1 For Private Use Only THY 1 Notes / RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE Teacher: Susan Ong Descriptions of Religious Experience1 1.

Rudolf Otto One d st nct !e descr "t on o# the e$"er ence o# re% g on has &een "resented &' the Ger(an th n)er Rudo%# Otto* +or Otto re% g ous e$"er ence s #ound n an encounter , th a sacred - ('ster u( tre(endu( et #asc nosu(. a ('ster' that s &oth a,e/ ns" r ng and attract !e* Th s descr "t on o# Otto s &ased on e$"er ences #ound n (an' re% g ons* + rst o# a%%. Otto , %% descr &e the e$"er ence o# the ho%' as an encounter , th a 0tre(endu(1. a rea% t' ,h ch s a,e/ ns" r ng* It s an encounter , th so(eth ng ,h ch ns" res #ear and dread n us. "ush ng us a,a'* Inc%uded n th s e$"er ence o# the 0tre(endu(1 s the sense o# the ho%' as (a2est c* Encounter ng the ho%' s (eet ng so(eth ng h gh a&o!e us. so(eth ng that (a)es us #ee% s(a%% and a%(ost noth ng n ts "resence* 3hen ,e encounter an earth%' ) ng ,e natura%%' &o, &e#ore h ( as ,e ac)no,%edge h s greatness o!er us* The ho%' s s ( %ar%' (a2est c* One o# the c%earest ,a's that the ho%' sho,s ts 0tre(endu(1 character s n ts "o,er* It s e$"er ence as so(eth ng ,h ch (o!es or sha)es us as t co(es nto our % !es* O#ten the "o,er o# the ho%' ta)es the #or( o# ns" rat on ,here our ( nds are (o!ed to see a truth and our hearts are (o!ed to %o!e* Th s "o,er o# the ho%' can a%so &e e(&od ed n co((ands ,h ch (o!e us to act n a "art cu%ar ,a'* Second%'. Otto descr &es the e$"er ence o# the ho%' as an encounter , th a 0('ster u(1* It s a %arge%' non/rat ona% encounter , th a rea% t' that s tota%%' d ##erent #ro( our nor(a% ,or%d and % #e* The Ho%' s so(eth ng that ,e can ne!er &eg n to understand. so(eth ng ,h ch co("%ete%' transcends our ( nds* 4ust as a ghost s sensed to &e so(eth ng ,h ch co(es #ro( a d ##erent ,or%d so that sacred rea% t' s e$"er enced as co("%ete%' a% en to us and our ,or%d* Otto character 5es t as so(eth ng 0,ho%%' other1* + na%%'. the sacred rea% t' s 0#asc nosu(1 &ecause ,e are dra,n to,ard t* It attracts us* Th s attract on can &e e$"er enced as a dee" hunger or as a t'"e o# #asc nat on #or the strange and ,e rd rea% t' o# the sacred* Th s character st c o# &e ng 0#asc nat ng1 s the o""os te o# dread#u%ness or una""roacha&%eness that ,as there n the 0tre(endu(1 o# the Ho%'* Thus t s that the Ho%' s co("%e$. dra, ng us to,ard tse%# and at the sa(e t (e that t "ushes us a,a'* It s s ( %ar to the co("%e$ e$"er ence o# a ghost stor' ,here ,e are &oth #asc nated as ,e%% as terr # ed* In genera%. Otto e("has 5ed the Ho%' as so(eth ng ,h ch a##ects us n a !er' "o,er#u% and e(ot ona% ,a'* The e$a("%es he ga!e o# th s e$"er ence ,ere !er' e$traord nar'
1

Moga, Michael D. 1996. In Search of True Religion. Makati City, St. Pauls Pu lications. P!. 6"11.

