Scholars have often struggled to define the boundaries between sublime and religious experiences, but research tends to agree that sublimity is rational while religious experience is non-rational. However, this view receives a challenge from key texts in science fiction. In the texts I examine, contrary to prevailing views, sublimity turns mystical, while new religions become rational. Furthermore, religion and sublimity relate uneasily, as opposite poles that are distinct from but necessary to one another, with different texts emphasizing one while marginalizing, but not erasing, the other. I explore four authors, two of whom—Arthur C. Clarke and Liu Cixin—emphasize sublimity while relegating religion, while the other two—Robert A. Heinlein and Octavia E. Butler—focus on a fictional religion while subordinating the sublime. Taken together, these texts reveal the ambivalent interdependence of rational and non-rational states of mind in ways that could promote better understanding between religious and non-religious perspectives.

中文翻译：

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“博大而深邃”

学者们经常努力界定崇高体验和宗教体验之间的界限，但研究倾向于认为崇高是理性的，而宗教体验是非理性的。然而，这一观点受到了科幻小说中关键文本的挑战。在我研究的文本中，与流行的观点相反，崇高变得神秘，而新宗教变得理性。此外，宗教和崇高作为彼此不同但又必要的对立两极，存在着令人不安的关系，不同的文本强调其中一个，而边缘化而不是抹去另一个。我探讨了四位作家，其中两位——阿瑟·C·克拉克和刘慈欣——强调崇高，同时贬低宗教，而另外两位——罗伯特·A·海因莱因和奥克塔维亚·E·巴特勒——专注于虚构的宗教，同时使崇高处于从属地位。总而言之，这些文本揭示了理性和非理性心态之间矛盾的相互依存关系，可以促进宗教和非宗教观点之间更好的理解。