In chapter 9 of The World's Religions, Huston Smith explores the primal or tribal religions which existed long before Christianity or Islam and that are still practiced today in Africa, Australia, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, and among Native Americans.

Although Huston Smith warns against romanticizing primal religions, it could be argued that he does so himself. He certainly sees much to admire in these religions, which he says have remained true to their essential principles and connected to nature. Because the societies in which they are practiced have not changed much, primal religions seem to offer a way to return to values which modern societies have lost.

It is in this appearance of purity, however, that the danger of romanticizing primal religions lies. Huston Smith has a heterodox approach to religion and sees something to admire in all the faiths he studies. He believes the simple purity of tribal societies may be so appealing that people from developed societies will conclude that their religions must be superior to such faiths as Christianity or Islam. However, he argues that the rapid pace of change and the fetishization of wealth and technology which are endemic in the developed world are not the fault of these religions. If people abandon the faiths in which they were raised, they may end up deracinating themselves through admiration for religious traditions that they do not understand and will not be able to practice.