The Idea of the Holy and the Numinous
루돌프 오토의 누미노제와 성스러움의 체험
A classical philosophy of religion theory defining the irreducible core of the holy as the "numinous"—an intense non-rational affective encounter with the *Mysterium tremendum et fascinans*.
| Field | Religious Studies · Philosophy |
|---|---|
| Level of analysis | Micro · Individual |
| Paradigm | Phenomenology |
| Key figures | 👤 Rudolf Otto (루돌프 오토) |
| Year | 1917 |
Key Claims
Rudolf Otto established that the experience of the holy (das Heilige) contains an irreducible non-rational core termed the ‘numinous’. It manifests as a profound dual mystery: tremendum (awe-inspiring, terrifying majesty) and fascinans (alluring, intoxicating attraction).
Further Reading
- Otto, R. (1917). Das Heilige: Über das Irrationale in der Idee des Göttlichen und sein Verhältnis zum Rationalen. Trewendt & Granier. (English: The Idea of the Holy, 1923).
Related theories 2개
A foundational history of religions theory analyzing how *Homo religiosus* experiences reality through a fundamental ontological duality between the Sacred (hierophanies, order, reality) and the Profane (chaos, secular time).
A foundational sociology and anthropology of religion framework demonstrating that religion is an eminency social phenomenon where collective effervescence deifies society itself through sacred totemic symbols.
Theories pointing to this one 2개
A foundational history of religions theory analyzing how *Homo religiosus* experiences reality through a fundamental ontological duality between the Sacred (hierophanies, order, reality) and the Profane (chaos, secular time).
A major existential theological philosophy defining faith as the state of being grasped by an "ultimate concern", and proposing "the courage to be" as the self-affirmation of being in spite of existential anxiety.