RUDOLF OTTO (1869-1937) "Nowhere have I seen the mystery of the transcendent expressed with more grandeur or fullness than in these three heads. ... From the spirit of the religion that lived here [at Elephanta] one can learn more in an hour of viewing than from all the books ever written." on Elephanta  Deutsch

Otto was one of the most influential thinkers about religion in the first half of the twentieth century. He is best known for his analysis of the experience that, in his view, underlies all religion. He calls this experience "numinous," and says it has three components. These are often designated with a Latin phrase: mysterium tremendum et fascinans. As mysterium, the numinous is "wholly other"--entirely different from anything we experience in ordinary life. It evokes a reaction of silence. But the numinous is also a mysterium tremendum. It provokes terror because it presents itself as overwhelming power. Finally, the numinous presents itself as fascinans, as merciful and gracious.

A Brief Biography Otto's Genealogy Biographical Dates University coursework Pictures

Classes Announced Göttingen 1899-1915 Breslau 1915-1918 Marburg 1918-1929 Classes Given Göttingen 1907-1910

As a student, then an instructor, in Göttingen, Otto had connections with the Religionsgeschichtliche Schule, a group of theologians who emphasized the study of religious history. He was particularly close to Heinrich Hackmann, Wilhelm Bousset, and to a lesser extent Ernst Troeltsch.

In 1904 the Göttingen instructor in philosophy, Leonard Nelson, converted Otto to the views of Jakob Friedrich Fries, a successor of Kant. Later, Otto helped convert Bousset to neo-Friesianism, too.

The following links relate to these facets of Otto's life and thought.

Otto-page of the Archiv "Religionsgeschichtliche Schule", Göttingen [An amazing collection of material about members of the Religionsgeschichtliche Schule and people, such as Otto, who were somehow associated with it.]
Proceedings of the Friesian School, Fourth Series [electronic journal]

The writings so far available at this site are less well known. The Vita of 1891 is the most important source for Otto's childhood and early development. It is preserved only in rough draft. No transcription has been previously published. The other two selections come from published letters. "Our Lady of the Candle" is especially interesting. It shows the direction of Otto's thought several years before the publication of Das Heilige. Indeed, it predates the event to which most commentators have ascribed Otto's discovery of the Holy, his encounter with the trisagion ("Holy, holy, holy ...) in a Moroccan synagogue.

German	English
Vita zum 1. Examen (1891) - Abschrift der in der UB Marburg liegenden Handschrift 797:582	Vita for the First Theol. Exam (1891) - Annotated translation of UB Marburg Hs 797:582
	"Our Lady of the Candle" (1911)
Über Elephanta (1928)	On Elephanta (1928)

Otto's Works Major Works Complete Bibliography Otto's Books and Articles Reviews by Otto Otto's Correspondence Archival Materials Otto Scholarship Works about Otto Alphabetical listing Chronological listing Reviews of Otto's Books

Otto in Translation Otto in English Alphabetical listing Chronological listing Otto en Français Otto in Italian Otto in Japanese Otto in Swedish

Associations
AAR (American Academy of Religion)
CSSR (Council of Societies for the Study of Religion)
IAHR (International Association for the History of Religions)
NAASR (North American Association for the Study of Religion)
SSSR (Society for the Scientific Study of Religion)

Journals
Internet Journal of Religion
Method and Theory in the Study of Religion
Religion
Directory of Open Access Journals

Websites on Religion and Philosophy
Open Directory Project
Project Gutenberg
Religious Worlds
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Virtual Religion Index
Yahoo!--Religion

Copyright © 1996-2012 by Gregory D. Alles.
All Rights Reserved.