Rob Dufour - The Idea of the Holy 3

In the chapter titled “Analogies and Associated Feelings,” Otto begins to explain the concept of the sublime. He states that the analogies between the sublime and the numinous can be easily grasped because they both can be viewed as the idea or concept “that cannot be unfolded.” We are told that something does not become sublime merely by being great and that the concept itself remains inherently mysterious as it is daunting while impressing upon the mind. This feeling evoked by the sublime humbles while at the same time exalting us, but on the other hand it releases us in a feeling analogous to fear. Otto wraps up this idea of the sublime by stating that the sublime is closely similar to numinous, which represents something that is unable to be strictly defined. When I think of the sublime I think of something that evokes the most acute degree of emotion that we are capable of experiencing. I think that this has strong ties to the idea that God is a representation of the highest degree of our understanding regarding our world. We, as humans, are not capable of experiencing any emotion greater than that of the sublime, and we cannot begin to comprehend any concept higher than that of God. In that sense, the sublime and God are invariably connected through the limits of our humanly experiences and perceptions.