He is best known for his analysis of the experience that, in his view, underlies all religion. The idea of the holy an inquiry into the nonrational factor in the idea of the divine and its relation to the rational by rudolf otto. In this first part of this brief study of the idea of the holy we summarise what we take to be otto s two most important themes. Rudolf otto s concept of the numinous otto was one of the most influential thinkers about religion in the first half of the twentieth century. The idea of the holy, 1923 is his most important work early life and academic career. His early teacher at gottingen, albrecht ritschl, had located religion in the realm of value judgments, whereas, more significantly, his theological colleague at gottingen. This pronouncement applies to rudolf otto s classic the idea of the holy which lewis had read. Otto describes the central feeling of the mystical experience as a kind of creaturefeeling. This paper explores the ambiguity in rudolph otto s discussion of the mysterium tremendum in order to address a broader set of difficulties in the idea of the holy 1917. In the second part, we comment on them in turn the numinous in religious experience.
Complete summary of rudolf otto s the idea of the holy. The idea of the holy by rudolf otto 8 editions first published in 1923 not in library. It is, indeed, applied by transference to another spherethat of ethicsbut it is not itself. Numen and the numinous 1 holinessthe holy is a category of interpretation and valuation peculiar to the sphere of religion. This brief outline is based on a 1973 reprint of the second edition. I decided to read the idea of the holy by rudolf otto when i saw that it was on c. Rudolf otto rudolf otto the idea of the holy various influences had played upon otto s reflections through the years, aiding him in reformulating the religious category that was to carry him beyond schleiermacher. This book explores the esoteric and ineffable, and is best approached with a pen or pencil in hand to underline passages and write in the margins. Lewis topten list of books that influenced him, reasoning that if it was good enough for lewis, it was probably worth my time to read. Religious essays, a supplement to the idea of the holy o. Trey gowdy catches loretta lynch in huge lie about hillary with one brilliant question duration. In this article, i mainly rely on the idea of the holy when i refer to ottos idea of the numinous. An inquiry into the nonrational factor in the idea of the divine and its relation to the rational was first published by oxford university press in 1923. First i am going to bring out central concepts from ottos idea of the holy, then i am.
It is one of the most successful german theological books of the 20th century, has never gone out of print, and is now available in about 20 languages. Pdf rudolf otto and the concept of the numinous stuart. Otto starts the idea of the holy by arguing that the nonrational in religion must be given its due importance, then goes on to introduce and develop his notion of the numinous. Otto s contribution to religious thought, four central. As a kind of first approximation for the wholly new concept he is giving us, otto characterises the numinous as the holy i. Otto particularly develops the idea of the nonrational element in our encounter with god. Pdf the idea of the holy download full pdf book download.
The idea of the holy interpretation and analysis dr. An inquiry into the nonrational factor in the idea of the divine and its relation to the rational. Rudolf otto translated by harvey the idea of the holy an inquiry into the nonrational factor in the idea of the divine and its relation to the rational. Pdf download the idea of the holy free unquote books. Pdf naturalistic foundations of the idea of the holy. Otto is distrustful of any attempt to combine the two kinds of naturalism. Harvey professor of philosophy at armslrong college ji ewcastleontyne oxford university press london new york toronto. Since the english translation first appeared in 1923, rudolf otto s idea of the holy has established itself as a classic in the field of religious philosophy. He does so using what he calls idealogues, by which he means descriptive words which would apply to things which we experience in the physical world as a way of giving us a hint of what the ineffable holiness is. Read download the idea of the holy pdf pdf download. The attributes that they apply to god can be understood and analyzed by the mind, and are thus what otto. Holiness is a valuation peculiar to religion, even though it has been applied in spheres such as ethics by transplant. As for its content, the holy is what rudolf otto calls the numinous from omen and ominous, thus numen and numinous. There is a wonderful place to acquire the book the idea of the holy, by rudolf otto by online.
Otto s most famous work is the idea of the holy, published first in german in 1917, and first translated into english in 1923. The lutheran theologian rudolf otto coined the term numinous and defined it as a nonrational, nonsensory experience or feeling whose primary and immediate object is outside the self. The specialized appendixes on pages 179229 have been omitted. The idea of the holy by rudolf otto, translated by john wilfred harvey. Since the english translation first appeared in 1923, rudolf otto s volume has established itself as a classic in the field of religious philosophy. Apr 17, 20 rudolf otto september 25, 1869 march 5, 1937 was an eminent theologian and religious scholar in the german protestant tradition. I n the short time at my disposal i think i cannot do better than consider in succession what i take to be the four cardinal. It offers an indepth inquiry into the nonrational factor in the idea of the divine and its relation to the rational. Book full the idea of the holy by rudolf otto format. Since the english translation first appeared in 1923, rudolf ottos volume has established itself as a classic in the field of religious philosophy.
He is regarded as one of the most influential scholars of religion in the early twentieth century and is best known for his concept of the numinous, a profound emotional experience he argued was at the heart of the worlds religions. He is particularly remarkable for his contribution to the phenomenology of religious consciousness and his work in the fields of comparative religion and the history of religion. The idea of the holy is one of the enduring classics of 20thcentury german theology. Pdf in this paper, i investigate the nonrational, affective dimension of religious experience that rudolf otto attempted to. Buy the idea of the holy galaxy books 2 by otto, rudolf, harvey, john w. Rudolf otto s book deserves pride of place for his articulation of the idea of the holy and his usage of the term numinous to describe the otherness of god. The idea of the holy rudolf otto 1950 excerpted from the idea of the holy, 2nd ed. Through otto the legacy of schleierma cher is also linked to mircea eliade and the study of the history of religions. Rudolf otto 18691937 is widely recognized as one of the most important contributors to the study of religions at the beginning of the 20th century.
