every authentic account of a religion to see if such
systems present objective evidence of the fact of their evolution through
the operation of purely natural causes.

But before passing to a detailed treatment of the analysis, synthesis, and
genesis of religious systems, let us employ our common-sense for a brief
backward glance over the known history of familiar facts. Every one is
aware that the Christian religions of our time and community have not
existed forever; this, indeed, is indicated by the way the passing years
are denominated. We call the present year 1907 Anno Domini, and this whole
expression explicitly refers to the fact that less than two thousand years
ago the Christian systems of piety and worship collectively took their
origin from their Hebrew ancestor. The same parent has produced the
relatively unchanged Judaism of the present day. Judaism itself evolved
under the influence of the Prophets, of Moses, and of Abraham. Turning to
Asia, we learn how Buddhism evolved from Brahmanism. The teachings of
Mohammed at a later time developed into the formulated precepts of the
Koran. Would any one venture to assert that all or any of these systems of
thought have stood firm and immutable from the finite or infinite
beginnings of time? Would any one contend that the creeds of Protestantism
have remained unchanged even during the past twenty years? Like all
departments of human belief and knowledge, religious concepts have
obviously altered in natural adjustment to changing times and to advancing
conditions of human intellect; and the question turns to the mode by which
they have been modified, to see whether natural causes of evolution have
changed them, and have originated their earliest beginnings at the very
outset of human history. It has been stated above that every race of
mankind, however primitive or advanced it may be, holds some form of
religious belief based upon some conception of the supernatural powers
back of the world; and what the universe is conceived to be must largely
determine the particular characteristics of a theology, and through this
the special form of its attendant religion. We have before us a wide array
of types to study and to compare, which vary so greatly, partly for the
reason specified, that an inclusive definition of religion must be couched
in very general terms. If we define it as the attitude and reaction of a
human being conditioned by his knowledge of the immediate mater