The study of religion was of central importance in the emergence of modern sociology and anthropology, as is demonstrated by its significance in the writings of Emile Durkheim, Max Weber and Georg Simmel. European colonialism had given ample opportunities for the study of 'primitive' cultures and their beliefs. In a social and intellectual environment which was increasingly secular and influenced by the norms of natural science these studies called into question the truth value not only of 'primitive' religions, but also of Christianity. By the late nineteenth century the emerging social sciences appeared unanimous in their view that religion would not survive the forces of science, industrialization and economic individualism. The volumes reprinted in this set illustrate both how this position emerged, and how it was superceded by modern sociological and anthropological approaches which were more appreicative of the social value of religious practice. Durkheim is of obvious significance in this context, but the set also demonstrates the importance of the work of figures such as Andrew Lang and W. Robertson-Smith.