Chapter IX, The Primal Religions, Conclusion, Summary and Analysis

Passing time and literacy seem to favor the historical religions, as the primal religions appear to fade. There is no facility to quarantine the primal religions against the onslaught of "civilization". The historical religions have largely abandoned their missionary efforts to convert "the heathen", as these people were once referred to. In retrospect, we can now see that primal peoples were not savage and uncivilized as we once supposed. They were simply different and in the face of the complexities of the modern world, they are now often romanticized. It is hopeful that from the present, peoples of both religious traditions may be able to live out their lives in mutual respect.