Rudolf Otto's Numinous
Rudolf Otto's term for the unique, irreducibly religious experience of the sacred or holy. The numinous combines mysterium (mystery), tremendum (overwhelming power evoking fear), and fascinans (irresistible attraction). Otto argued this experience is fundamental to all religious traditions and provides evidence for the divine.
Real World
Otto's concept of the numinous influenced C.S. Lewis, who described in 'The Problem of Pain' (1940) the difference between fearing a tiger in the next room and believing a ghost is there — the latter capturing the mysterium tremendum.
Exam Focus
Always unpack all three Latin terms — mysterium, tremendum, fascinans — separately; incomplete definitions lose AO1 marks.
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