Читать книгу History of Religion - Allan Menzies - Страница 6

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

Position of the science—Unity of all religion—The growth of religion continuous—Preliminary definition of religion—Criticism of other definitions—Fuller definition—Religion and civilisation advance together

CHAPTER II THE BEGINNING OF RELIGION

Origin of civilisation—It was from the savage state that civilisation was by degrees produced—The religion of savages—All savages have religion—It is a psychological necessity

CHAPTER III THE EARLIEST OBJECTS OF WORSHIP

Nature-worship—Ancestor-worship—Fetish-worship—A supreme being—Which gods were first worshipped?—Fetish-gods came first—Spirits, human or quasi-human, came first—Theories of Mr. Spencer and Mr. Tylor—Animism—The minor nature-worship came first—Theories of Mr. M. Müller and of Ed. von Hartmann—The great nature-powers came first—Both nature-worship and the worship of spirits are sources of early religion—Conclusion

CHAPTER IV EARLY DEVELOPMENTS—BELIEF

Growth of the great gods—Polytheism—Kathenotheism—The minor nature-worship—The worship of animals—Trees, wells, stones—The state after death—Growth of the great religions out of these beliefs

CHAPTER V EARLY DEVELOPMENTS—PRACTICES

Sacrifice—Prayer—Sacred places, objects, persons—Magic—Character of early religion—Early religion and morality

CHAPTER VI NATIONAL RELIGION

Classifications of religions—Rise of national religion—It affords a new social bond—And a better God—Example—The Inca religion