Liturgy and the Sublime.

The article examines the concept of sublimity within religious liturgy, arguing that liturgical experiences can evoke a form of sublimity analogous to the aesthetic experience of nature, rather than constituting inherently religious experiences. Drawing on philosophical theories of aesthetic experience and sublimity—particularly those of John Dewey and Immanuel Kant—it contends that liturgical elements (such as incense, architecture, and chant) produce sensory, physical experiences accessible to all attendees regardless of belief. The paper distinguishes liturgical sublimity from religious sublimity by emphasizing that liturgical sublimity does not require belief in the supernatural and aligns more closely with Kantian dynamic sublimity, which involves feelings of awe and existential threat overcome by moral or rational self-possession. While theists and non-theists may differ in their potential to progress to more reflective or contemplative stages of sublimity, the fundamental aesthetic experience of liturgical sublimity is available to anyone capable of appreciating natural sublimity.