Comparative Theology (Oct 2010)
Religious Feeling in Schleiermacher’s Standpoint and Otto’s Criticism on that
Abstract
Friedrich Daniel Ernest Schleiermacher (1768-1834) was one of the most notable theologian and philosopher s, who is known for his impressive attempts in modern theology after the age of enlightenment. One of the most important aspects of theological standpoints of Schleiermacher is that he raised the question of the religious nature in the enlightenment for the first time. He tried to develop a systematic theory and He based the religion on the firm foundations which were free from the criticism of rationalism. Therefore, he defines religion as an “absolute dependence feeling”. Schleiermacher’s definition of religion as feeling posses a considerable impact on the thinker’s ideas that live after him such as Otto’s theory. He emphasized a feelings too, but also criticized the absolute dependence of feelings of Schleiermacher. He instead considered the feeling of being creature as the most important criteria of the religion. In this paper, the author’s analyses Schleiermacher’s view about religious feelings and Otto’s criticism on them.
