Rudolf Otto (1869–1937) was a German Lutheran theologian and philosopher who fundamentally reshaped how we understand religious experiences. In his landmark 1917 work, , he argued that religion is not just about logic or moral codes, but about a unique, "non-rational" encounter with a divine reality. The Core Concept: The Numinous
Otto coined the term (from the Latin numen , meaning "divine power") to describe the mysterious core of religion. He characterized this experience as being sui generis —completely unique and irreducible to anything else, like biological or social factors. Rudolf Otto: An Introduction to His Philosophic...
He broke this experience down into three famous parts, often referred to as the : Rudolf Otto - Theology, Mysticism, Philosophy | Britannica Rudolf Otto (1869–1937) was a German Lutheran theologian