Free digital classic
The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life
- Reading format
- EPUB in Folarin Bookstore Digital
- Language
- en
About this book
Creators: Émile Durkheim (1858-1917) and Joseph Ward Swain (1891-) [Translator] "The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life" by Émile Durkheim is a book published in 1912 that analyzes religion as a social phenomenon. Durkheim argues that religious beliefs emerge from communal living and emotional bonds within society. Through studying totemic societies in Australia, he proposes that sacred symbols actually represent society itself. Durkheim identifies the concept of the sacred as the unifying element across all religions, defining religion as a system of beliefs and practices that unite communities around things set apart as forbidden. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading Level: Reading ease score: 57.2 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read. Rights: Public domain in the USA. Downloads: 5784