The sociology of the mystique. Ernst troeltsch’s third type

Abstract

Ernst Troeltsch classified religious institutions into three categories: church, sects and mysticism. The three categories that we might consider as programmatic starting points indicate problematic fields in Troeltsch’s work. In all three fields Troeltsch finds what could be suitable for modern contexts: the non-authoritative church, the sect which provides religious variety and the mystique that grounds and supports the individual. The study is aimed to discuss the third type. In order to understand this type, the author deals with Troeltsch’s (an unfairly forgotten person in the sociology of religion field) path of life, his academic interest, his personal and professional relationship with Max Weber, and his influence upon William James Troeltsch. The mysticism is a cultural-analyzing category for Troeltsch, which, in his opinion, justifies the constructive presence of religion in the formation of modern society and in dealing with its difficulties