Introduction to the Special Issue “Imagining Ultimacy: Religious and Spiritual Experience in Literature”
Religions March 5, 2026 DOI: 10.3390/rel17030323 via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractScholars characterize religious and spiritual experiences as profound, meaningful, and enlightening, with Ann Taves labeling them "special" experiences and Paul Tillich describing them as matters of "ultimate concern." The text presents these perspectives from scholars who study such experiences, emphasizing their perceived depth and significance.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Religious experience Spirituality Meaning existential Action physics Sociology |
| Key finding | Religious and spiritual experiences are described by scholars as full, profound, meaningful, and enlightening, with Ann Taves calling them "special" and Paul Tillich considering them matters of "ultimate concern." |
Abstract
Scholars who study religious and spiritual experiences often describe them as full, profound, meaningful, and enlightening: “special” experiences, Ann Taves calls them; for Paul Tillich, they are matters of “ultimate concern [...]