Ursprung und Werden der Religion

Wilhelm Schmidt's Ursprung und Werden der Religion (1930), translated as The Origin and Growth of Religion, is a significant work in the study of religion. Schmidt, a German anthropologist and Roman Catholic priest, was a proponent of the cultural-historical school of ethnology.1

In this work, Schmidt argued that a belief in a supreme being is common across most cultures worldwide. He proposed that many religions, beyond the major monotheistic faiths like Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, could be considered monotheistic. His research was influenced by the concept of cultural diffusion, suggesting that cultural traits spread over time and distance. Schmidt's work contributed to understanding the diverse origins and development of religious beliefs globally.1