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[German Version] The Polynesian word tabu (Eng. taboo) – along with mana and totem – is one of the few words of non-European origin to have developed into a key concept of religio-ethnological terminology during the 19th century. The history of the taboo concept not only mirrors the European approach to the problem of how to understand foreign thinking, but also sheds light on the crucial importance of cultural-scientific theorization for the definition of a concept that has become problematical. The word “taboo” first became known in Europe in 1784 with the publication of …

[German Version] The sociology of knowledge inquires into the social conditions under which knowledge is generated, acquired, and communicated. Its beginnings are closely interwoven with positivist criticism of religion and ideology (Religious criticism, Ideological criticism). K. Marx pioneered the sociology of knowledge with his recognition that the content of knowledge is conditioned by social and economic factors. E. Durkheim began instead with the forms of knowledge; starting with an analysis…

[German Version] Totemism is one of the most controversial concepts in religious studies. It was introduced to describe the religious identification of human beings with plants and animals, and to distinguish related groups according to the names of plants and animals. Until well into the 20th century totemism formed a paradigm of research in religious studies, representing what was considered the most original form of the religion and society of “primitive” communities. Even though totemism is un…