About the Book :
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.
About Author :
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)
