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The Sacred in ReligionThe Sacred in Religion

An Exploration of thenuminous in religiousexperience

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The Sacred or HolyThe Sacred or Holy

Sacred = set apart for worship orveneration

The Sacred is at the root of all

religious expressionsThe idea of the Sacred brings with it a

sense of power and of awe or

wonder.

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Ways to Express theWays to Express the

SacredSacred

Religions universally express the ideathat humans have broken someuniversal law, or have been defiled in

some way.Because of this defilement there is a

need forpurification.

The Sacred or Holy is the reason thereis need for purification.

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Some Examples:Some Examples: Buddhism:

There is past negative Karma In order to live the right way you must follow

the 8-fold Path

1. Right View2. Right Intention3. Right Speech4. Right Action5. Right Livelihood6. Right Effort7. Right Mindfulness8. Right Concentration

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Some Examples:Some Examples:

In Islam: If you have been greedy then in order to

purify your money you must practice

zakat(alms giving)

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Some ExamplesSome Examples

In Folk Islam: Use of Talisman (objects that have been

given Sacred Power)

Wearing of Qur'an in order to ward off evilspirits

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Sacred in AmericaSacred in America

It appears that our modern way ofliving has made the idea of theSacred or Holy into something with

less power.We see the Sacred as caring or nice

whereas it tends to be associated

with a feeling of dread.

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Rudolf OttoRudolf Otto

Rudolf Otto in his book The Idea ofthe Holy has expressed that theSacred or Holy is that which is

unique to religion.The Holy is nonrational

This is not irrational

The numinous Word which Otto uses to describe the

religious experience of the Sacred.

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TheThe numinousnuminous

Popular Term in religious studies something you WILL see again

It is the feeling described as being

overwhelmed by its ownnothingness in contrast to that whichis supreme

Described as mysterium tremendumand fascinans.

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MysteriumMysterium

The religious experience is a mysterybecause it is beyond ourcomprehension

This is why Otto calls it nonrationalIn the religious experience, we

encounter something that is wholly

other totally separate from whatwe are

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Tremendum andTremendum and

FascinanasFascinanas

Tremendum is a feeling of dread orintense fear terror

We are frightened with our encounter

of something radically unknown to usFascinanas is a feeling of immense

awe or wonder.

AOS says that The numinous is alsopositvely attractive, fascinating andeven intoxicating

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Explanation of TheExplanation of The

NuminousNuminous C.S. Lewis:

In all developedreligion we findthree strands or

elementsThefirst of these iswhat ProfessorOtto calls theexperience of the

Numinous. Thosewho have notmet this termmay beintroduced to it

by the followingdevice.

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Suppose you were toldthere was a tiger inthe next room: youwould probably feelfear. But if you were

told There is a ghostin the next room andbelieved it, youwould feel, indeed,what is often calledfear, but of adifferent kind. Itwould not be basedon the knowledge ofdanger, for no one isprimarily afraid ofwhat a ghost may doto him, but of the

mere fact that it is ahost.

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It is uncanny ratherthan dangerous, andthe special kind offear it excites may becalled DreadNow

suppose that youwere told simplyThere is a mightyspirit in the room,and believed it. Yourfeelings would thenbe even less like themere fear of danger:but the disturbancewould be profound.

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You would feel wonderand a certainshrinking-a sense ofinadequacy to cope

with such a visitantand of prostrationbefore itThisfeeling may bedescribed as awe,and the objectwhich excites is asthe Numinous. TheProblem of Pain pg.

5-6

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Some Examples of theSome Examples of the

Numinous in ReligionNuminous in Religion

The book gives examples of theNuminous from Judaism/Christianityand Hinduism.

Example from Islam: Allah is wholly other and when contacting

Allah through Salat (prayer) there mustbe cleansing first.

Washing before prayer Ablution cleanses the body before entering intoconversation with Allah.

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