Natural Mysticism

Bridging the Gap Between Social and Existential-Mystical Interpretations of Schleiermacher's ‘Feeling’

by Gorazd Andrejc

Appeared in 'Religious Studies', 2012 (Published & Copyrighted by Cambridge University Press).

The article engages with two contemporary understandings of Schleiermacher’s notion of feeling which are in important... more The article engages with two contemporary understandings of Schleiermacher’s notion of feeling which are in important aspects in conflict: a social understanding (Kevin W. Hector and Christine Helmer) and an existentialmystical understanding (Thandeka). Using the phenomenological category of ‘existential feelings’ drawn from the work of Matthew Ratcliffe, I argue that they can be brought into a coherent overall account that recognizes different aspects of feeling in Schleiermacher’s work. I also suggest that such an interpretation of Schleiermacher’s concept of religious feeling offers a different and better understanding of the role of feelings in religious experience and belief than the contemporary ‘perception-model’ of religious experience.