Otto’s effort to build an organized connection between what is rational and what is irrational in our understanding of “the holy” is remarkable, but it contains a serious lack of self criticism. He builds a set of categories that should work as general reference points, but actually they just reflect his cultural context and his mentality. His declaration about the superiority of Christianity over all other kinds of religions and spiritualities, at the very beginning of the book, shows clearly his closemindedness. Despite this, the book can be appreciated for its suggestions, we just need to continuously keep in mind its limits while reading.
1 Review on “The idea of the holy”
Otto’s effort to build an organized connection between what is rational and what is irrational in our understanding of “the holy” is remarkable, but it contains a serious lack of self criticism. He builds a set of categories that should work as general reference points, but actually they just reflect his cultural context and his mentality. His declaration about the superiority of Christianity over all other kinds of religions and spiritualities, at the very beginning of the book, shows clearly his closemindedness. Despite this, the book can be appreciated for its suggestions, we just need to continuously keep in mind its limits while reading.