ABSTRACT
The modern science of Comparative Religion has, from the start, paid particular attention to the problem of the origin of the belief in a supernatural world and the religion of so-called “primitive” peoples. So many works, in fact, have been written on the “origin of religion” or “primitive religion” that one who ventures to add to their number needs to state specially his reason for such an undertaking. The most important material, however, which modern Comparative Religion has at its disposal and makes use of when trying to solve its problems is derived from a wholly different source, that of ethnology. The comparative method which the Science of Religion applies to religious phenomena implies that between these phenomena there are not only dissimilarities but also essential similarities, thus enabling them to be compared. The comparative method in the study of religion should be applied with due caution.
