CRITERIA OF RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE IN THE CONCEPTION OF THE STUDY OF RELIGION BY JOACHIM WACH

The article presents the reconstruction of the system of criteria by Joachim Wach's (1898-1955), created by him for definition of religious experience. The main source is the author's translation of fragments of English-language works of the German-American classic of religious studies, which have not been translated into Russian before. The main characteristics of religious experience are singled out. In the J. Wach's understanding, this experience is presented as an experience structured, emotionally-intellectual, ordering, situational, and integrating. The structurally functional content of the four formal J. Wach's criteria in their connection with the concept of “numinous” introduced by R. Otto is described and analyzed. The specifics of the definition of religion, represented in the religious approach of J. Wach are considered. The author of the article proposes a new formulation of the definition of religion based on the constructions of J. Wach, in which religion is understood as the experience of life in the confront of ultimate reality...