“The Idea of the Holy” by Rudolf Otto – Chapter 17
Chapter 17 of “The Idea of the Holy” by Rudolf Otto is named ‘The Holy as an A Priori Category, Part 2.’ Here is our summary.
CHAPTER 17
The Holy as an A Priori Category, Part 2
Pages 140 to 146
Religion has both rational as well as non-rational elements. But religion finds a way to connect those two. Believers feel that connection to be self-evident. However, the connection is not a logical necessity. [Page 140]
The shocking aspect of religion is that beings of horror and terror become gods to whom people pray. [Page 141]
When somebody makes a dogmatic statement, people readily consider the statement to be truth. That is the nature of all a priori judgments. An assertion is made; and then people accept the statement as truth, with the certitude of first-hand insight. [Page 141]
Luther allows for human reason to possess many true cognitions of what God is. [Page 142]
Foreign missionaries witness that. Once they announce their message and the hearer understands it, within a short time it becomes firmly fixed in the hearers mind. [Page 143]
The history of religion is itself an almost unanimous witness to that. That points to the existence of a priori factors universally and necessarily latent in the human spirit. [Page 144]
The rational elements rush to the scene of the non-rational in order to schematize it: [Page 145]
- The tremendum is schematized into divine characteristics such as the holy Wrath of God.
- The fascinans is schematized into divine characteristics such as goodness, mercy, love, and grace.
- The mysterium is schematized into divine characteristics such as absoluteness.
Our understanding can only encompass the relative and not the absolute. [Page 145]
In the case of the mysterium as well as tremendum as well as fascinans, there is a correspondence between the non-rational element and its rational schema. It is one that was developed over time. [Page 146]
To the extent that the non-rational elements remain active, a religion is protected from sinking into rationalism. [Page 146]
And to the extent that the rational elements remain alive, a religion is protected from sinking into fanaticism or mysticality. [Page 146]
The Christian movement has a healthy presence of both rational elements as well as non-rational elements. [Page 146]
THE IDEA OF THE HOLY
CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21
RESOURCES: Outline, Terminology, Professor Rudolf Otto
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