Rudolf otto and the concept of the numinous oxford. Unfortunately, otto is not widely read or studied in us classrooms todayespecially at the graduate level. Rudolf otto and the concept of holiness oxford scholarship. There are two considerations that make this seem like a reasonable question. Theists, by analogy, project and perfect their human rationality and personality on to their idea of god. Some of the concepts discussed include the intuition that the commission of sin is the angry gods punishment for sin, the idea that the kingdom of god is something mysterious and wholly other greatness and marvel absolute contrasted with the world of here and now, and pauls depreciation of the flesh as an expression of the. Nov 25, 2011 the idea of the holy an inquiry into the nonrational factor in the idea of the divine and its relation to the rational by rudolf otto. It offers an indepth inquiry into the nonrational factor in the idea of the divine and its relation to the. A particularly important example of such a structure is the concept of the numinous developed by the theologian and comparativist rudolf otto 186997 in his work, the idea of the holy.
Kantian thought had tied holiness with complete goodness, so that the will acting on the moral law alone was the holy. His book, the idea of the holy, became something of a sensation in its time, and his account of numinous experience as a mysterium tremendum et fascinans had an effect that few other ideas in. The idea of the holytext of first english edition by rudolf. In this paper, i have attempted to interpret and analyze the concept and picture of god as has been propounded in the idea of holy by rudolf otto. Rudolf otto, german theologian, philosopher, and historian of religion, who exerted worldwide influence through his investigation of mans experience of the holy. Instead, rudolf otto tries to give an idea of what we mean when we say that something is holy. Ebook free pdf the idea of the holy, by rudolf otto. Rudolf otto german philosopher and theologian britannica. Rudolf otto and the numinous experience flashcards quizlet.
Theologian and religious scholar in the german protestant tradition. He does warn the reader that if they have never experienced a deeplyfelt religious experience, they need not read any further. Whereas otto s work has usually been studied from a phenomenological perspective, this book is original in offering theological arguments for otto s idea of the holy becoming an anchor concept of contemporary theistic discourse. Rudolf otto and mystical experience religious studies. All i can say after having read several of the lists books is that lewis has strange tastes. Ottos theory of religious experience as encounter with. Download pdf rudolfotto free online new books in politics. An inquiry into the nonrational factor in the idea of. Rudolf otto on how the fearful and fascinating mystery of the holy. This book presents a critical examination of the central contribution to the twentiethcentury concept of holiness made by the german protestant rudolf otto 18691937. Rudolf otto, religious naturalism, cognitive science of religion, idea. Otto starts the idea of the holy by arguing that the nonrational in religion must be given its due importance, then goes on to introduce and.
Rudolf ottos work during the first half of his career culminated with his. In the idea of holy rudolf otto 18691937 argued that all religious experiences were numinous in nature. I n the short time at my disposal i think i cannot do better than consider in succession what i take to be the four cardinal elements in dr. Book full the idea of the holy by rudolf otto format epub how read for txt pocket itunes online. In doing so, it sees otto as creatively continuing and combining two theological traditions. He calls this experience numinous, and says it has three components. The contemporary academic study of religion has its roots in conceptual and theoretical structures developed in the early to mid20th century. Otto, rudolf, 18691937 published by translated by john w. In this article, i mainly rely on the idea of the holy when i refer to otto s idea of the numinous. Checking out publication the idea of the holy, by rudolf otto, nowadays, will certainly not require you to constantly get in the shop offline. Ottos theory of religious experience as encounter with the.
It is not my intention here to discuss otto s use of the term ahndung divination, which is clearly derived from the concept of ahndung held by the nineteenthcentury idealist. The idea of the holy 1915 an inquiry into the nonrational factor in the idea. Firstly, otto claims explicitly that christianity is the highest form of religion. The idea of the holy, 1923 is his most important work. The very influential theoretical concepts proposed by rudolf otto in his 1917 classic the idea of the holy are often seen as examples of properly religious content that cannot be approached by any other means except religious.
It is a transcendental psychology that provides a means of expressing the. The idea of the holy chapter 1 the rational and the nonrational summary. Rudolf otto 25 september 1869 7 march 1937 was an eminent german lutheran theologian, philosopher, and comparative religionist. Otto is adding to what we discussed about the mystical experience under james. Download the idea of the holy is one of the enduring classics of 20thcentury german theology. Rudolf otto s the idea of the holy has powerfully impacted the psychology of religion at least in part because it reads the human document in a profoundly insightful way, offering us an astute account of our ability to know the infinite in the midst of a finite world. Given that the idea of the holy was originally published in 1917, it is tempting to ask to what extend, if any, the book might be seen as otto s contribution to the german war effort. Rudolf otto s the idea of the holy rev isited 547 conceiving of the numinous as the formal object is, i think, a ppropriate and can also help dispel a plethora of criticism that accuses. Rudolf otto and the kantian tradition 55 in humanity in general. The idea of the holy an inquiry into the nonrational factor in the idea of the divine and its relation to the rational by rudolf otto thanslated by john w.
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