Harry Oldmeadow

Rudolf Otto, The East And Religious Inclusivism

January 1, 2010 Harry Oldmeadow

Rudolf Otto, best known for The Idea of the Holy, also wrote extensively on Eastern religions and worked to promote interfaith harmony. This chapter examines Otto's encounters with Hinduism and Buddhism, his comparative study of mysticism, and his efforts to establish the Religioser Menschheitbund, an organization intended to unite representatives of world religions for peace, justice, and moral progress. It also highlights Otto's attempt to reconcile Christian theology with religious universalism. The chapter argues that Otto's ideas remain relevant and urgent in a postmodern world marked by inter-religious tensions and misunderstandings.