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THEORY OF LEVELS OF RELIGIOSITY IN CLASSICAL PHENOMENOLOGY OF RELIGION

Tatiana Sergeevna Samarina

Study of Religion 2018 DOI: 10.22250/2072-8662.2018.2.101-109 (opens in new tab)

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AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed
Topics Philosophy of mind
Key points Presents and analyzes F. Heiler's theory of levels of religiosity, which structures religiosity from primitive to higher mystical and prophetic types. Argues that Heiler distinguished multiple forms of mysticism rather than treating it as a single whole, dividing it by feeling (hot and cold) and by mind (simple and rational-theological, further split into philosophical and psychological). Notes the theory's influence on Max Weber, Gershom Scholem, and Anna-Marie Schimmel.

Abstract

The article deals with the theory of levels of religiosity proposed by one of the classics of the phenomenology of religion F. Heiler. In his works he offered a system of levels of religiosity structured from primitive to higher - mystical and prophetic - types. The article presents Heiler’s theory and summarizes the main features of the two higher types of religiosity, showing their specificity, similarities and differences. The article presents typology and distinctive features of mysticism and demonstrates that Heiler was far from uniting mysticism into a single whole. He divides mysticism in relation to feelings (hot and cold mysticism) and in relation to the mind (simple and rational-theological mysticism, which is divided into philosophical and psychological). In the final part of the article the author refers to the influences that the theory of two types of religiosity had on the works of Max Weber, Gershom Sсholem and Anna-Marie Sсhimmel.

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