Back to Book

The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life by Émile Durkheim

CHAPTER I

125 words  |  Chapter 4

DEFINITION OF RELIGIOUS PHENOMENA AND OF RELIGION Usefulness of a preliminary definition of religion; method to be followed in seeking this definition--Why the usual definitions should be examined first 23 I.--Religion defined by the supernatural and mysterious-- Criticism: the notion of mystery is not primitive 24 II.--Religion defined in connection with the idea of God or a spiritual being.--Religions without gods--Rites in deistic religions which imply no idea of divinity 29 III.--Search for a positive definition--Distinction between beliefs and rites--Definition of beliefs--First characteristic: division of things between sacred and profane--Distinctive characteristics of this definition--Definition of rites in relation to beliefs--Definition of religion 36 IV.--Necessity of another characteristic to distinguish magic from religion--The idea of the Church--Do individualistic religions exclude the idea of a Church? 42
Previous Chapter Chapter List Next Chapter

Chapters

1. Chapter 1 2. INTRODUCTION 3. BOOK I 4. CHAPTER I 5. CHAPTER II 6. CHAPTER III 7. CHAPTER IV 8. BOOK II 9. CHAPTER I 10. CHAPTER II 11. CHAPTER III 12. CHAPTER IV 13. CHAPTER V 14. CHAPTER VI 15. CHAPTER VII 16. CHAPTER VIII 17. CHAPTER IX 18. BOOK III 19. CHAPTER I 20. CHAPTER II 21. CHAPTER III 22. CHAPTER IV 23. CHAPTER V 24. INTRODUCTION 25. BOOK I 26. CHAPTER I 27. CHAPTER II 28. CHAPTER III 29. CHAPTER IV 30. BOOK II 31. CHAPTER I 32. CHAPTER II 33. CHAPTER III 34. CHAPTER IV 35. CHAPTER V 36. CHAPTER VI 37. CHAPTER VII 38. CHAPTER VIII 39. CHAPTER IX 40. BOOK III 41. CHAPTER I 42. CHAPTER II 43. CHAPTER III 44. CHAPTER IV 45. CHAPTER V 46. 131. Here are designs, many of which evidently have the object of 47. 339. Must we see a trace of sexual totemism in the following custom of

Reading Tips

Use arrow keys to navigate

Press 'N' for next chapter

Press 'P' for previous chapter