Short Essay on the Fear Theory of Religion – Fear, a psychological phenomenon is often said to be the cause for the emergence of religion.
This view is quite old, as old as the ancient Greeks and Romans. Ancient Roman philosopher and poet Lucretius contended that the belief in the gods was based on an illusion and that fear was at the root of religion.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
David Hume, a British philosopher of the 18th Century, in his “Natural History of Religion” pointed out that a fear of natural forces led man to believe in gods who manipulated nature. Hence man felt and believed that gods would intervene in his behalf if he tried to please them. German scholar Max Muller also supported this theory.
According to him, the basis of religion is to be found in man’s awe in the presence of extraordinary and terrifying natural phenomenon. According to Prof. Giddings, the awe and fear of the “Great Dreadful” and of the mysterious forces have been responsible for the genesis of religion.
Image Source: musingsofernie.files.wordpress.com