TheSociologyofReligionMaxWeber(A)ORIGINSOFRELIGION(A.1)PrimordialNotionsofReligion(A.1.a)ViewpointItisnotpossibletodefinereligion,tosaywhatit"is,"atthestartofapresentationsuchasthis.Definitioncanbeattempted,ifatall,onlyattheconclusionofthestudy.The"essence"ofreligionisnotevenourconcern,aswemakeitourtasktostudytheconditionsandeffectsofaparticulartypeofsocialaction.Theexternalcoursesofreligiousbehavioraresodiversethatanunderstandingofthisbehaviorcanonlybeachievedfromtheviewpointofthesubjectiveexperiences,notion,andpurposesoftheindividualsconcerned--inshort,fromtheviewpointofthereligiousbehavior's"meaning."(A.1.b)This-worldlyOrientationThemostelementaryformsofreligiouslyormagicallymotivatedactionareorientedtothisworld."Thatitmaygowellwithyou...Andthatyoumayprolongyourdaysupontheearth"[1]showsthemotivationofreligiouslyormagicallycommandedactions.Evenhumansacrifices,althoughuncommonamongurbanpeoples,wereperformedinthePhoenicianmaritimecitieswithoutanyother-worldlyexpectationswhatsoever.Furthermore,religiouslyormagicallymotivatedactionisrelativelyrationalaction,especiallyinitsearliestforms.Itfollowsrulesofexperience,thoughitisnotnecessarilyactioninaccordancewithmeans-endrationality.Rubbingwillelicitsparksfrompiecesofwood,andinlikefashionthemimeticactionsofa"magician"willevokerainfromtheheavens.Thesparksresultingfromtwirlingthewoodensticksareasmucha"magical"effectastherainevokedbythemanipulationsoftherainmaker.Thus,religiousormagicalactionorthinkingmustnotbesetapartfromtherangeofeverydaypurposiveaction,particularlysincetheelementaryendsofthereligiousandmagicalactionsarepredominantlyeconomic.(A.1.c)MagicOnlywe,judgingfromthestandpointofourmodemviewsofnature,candistinguishobjectivelyinsuchbehaviourthoseattributionsofcausalitywhichare"correct"fromthosewhichare"incorrect,"andthendesignatetheincorrectattributionsofcausalityasirrational,andthecorrespondingactsas"magic."Quiteadifferentdistinctionwillbemadebythepersonperformingthemagicalact,whowillinsteaddistinguishbetweenthegreaterorlesserordinarinessofthephenomenainquestion.Forexample,noteverystone-1-canserveasafetish,asourceofmagicalpower.Nordoeseverypersonhavethecapacitytoachievetheecstaticstateswhichareviewed,accordancetorulesofexperience,asthepre-conditionsforproducingcertaineffectsinmeteorology,healing,divination,andtelepathy.Itisprimarily,thoughnotexclusively,theseextraordinarypowersthathavebeendesignatedbysuchspecialtermsas"Mana,""Orenda,"andtheIranian"Maga"(thetermfromwhichourword"magic"isderived).Weshallhenceforthemploytheterm"charisma"forsuchextraordinarypowers.(A.1.d)CharismaCharismamaybeeitheroftwotypes.Wherethistermisfullyserved,charismaisagiftthatinheresinanobjectorpersonsimplybynaturalendowment.Suchprimarycharismacannotbeacquiredbyanymeans.Butcharismaoftheothertypemaybeproducedartificiallyinanobjectorpersonthroughsomeextraordinarymeans.Eventhen,itisassumedthatcharismaticcapabilitycanbedevelopedonlyinwhichthegermalreadyexistedbutwouldhaveremaineddormantunless"awakened"bysomeasceticorothermeans.Thus,evenattheearlieststageofreligiousdevelopmenttherewerealreadypresentallformsofthedoctrineofreligiousgrace,fromthatofabsolutegracetogracebygoodworks.Thestronglynaturalisticnotion(latelytermed"pre-animistic")ofcharismaisstillafeatureoffolkreligion.Tothisday,nodecisionofchurchcouncils,differentiatingthe"worship"ofGodfromthe"ador...