This book tries to show how the great psychological phenomenon, which we call religion, has developed and manifested itself in such various shapes among the different races and peoples of the world. It endeavours to become acquainted with Animism, this being the form of religion which must have preceded the religions known to us by history, and served as their foundation. Also, it makes in-depth study of history of religion among the Chinese; Egyptians; Indo-Germans who came little, or not at all, into contact with the Semites, the Aryans, Hindus, Iranians, Letto-Slaves and Germans; and among the Indo-Germans in whose religion the national elements were supplemented and blended with others of north Semitic or Hamitic origin, viz. the Greeks and Romans. The genealogical connection and historical relation of religions, which gave rise to different streams of development, have been taken into account as well.
C.P. Tiele, Dutch theologian and scholar, was educated at Amsterdam High School and at the seminary of the Remonstrant Brotherhood. He served as pastor at Moordrecht and Rotterdam, then as professor at the Remonstrant Seminary. In 1877. He joined the University of Leiden as professor of history of religions, a chair that was especially created for him and that he occupied for 24 years. Among the best known of his numerous works are Elements of the Science of Religion, (1897)
