The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life (Masterplots II: Nonfiction Series)
At a glance:
- Author: Émile Durkheim
- First Published: 1912
- Type of Work: Sociology/cultural anthropology
- Genres: Nonfiction, Sociology, Anthropology
- Subjects: Tradition, Religion, Manners or customs, Social life, Spiritual life or spirituality, Gods or goddesses, Cults, Australia or Australians, Church or churches, Totems or totemism
Form and Content
Émile Durkheim, one of the founding fathers of the modern discipline of sociology, was fascinated with religion in the same way that Karl Marx was fascinated by economic forces. In The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life his goal was to present a sociological theory of the origins and functions of religious institutions, writing that he wanted “to study the most primitive and the simplest religion which is presently known, to make an analysis of it, and to attempt an explanation of it.” He chose to concentrate on the religion of the Australian...
[The entire page is 2817 words long]
