The Religious Sentiment - Its Source and Aim: A Contribution to the Science and / Philosophy of Religion

The Religious Sentiment is a philosophical work by Daniel G. Brinton. Brinton was an American surgeon, historian, archaeologist and ethnologist, here delving into to role of religion and morality within numerous other social constructs. Excerpt: "Mythology, since it began to receive a scientific handling at all, has been treated as a subordinate branch of history or of ethnology. The "science of religion," as we know it in the works of Burnouf, Müller, and others, is a comparison of systems of worship in their historic development. The deeper inquiry as to what in the mind of man gave birth to religion in any of its forms, what spirit breathed and is ever breathing life into these dry bones, this, the final and highest question of all, has had but passing or prejudiced attention. To its investigation this book is devoted."