# e$"er ences: 6oses hear ng Yah,eh s"ea) ng to h ( #ro( a &urn ng &ush. The Gree) ,o(en ,orsh "" ng 7acchus n a #ren5 ed dance ,here the' e!entua%%' go , %d* 2. Mircea Eliade In a ser es o# ns ght#u% &oo)s the anthro"o%og st 6 rcea E% ade has atte("ted to descr &e the e$"er ence that "r ( t !e "eo"%e ha!e on the sacred* He contrasts th s e$"er ence , th the secu%ar. non/re% g ous e$"er ence ,h ch (odern "eo"%e ha!e* In the % #e o# a "r ( t !e "erson there s an e$"er ence o# t,o d ##erent ,or%ds: the ord nar'. "ro#ane ,or%d and the sacred ,or%d* The sacred ,or%d s s"ec a% and "ossesses d st nct !e 8ua% t es. &e ng (ore rea%. (ore "o,er#u% and (ore endur ng* It s (ore real &ecause t (a)es the % #e o# a "r ( t !e "erson (ore r ch and #u%% or (ean ng#u%* The ord nar' "ro#ane e$ stence o# that "erson s sha%%o, and e("t' &' co("ar son* It s (ore powerful &ecause the encounter , th the sacred &r ngs a #orce #ro( &e'ond nto the % #e o# a re% g ous "erson* + na%%'. the sacred s enduring &ecause n t a re% g ous "erson senses so(eth ng that s %ast ng and eterna%. so(eth ng 8u te d ##erent #ro( the "ass ng e!ents o# "ro#ane e$ stence* 7ecause o# these s"ec a% 8ua% t es o# the sacred a "r ( t !e "erson has hunger #or t and see)s a%,a's to % !e ts "resence* +or n the "resence o# the sacred. % #e &eco(es (&ued , th greater rea% t' and "o,er* Thus a "r ( t !e "erson9s des re #or the sacred s a des re #or r cher. #u%%er and (ean ng#u% e$ stence* In the % #e o# a re% g ous "erson the "resence o# the sacred ta)es on !er' concrete #or(s n ter(s o# !ar ous o&2ects ,h ch e(&od' the sacred* Stand ng n the "ro#ane ,or%d these o&2ects ser!e to o"en u" the other ,or%d o# the sacred* : tree or a &oo) or a s'(&o% c o&2ect has "o,er to %ead a re% g ous "erson to e$"er ence the sacred ,or%d* Seen #ro( the "ro#ane ! e,"o nt these o&2ect are 2ust % )e an' other o&2ects &ut #ro( the ! e,"o nt o# the re% g ous "erson the' are "aths ,h ch %ead to another ,or%d* Re% g ous "erson a%so % !e n t,o t'"es o# s"ace. scared s"ace and "ro#ane s"ace* There are certa n s"ec a% "%aces n % #e ,here such re% g ous "ersons are (o!es &' the sacred* 3hen ,a%) ng. #or nstance. #ro( a &us' street nto a 8u et church the' e$"er ence that the r % !es ha!e &een changed and the' are % ! ng n a d ##erent ,a'* S ( %ar%'. re% g ous "eo"%e e$"er ence t,o t'"es o# t (e: "ro#ane t (e ,h ch s the ord nar' and regu%ar t (e o# the ca%endar and the s"ec a% t (e o# re% g ous #est !a%* In ord nar' t (e e!er' da' s 2ust the sa(e as an' other da'* The ser es o# these da's (o!es #or,ard n a stra ght % ne* Re% g ous t (e. n contrast. has #est !a% da's. da's ,h ch are set a"art #ro( a%% other da's. da's "ossess ng s"ec a% "o,er and (ean ng* These #est !a% da's are arranged n a c rcu%ar "attern and are re"eated annua%%'* 3hen the &e% e!er enters nto the sacred t (e and re"eats the "ast e!ents he s a&%e to go &ac) to s"ec a% (o(ents n the "ast and to % !e n ter(s o# the s"ec a% rea% t' and "o,er o# those (o(ents* +or nstance. (an' re% g ons ha!e r tua%s n ,h ch the' re"eat the creat on o# the ,or%d* In such r tua%s &e% e!ers are a&%e to enter nto the "o,er o# the (o(ent o# creat on and there&' # nd rene,a% #or the r % !es*

