emotion, is a question on which there has always been diversity of
opinion. The beings, who figured in the common consciousness as gods,
were apprehended by the common consciousness as powers superior to
man; and certainly as powers capable of inflicting suffering on the
community. As such, then, they must have been approached with an
emotion of the nature of reverence, awe or fear. The important, the
determining, fact, however, is that they were approached. The emotion,
therefore, which prompted the community to approach them, is at any
rate distinguishable from the mere fright which would have kept the
community as far away from these powers as possible. The emotion which
prompted approach could not have been fear, pure and simple. It must
have been more in the nature of awe or reverence; both of which
feelings are clearly distinguishable from fear. Thus, we may fear
disease or disgrace; but the fear we feel carries with it neither awe
nor reverence. Again, awe is an inhibitive feeling, it is a feeling
which--as in the case of the awe-struck person--rather prevents than
promotes action or movement. And the determining fact about the
religious emotion is that it was the emotion with which the community
approached its gods. That emotion is now, and probably always was,
reverential in character. The occasion, on which a community
approaches its gods, often is, and doubtless often was, a time when
misfortune had befallen the community. The misfortune was viewed as a
visitation of the god's wrath upon his community; and fear--that 'fear
of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom'--doubtless played a
large part in the complex emotion which stirred the community, not to
run away but to approach the god for the purpose of appeasing his
wrath. In the complexity of an emotion which led to action of this
kind, we must recognise not merely fear but some trust and
confidence--so much, at least, as prevented the person who experienced
it from running away simply. The emotion is not too complex for man,
in however primitive a stage of development: it is not more complex
than that which brings a dog to his master, though it knows it is
going to be thrashed.

That some trust and confidence is indispensable in the complex feeling
with which a community approaches its gods, for the purpose of
appeasing their wrath--still more, for beseeching favours from
them--seems indisputable. But we must not exaggerate it. Wherever
there are god