STUDIES IN COMPARATIVE HIEROLOGY

BY

JOHN M. ROBERTSON

[ISSUED FOR THE RATIONALIST PRESS ASSOCIATION, LIMITED]

17, JOHNSON'S COURT, FLEET STREET, LONDON, E.C.

1903

REESE

PREAMBLE

CONTENTS

xi

PART I.

THE RATIONALE OF RELIGION

CHAP. I.-THE NATURALNESS OF ALL BELIEF.

§ 1. Origin of Gods from fear-from love-Beloved Gods the
Christs of the world's pantheon-Arbitrary Classifications
§ 2. All beliefs results of reasoning-Taboo-Formulas of Mr.
Lang and Mr. Jevons-Primary and secondary taboo-
Moral correlations-Theory of religion and magic.

3. Mr. Jevons's theories of religious evolution-Contradictions
-Thesis of "superstition".

§ 4. Scientific view of the "religious consciousness "-idea of
the supernatural "-Fear versus gratitude-Rise of magic
-Meaning of "religion"

§ 5. Mr. Frazer's definition-its inadequacy-Conflict of for-
mulas-Antiquity of magic-Analogies of religion, magic,
and science-Magic homogeneous with religion-Inconsis-
tencies of magic-Magic in the Old Testament-Inconsis-
tencies of later religion

§ 6. The scientific induction-Magic and religion interfluent-
The theory of prayer-Mr. Jevons's reasoning here reduces
the religious type to the Atheists and Agnostics

§ 7. Mr. Jevons's series of self-contradictions-His coincidence
with Mr. Frazer in excluding belief from the concept of
religion

§ 8. His contradictory doctrine of the conditions of survival in
religion-Value of his work-Causes of its fallacies

§ 9. The continuity of religious phenomena-Homogeneity of
all magic and religious ritual-Elijah as magician-Com-
parative harmfulness of priesthoods and sorcerers-The
dilemma of Christian ethics-Philosophy in religion-Mr.
Jevons's psychology—“ Impressions” versus “projections ”
-Results of his classification-Religion "rational" even
if not reasonable".

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