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Primary source, translation

The Idea of the Holy

An Inquiry into the Non-Rational Factor in the Idea of the Divine and Its Relation to the Rational

By Rudolf Otto

Translated by John W. Harvey

Oxford University Press, London, 1923

First written 1917

About this text

Harvey’s translation of Das Heilige, Otto’s account of the holy as a unique category of experience, the numinous, mysterium tremendum et fascinans, with examples from the Bible, Luther and the religions of India.

How to cite

Rudolf Otto. The Idea of the Holy: An Inquiry into the Non-Rational Factor in the Idea of the Divine and Its Relation to the Rational. Translated by John W. Harvey. Oxford University Press, London, 1923.

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Chicago (bibliography)

“The Idea of the Holy.” Source. The Library, Unitive Knowledge Society. Last modified November 7, 2026. https://www.unitiveknowledge.org/library/sources/idea-of-the-holy-harvey.

Chicago (note)

“The Idea of the Holy,” source, The Library, Unitive Knowledge Society, last modified November 7, 2026, https://www.unitiveknowledge.org/library/sources/idea-of-the-holy-harvey.

MLA

“The Idea of the Holy.” The Library, Unitive Knowledge Society, 7 Nov. 2026, www.unitiveknowledge.org/library/sources/idea-of-the-holy-harvey.

BibTeX
@misc{sources-idea-of-the-holy-harvey,
  title = {{The Idea of the Holy}},
  howpublished = {The Library, Unitive Knowledge Society},
  note = {Source. Last modified November 7, 2026},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://www.unitiveknowledge.org/library/sources/idea-of-the-holy-harvey}
}

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