FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTIONS AND METHODS 449 



introduce into the definition an element which entered man's religious 

 life only at a comparatively late period as the result of reflection, 

 and whether the term "spirit" does not exclude such a religion as 

 Buddhism. It may also be doubted whether love is necessarily a part 

 of religion. Tiele 1 distinguished between the forms in which religion 

 is manifested, consisting of words and deeds and the constituents of 

 religion, which are emotions, conceptions, and sentiments produced 

 by contact with some higher being in whose power man feels and 

 perceives himself to be, and with whom he longs to come into touch. 

 The distinction is helpful; but it is difficult to see how, for exam- 

 ple, a religion like Buddhism could be covered by this definition. 

 Jastrow 2 defines religion as " the natural belief in a power or powers 

 beyond our control, and upon whom we feel ourselves dependent; 

 which belief and feeling prompt to organization, to specific acts, 

 and to the regulation of conduct, with a view to establishing 

 favorable relations between ourselves and the power or powers in 

 question." 



The present writer would define religion as the consciousness of 

 some power manifest in nature, determining man's destiny, and the 

 ordering of his life in harmony with its demands, "Consciousness" 

 denotes both a feeling and a perception. The "power" may be con- 

 ceived of as a personality or as a force or law, as unique or as one 

 of a species. The manifestation in nature may be local or universal,, 

 temporary or permanent. The determination may be regarded as 

 absolute or relative, as operating within or without, as having a 

 moral character or being devoid of it. "Destiny" may be viewed 

 as related to external condition, resulting from the action of this 

 power, or internal condition, or both. The ordering of life may pre- 

 eminently affect the inner disposition of the individual, the trend 

 of his feelings, thoughts, and volitions, or the outward expressions, 

 by word and deed, of a specific or a general character, or the social 

 consciousness and its organized forms of expression. The " harmony " 

 may be regarded as implying external conformity, or action prompted 

 by subjective perception of the demands, and these "demands" 

 may be conceived of as moral or non-moral, as arbitrary expressions 

 of an individual will, or as the requirements implied in the cosmic 

 order for the attainment of certain ends. 



This definition appears to cover all the essential aspects of religion 

 and all important phases of its historic manifestation. It leaves out 

 the element of personal intercourse between man and some higher 

 being, since this is not universally present in religion. And it applies 

 to such a religion as Buddhism, which recognizes a law manifest in 

 nature, revealed to him who is enlightened, imposing its authority 



1 Elements of the Science of Religion, 1899, vol. n, p. 1 ff. 



2 The Study of Religion, 1901, p. 171 ff. 



