A Semantic Interpretation of Rudolf Otto's Religious Theory
The Heythrop Journal March 1, 2023 Yoshitsugu Sawai
Rudolf Otto's religious theory, centered on 'the holy' and 'the numinous', is examined through a semantic lens inspired by Toshihiko Izutsu's philosophical semantics. Otto, a Lutheran theologian and philosopher of religion, argued that the numinous—a non-rational, felt experience of the 'wholly other'—is the essence of religion, irreducible to society or culture. His concept of the holy comprises both rational and non-rational dimensions, expressed through 'ideograms' that point toward transcendent meaning beyond ordinary language. The article contends that Otto's approach offers a phenomenology of religion that prioritizes lived religious experience and the depth of meaning, though his Christian theological orientation shaped his comparative studies of Hindu and Christian thought.