Religion During The Enlightenment Era

E.B. Tylor and James Frazer both did not thoroughly dismiss the ideology of religion like many during the Enlightenment era did. At the time when the Enlightenment Era emerged, reason was the core to the new movement, with ideas such as liberty and separation of church and state was being actively pursued towards the way of human individuality as well as the development of science. Through the era of this new light, both Tylor and Frazier still believed that religion existed, although in a different perspective from previously viewed before. However with the evolution and transformation of modern society, both believed that religion would be overthrown by science.
For E.B. Tylor religion was all about animism, in Latin terms simply translating to breath, spirit, and life. This was term he reintroduce in regards to religion, and believed that every living thing (human, animals, plants, etc.) has a soul, all natural objects. This was the prime base and spiritual root for the start of all religions. During an era where knowledge began coming of age, scientific rationality began to give explanation that were previously validated by religion.
Tylor argued that religion was not just about a belief in a …show more content…
She explains that myth is a part of our history and plays a vital role in religion. Eliade explains how myth is the reason religion came into existence and has developed so big. These stories whether true or not have made a huge impact on peoples views and the way they behave “ myth teaches humankind the primordial stories that have constituted human existentially . . . their legitimate mode of existence . . . (Livingston 68). This is the one that I agree with the most because if it weren’t for these myths and stories there would be no religion today. It is part of the history that we face because it gives us a foundation, which we can look back as say this is how it all