"This, it may be said, is no more than a hypothesis... only of that force of precedent which in all times has been so strong to keep alive religious forms of which the original meaning is lost"
- William Robertson Smith
About this Quote
This quote by William Robertson Smith is describing the power of custom and how it can keep religious types alive even when the initial significance is lost. He is suggesting that this is only a hypothesis, however it is a strong one. He is suggesting that the power of custom is so strong that it can keep spiritual types alive even when the initial significance is forgotten. This is an interesting idea as it suggests that even when the original significance of a religious kind is lost, it can still be kept alive by the power of tradition. This might be seen as a method of protecting the past and keeping it alive in the present. It is an interesting principle and one that could be explored even more.
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