Meaning of Mystery as Process of Deification

“Mystery” is a term with divergent meanings in the religious and secular worlds. This term bears history in the philosophical and theological worlds. The meaning of the term includes concepts of secrecy, mysteriousness, incomprehensibility, and transcendence on the one hand and its connection with religious rituals on the other hand. This nature of the term recommends that we re-read its original meaning. This article tries to understand the connection of this term with archaic religious rituals based on mimetic theory. This article finds that the mysteriousness behind the archaic religious rituals is related to the scapegoat mechanism. The hidden process of deification in primitive religions and cultures is the reason behind the meaning of the term mystery. Using mimetic theory as a tool, this article asserts that only "revealed mysteries" remain in human history following the Christ-event and defines mystery as a process of deification.

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Publication Details

Journal
Religions
Published
2024-08-12
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15080978
Primary Topic
Religious Studies and Spiritual Practices
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

Meaning of Mystery as Process of Deification

George Thomas Kuzhippallil
Religions
Religious Studies and Spiritual Practices
article

Meaning of Mystery as Process of Deification

George Thomas Kuzhippallil
article en

Abstract

“Mystery” is a term with divergent meanings in the religious and secular worlds. This term bears history in the philosophical and theological worlds. The meaning of the term includes concepts of secrecy, mysteriousness, incomprehensibility, and transcendence on the one hand and its connection with religious rituals on the other hand. This nature of the term recommends that we re-read its original meaning. This article tries to understand the connection of this term with archaic religious rituals based on mimetic theory. This article finds that the mysteriousness behind the archaic religious rituals is related to the scapegoat mechanism. The hidden process of deification in primitive religions and cultures is the reason behind the meaning of the term mystery. Using mimetic theory as a tool, this article asserts that only "revealed mysteries" remain in human history following the Christ-event and defines mystery as a process of deification.

ReligionsVol. 15(8)
Openalex Percentile: Top 78%
Religious Studies and Spiritual Practices
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