nationality: German
  • Profession: Protestant Pastor
  • Philosophical Influence: Heavily influenced by German philosophy.
  • Theological Influence: Influenced by the theology of Martin Luther.

Bracketing and Religious Experience

  • Request to the Reader:
    • The reader is invited to focus on a moment of deeply-felt religious experience.
    • The request is to engage with this experience with minimal qualification from other forms of consciousness.
    • Those who cannot recall such moments in their experience are encouraged to read no further.

Concept of the Numinous

  • Definition:
    • The term numinous is likened to the word "ominous" which denotes a presence.
    • Specifically, in this context, it signifies the presence of divinity.

Creature-Feeling

  • Description:
    • Defined as the emotion of a creature feeling overwhelmed by its own nothingness when contrasted with that which is deemed supreme above all creatures.
    • The numinous is experienced as something definite and external to oneself.

The Idea of the Holy

  • Main Focus:
    • The Idea of the Holy explores the concept of the holy or numinous.
    • The investigation takes a non-rational approach, aimed at achieving a deeper comprehension of the divine that transcends pure reason.
    • The emphasis is on experiencing the holy (the wholly other) rather than merely conceptualizing it.

Positive vs. Negative Knowledge of God

  • Cataphatic Theology:
    • This approach aims to bring God down in a way that allows meaningful discourse about Him.
  • Apophatic Theology:
    • Involves a "deny" or "un-say" approach to knowledge of God, focusing on what God is not.

The Feeling of Nothingness

Understanding Non-Rational vs. Irrational Knowledge

  • Irrational Knowledge:
    • Involves ideas that operate within the constraints of reason but do not conform to it entirely.
  • Non-Rational Knowledge:
    • Refers to a way of thinking that remains beyond rationality, escaping direct, rational articulation of the "mystery".

Importance of Dual Approaches to Understanding the Holy

  • Thesis:
    • Both rational and non-rational perspectives on the Holy are valuable for comprehensive understanding.
    • It is vital to integrate both kataphatic and apophatic descriptions of God or the Wholly Other to achieve a correct understanding.

Mysterium Tremendum

  • Description:
    • Represents the intense, awe-inspiring aspect of the Holy, emphasizing its transcendent nature.

Mysterium Fascinans

  • Description:
    • Represents the alluring, charmed aspect of the Holy, highlighting its graciousness.

Nature of the Mysterium

  • Hiddenness of the Holy:
    • The Holy contains an inherent hiddenness beyond human rational thought, imagination, and conceptualization.
    • This is attributed not just to intellectual constraints but to the intrinsic essence of what the Holy is.
    • The experience with the Holy as an enigma carries hope and promises of plenitude; there exists a richness that exceeds human comprehension.

Characteristics of the Mysterium

  • Tremendum:
    • Refers to the overwhelming, awe-inspiring character of the Mysterium, which transcends human control.
    • The recognition of this magnificence can induce reverence accompanied by a fear-like feeling, often instilling a sense of dread due to human smallness before such majesty.
  • Fascinans:
    • Denotes the enchanting aspect of the Mysterium, experienced as facets like love, mercy, and solace.
    • The Holy resonates with immense grace and is a source of bliss, instilling a profound longing for goodness among individuals, thereby having the capacity to enchant and draw in the deepest parts of oneself.