Reverence (emotion)
Deep respect tinged with awe, active and engaging.
Reverence is a feeling or attitude of deep respect tinged with awe, often associated with religion but also experienced in secular contexts. It involves a humbling of the self in recognition of something perceived as greater than the self, and is considered an emotion in its own right, distinct from awe in that it implies active engagement and responsibility rather than passive paralysis.
- field
- Emotion, Philosophy, Psychology
- known_for
- Being a distinct emotion involving deep respect, awe, and active engagement; studied in religious and secular contexts
Lore & Background
Reverence has been explored by several theorists. Paul Woodruff, in his book 'Reverence: Renewing a Forgotten Virtue,' defines reverence as the ability to feel awe directed at the transcendent, respect for others, and shame over one's own faults. He argues that reverence is not exclusively tied to religion and that politics plays a significant role in this virtue. Woodruff notes that meaningful human life relies on ceremony and ritual, but without reverence, rituals are empty. He highlights the role of music and art in expressing reverence, stating that art speaks the language of reverence better than philosophy does.
Reader's Guide
Abraham Maslow, in 'Religions, Values, and Peak Experiences,' treats reverence as an ingredient in peak experiences, which are crucial for a fulfilling life. He notes that religion can sequester reverence by 'religionizing' only one part of life. Albert Schweitzer based a new worldview on 'Reverence for Life.' Empirical studies on reverence are scarce, but one study of 177 coronary artery bypass patients found that secular reverence reduced postoperative complications, while religious reverence did not have the same beneficial effect. Keltner and Haidt's study of awe, involving vastness and accommodation, helps understand reverence. Haidt notes that potent feelings of reverence may be associated with peak experiences that accompany moral transformation, wiping out cynicism and replacing it with hope and optimism.
Did You Know?
- Reverence is distinct from awe: awe is passive and implies paralysis, while reverence is active and involves engagement and responsibility.
- Paul Woodruff argues that reverence values truth itself more than any human creation that attempts to represent truth.
- In a study of 177 coronary artery bypass patients, secular reverence reduced postoperative complications, but religious reverence did not have the same effect.
- Albert Schweitzer's concept of 'Reverence for Life' came to him while in a boat on a river in Gabon.
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