Deep Dive article

In this book chapter from The Cambridge Companion to Religious Studies, Professor Robert Orsi (History
Department, Northwestern) explores what we mean when we talk about “the holy.” He begins by circling
around different understandings of the concept and suggests that it is “The term most commonly associated
with apprehension of the really real in the discipline of religious studies.” (85) Yet he also observes that it has,
in some academic circles, been viewed as an outdated concept. The chapter explores early definitions of the
term, with specific attention to Rudolf Otto who wrote a controversial book titled The Idea of the Holy in 1937. In
that book, Otto argued that the holy referred to something he called the mysterium tremendum, or the feeling
that is “induced, incited, and aroused” in humans by supernatural forces. (94) Orsi includes some personal
reflection on the concept by narrating how his uncle, who had cerebral palsy, would spend time in a local
Catholic church where priests and volunteers referred to him and other people as “holy.” Orsi remembers
feeling uncomfortable with church leaders using this language about his uncle, believing that calling someone
with cerebral palsy a holy person was simply a coping mechanism for their own discomfort. (88) Yet, after his
uncle died, Orsi found a statue of a Saint Margaret, patron saint of the handicapped, among his uncle’s
belongings. This, he says, made him reconsider his dismissal of the term and wonder if the holy functioned for
his uncle in spite of the awkward or perhaps inappropriate use of the term by priests. The article concludes
with a consideration of the relationship between experience and the language we use to describe experience.
Did Orsi’s uncle experience the holy in the small statue of St. Margaret? Put another way, how does the
changing meaning of “the holy” help us better analyze the phenomenon of religion in the lives of everyday
people?
The above is a brief model of how you might summarize the article.
Analysis
….In this section, the article should be examined in light of the material we have discussed in class. Begin with
a concise summary of the assigned texts for the day in question, then analyze its primary contributions to the
conversation surrounding the topic. Once you’ve identified its core argument, compare this article to the other
readings for the day: how does it help us better understand the day’s theme or main idea? Then explore how
the article taps into other relevant readings and topics from previous sessions. How does this article fit into
tensions and themes we’ve been exploring? Does it open up new understandings? Does it contradict or
disagree with our previous approaches? Be specific.
Evaluation
…What is your evaluation of this article? Did you find it useful, enlightening, helpful? Why or why not? Be
clear about its limitations and its contributions…