$ The des re that re% g ous "eo"%e ha!e #or the sacred sho,s tse%# n the r use o# ('ths* 7' see ng the r % !es n ter(s o# these sacred ('ths the' are a&%e to endo, those % !es , th s"ec a% (ean ng* : "r ( t !e #ar(er. #or e$a("%e. (a' see h s act o# "%ant ng to &e an ( tat on o# the act o# a sacred hero or god* The H ndu , #e has S ta. the #a th#u% , #e o# Ra(a. as her (ode%* The stor' o# S ta gu des and ns" res that , #e n her % #e* Chr st an &e% e!ers (a' see the r o,n endurance o# su##er ng as an ( tat on o# 4esus ,ho carr ed h s cross* The r su##er ng thus &eco(es dee"%' (ean ng#u% &ecause o# that ('th o# the Cross* 3. John Smith The :(er can "h %oso"her 4ohn S( th de#ends the "os t on that re% g ous e$"er ence s so(eho, "art o# the % #e o# e!er' hu(an &e ng. ,hether that "erson s "r ( t !e or (odern. ,hether the' "ract ce re% g on or not* He a## r(s that a%% hu(an &e ngs encounter re% g on n certa n "o,er#u% e$"er ences at 0cruc a%1 (o(ents n % #e* +ace/to/#ace , th & rth or death. e$"er enc ng a dangerous acc dent. (a) ng cruc a% dec s on. sett ng out on a %ong 2ourne': such are the cruc a% (o(ents ,hen e!er' "erson e$"er ences the sacred* It s o&! ous that so(eth ng s"ec a% s e$"er enced at such cruc a% (o(ents* +or at such t (es a "erson s con#ronted &' % #e n ts tota% t'. % #e , th a%% o# ts "ro#ound ('ster'. "o,er and !a%ue* : "ro#ound ('ster' (o!es us ,hen ,e are #ace/to/#ace , th death or ,hen ,e are (a) ng dec s on ,h ch , %% n#%uence our ,ho%e % #e* Th s s"ec a% e$"er ence s 8u te d ##erent #ro( our e$"er ence o# the ord nar' rout ne o# % #e* L ! ng such a rout ne ,e dea% , th ( nor deta %s o# our % !es. deta %s that rea%%' don9t (atter !er' (uch* :s a resu%t such ord nar' e$ stence does not ha!e the "o,er to (o!e us n the ,a' that the s"ec a% (o(ents do* The cruc a% (o(ents n % #e re!ea% that % #e s a r s)* The' sho, us that t s "oss &%e to % !e n such a ,a' that &oth trag c #a %ure and s gn # cant success cou%d "oss &%' &e ours* No (atter ho, hard ,e tr'. ,e cannot a!o d the "oss & % t' o# &as c #a %ure* These dec s ons that ,e (a)e at these s"ec a% (o(ents a##ect our % !es as a ,ho%e and are (ade once/and/#or/a%%* Choos ng one9s re% g on. one9s &as c career or one9s (arr age "artner s a ser ous &us ness. so(eth ng that e genera%%' do on%' once n our % !es* Such cruc a% (o(ents # %% us , th an$ et'* These cruc a% (o(ents n % #e are (o(ents o# truth. t (es ,hen ,e re!ea% the truth a&out ourse%!es* +or the ,a' ,e #ace such (o(ents and the dec s ons that ,e (a)e at those t (es , %% sho, ,hat "ersons ,e tru%' are* It s #or th s reason that such t (es can &e ca%%ed (o(ents o# 2udg(ent* 7' ,hat ,e do at such (o(ents ,e "ass 2udg(ent on our % !es* The cruc a% (o(ents o# hu(an % #e re!ea% that ,e hu(an &e ngs are not n co("%ete contro% o# our % !es* 3e are ne!er #u%%' a&%e e ther to )ee" ourse%!es hea%th' and a% !e or to (a)e sure that our dec s ons are , se ones or to ensure the success o# our e##orts* Our %ac) o# contro% &eco(es c%ear at these (o(ents and ,e (ade to rea% 5e that ,e are de"endent on so(eth ng &e'ond us #or ,hat ha""ens n our % !es* Thus t s natura% that n con#ront ng death or a (a2or dec s on n our % !es ,e are %ed to reach out &e'ond #or d ! ne su""ort* S( th "o nts out that e!en though such s"ec a% re% g ous (o(ents are rare. the' are ("ortant #or the ent re s"an o# one9s % #e* These sacred (o(ents are ( $ed nto hu(an % #e. e%e!at ng t and g ! ng t (ean ng* The sacred (o(ent o# (arr age. #or nstance. s not

% % ( ted to the one (o(ent ,hen the !o,s are ta)en* It s there as an n#%uence throughout the (an' 'ears o# (arr ed % #e. consecrat ng those 'ears and g ! ng the( a dee"er (ean ng* The scared cere(on' o# graduat on "%a's an ("ortant ro%e #or the (an' 'ears o# stud es that are gone through n schoo%* Its "resence at the end o# th s %ong "rocess s a re!e%at on o# the "ur"ose and the ("ortance o# these stud es* Th s descr "t on o# re% g on as "resented &' S( th #ocuses on a &as c e$"er ence that s #ound n e!er' hu(an % #e* It s h s content on that a%% hu(an "ersons ha!e th s e$"er ence not &ecause the' ha!e re% g ous #a th &ut &ecause the' are hu(an* 3e ha!e g !en n these three d ##erent descr "t ons o# re% g ous e$"er ence* 3e are cha%%enged to e!a%uate these descr "t ons and to 2udge ho, !a% d the' are not on%' #or our o,n % !es &ut a%so #or the % !es o# others n the ,or%d*

E$erc ses / :ct ! t' Us ng the descr "t ons o# re% g ous e$"er ence o# Otto. E% ade and S( th ,r te 'our o,n stor'/e$"er ence o# the so/ca%%ed re% g ous e$"er ence*