The Idea of the Holy is an apologetic work that emerges out of the rationalistic

philosophies on religion after the European Enlightenment. Rudolf Otto explores the
history of spirituality which he calls, numinous, creature-consciousness or creature
feeling. He states, It is the emotion of a creature, submerged and overwhelmed by its
own nothingness in contrast to that which is supreme above all creatures.
1
In order to
accomplish his goal, he defines various terms: mysterium tremendum, vita religiosa,
and holy. Subsequently, he substantiates his theory of phenomenology through an
analysis of the mystical experience in the Hebrew Bible, in Christ, Paul, and Martin
Luther. Afterwards, he explains how the numinous evolved from a crude stage until
its fullness in the life of Christ. He ends his treatise with the topic of divination and
prophecy, which all culminate at their highest stage with the Son.
2

At the outset, Otto criticizes Schleirmacher for isolating a very important
element in the experience of the numinous.
3
This is the feeling of dependence, or
those of gratitude, trust, love, reliance, humble submission, and dedication. According
to Otto, Schleirmachers mistake is in making the distinction merely that between
absolute and relative dependence, and therefore a difference of degree and not of
intrinsic quality. As a result, Otto explains that one must be open to this experience and
recognize the need to experience the numinous.
4

Next, he defines mysterium tremendum, The feeling of it may at times come
sweeping like a gentle tide, pervading the mind with a tranquil mood of deepest
worshipIt may burst in sudden eruption up from the depths of the soul with spasms
and convulsions, or lead to the strangest excitements, to intoxicated frenzy, to
transport, and to ecstasy.
5
Otto suggests that the religion of primitive man is
characterized by numinous dread. This feeling is what leads us to experience divine
terror, and awe. This is what he calls tremendum. He concludes that Its
disappearance would be indeed an essential loss.
6
Furthermore, he describes the
origin of mysticism as, the overstressing of the non-rational or supra-rational elements
in religion.
7
Indeed it was Frothingham that suggested in his vision of religion in the
U.S. that mysticism is the connecting thread to Universal religion, and peculiar to no
sect of believers, to no church, to no religion.
8
This implies that before the
anthropology of religion, there was a need in the human to connect to the
Transcendent.

1
The Idea of the Holy pg 10
2
Ibid pg178
3
Ibid pg 9
4
Ibid pg 15
5
Ibid pg 12
6
Ibid pg 17
7
Ibid pg 22
8
Schimdt: The Making of Modern Mysticism, pg 287
After one experiences the numinous in fear and trepidation, one evolves to the
level of fascination. Otto gives an example of this in the life of Moses on his way back
to Egypt when the angel sought to kill him. That very same Moses was later
fascinated with the Almightys strong arm in taking the Hebrews out of bondage. Otto
states that We find the power of the numinousin its phase of the mysteriousto
excite and intensify the imagination displayed with particular vividness in Ezekiel.
9
This
very same experience is witnessed in the Book of Job when he encounters the
awesomeness of the Creator.
10
Otto explains how this feeling can also be experienced
in private devotion, when the mind is exalted to the holy, and in the common worship
of the congregation, where this is practiced with earnestness and deep sincerity.
11

In the chapter on the Numinous in the New Testament, Otto states that Christ
had rather to teach and to proclaim what was not self-evident to the Jews, but His own
original discovery and revelation.
12
In doing so, he separates Jesus from his
contemporary Jewish tradition and makes him an outsider of the nation that birthed
him. The idea of calling the Creator Heavenly Father, was not an innovation of Jesus.
In fact, the prayers that are said on Rosh HaShannah and Yom HaKippurim were
established about 400 years before the birth of Jesus, by the Men of the Great
Assembly that gathered upon returning to the Holy Land. Modern Jewish scholars such
as David Flusser and Harvey Falk, have clearly demonstrated that the teachings of
Jesus were in fact the oral tradition of the time. It is attributed to Jesus, Do not think
that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have come to fulfill,
13
also, The
scribes and the Pharisees sit in the seat of Moses, therefore do whatever they tell you
to do.
14
Furthermore, Otto states that the ideal of godliness as the attitude and mind
of a child when its fault has been forgiven was Jesus reaction against Pharisiasm.
Again, Otto goes too far in his conclusion. He must define which school of Pharisees.
Proof of the childlike behavior before the Heavenly Father is exemplified in the life of
oni the Circle Maker. The Mishnah tells how he would make a circle, stand inside of
it, and pray to the Father for rain.
15
In fact, the majority of Jesus teachings were
already said by the teachers before him, in addition to the miracles attributed to him.
Otto wants to put Jesus on a pedestal as the embodiment of the mysterium
tremendum. On the contrary, scholarship suggest otherwise.
In the chapter of Divination in Christianity Today, Otto says, this impulsion of
the mind to see Christ mediator and propitiator may be roused to seek expression

9
The Idea of the Holy pg 77
10
Job chapter 40
11
The Idea of the Holy pg 35
12
Ibid pg 83
13
Matthew 5:16-17
14
Matthew 23:1-2
15
Mishnah Taanith 3:8
spontaneously, even in cases where it is notas in Hebrew and primitive religion.
16

Here again he exalts Christian theology over the Jewish dispensation. If Christians
need a meditator to pray to the Heavenly Father, then Jews are on a higher level of
relationship with the Creator. This idea is suggested in many places in the Hebrew
Bible, which Jesus and his disciples studied as Jews. Moses tells the children of Israel,
You are the children of the Eternal One, your God.
17
Also, it was the Prophet Hosea
that saw a time period when the Israelites would be without a Temple to worship,
saying Prepare to speak and return to the LORD; say to the ETERNAL ONE, Forgive all
wickedness; and receive the good. Instead of bulls, let us offer the fruit of our lips.
18

Moreover, he says, Applying this criterion, we find Christianity, in this as in other
respects, stands out in complete superiority over all its sister religions,
19
to suggest
that Christianity has a perfect harmony between the rational and non-rational elements.
It appears to me that he, as well as other Christian religious scholars, view the Jewish
tradition only from the written scriptures, thereby missing out on the real experience of
the Jew in the oral tradition, lived until today. Hence, Ottos defense of the numinous
in Christianity in comparison to other religious traditions is not fair and demonstrates a
biased mentality.
What Rudolf Otto attempts through this work is to explain how the Christian can
experience the numinous through Christ, by balancing the rational faculties with the
non-rational faculties. On the one hand, mysticism is necessary in order to keep the
faith alive and vibrant in the heart of the believer. On the other hand, one must be
rational in other matters of everyday life. This experience begins with terror and awe,
then evolves in fascination, finally birthing divination and prophecyChrist being the
example and epitome for humanity.

16
The Idea of the Holy pg 171
17
Deuteronomy 14:1
18
Hosea 14:2
19
The idea of the Holy pg 142