The Origin of Primitive Beliefs

The Birth of the Gods: The Origin of Primitive Beliefs – Guy E. Swanson


Guy Swanson (1922 - 1995) taught at UC Berkeley and conducted research in both sociology and social psychology. In this book, he works as a sociologist who is extending Durkheim's theorizing on the relation of the supernatural beliefs of a people and their social organization. For instance, societies with a prevalence of witchcraft are more likely to have much deprivation and unlegitimated or uncontrolled relationships with other societies (that is, little access to or broken-down means of social control such as local law enforcement). Other topics covered are monotheism, polytheism, ancestral spirits, reincarnation, the immanence of the soul, and the notion of gods who have an interest in human morality and reward or punish human action. As many as 25 editions of this book were published between 1951 and 1992, so clearly it influenced scholars in the sociology of religion. Readers interested in anthropology and social psychology would enjoy this book.