Sacre And Secular In The History And The Sociology Of Religion: Comparing Eliade And Weber

Abstract

Abstract While focusing exclusively on the merely human dimensions of religious communities and by strongly emphasizing the domination features of the relationship between priests and other charismatic religious leaders and their followers, Weber accomplishes what was dreamed about the functioning of science as free of all value. However, a value-free sociology of religion misses much of the reality behind the most banal manifestation, namely especially when it excludes the mystical component. In contrast, the history of religion promoted by Eliade is careful enough as not to obliterate what lies at the heart of the religious experience, namely the sacred. With no respect to the sacred that manifests through human acts, values and beliefs, power is the ultimate aspect which one can take into account when looking at any religious community.