ABSTRACT

Among the means of orienting the feelings to the advantage of social order, one shall first of all consider social religion. The main trunk of religion is undoubtedly an evolution of man's beliefs as to the unseen. It would be a mistake to regard social religion as a mere cement manufactured by shrewd men. Legal religion may possibly be explained in the light of its usefulness. It would seem to be shaped by broad-browed rabbis, ecclesiastical statesmen, sages, and legists. But social religion has roots of its own. There are some who hold that social science can replace idealism in our system of motives. Social religion has a long and possibly a great career awaiting it. As it disengages itself from that which is transient and perishable, as the dross is purged away from its beliefs and the element of social compulsion entirely disappears from it, social religion will become purer and nobler.