▁the ▁way ▁we ▁use ▁the ▁concept ▁today ▁is ▁a ▁particularly ▁modern ▁construct ▁that ▁would ▁not ▁have ▁been ▁understood ▁through ▁much ▁of ▁history ▁and ▁in ▁many ▁cult ures ▁outside ▁the ▁West ▁( or ▁even ▁in ▁the ▁West ▁until ▁after ▁the ▁Peace ▁of ▁West phal ia ). ▁The ▁Mac Mill an ▁Encyclopedia ▁of ▁Relig ions ▁states : ▁ ▁The ▁anth rop ologist ▁Cl iff ord ▁Ge ert z ▁defined ▁religion ▁as ▁a ▁ ▁All ud ing ▁perhaps ▁to ▁T yl or ' s ▁" de eper ▁mot ive ", ▁Ge ert z ▁remarked ▁that ▁ ▁The ▁the olog ian ▁Antoine ▁Ver g ote ▁took ▁the ▁term ▁super natural ▁simply ▁to ▁mean ▁whatever ▁trans c ends ▁the ▁powers ▁of ▁nature ▁or ▁human ▁ag ency . ▁He ▁also ▁emphas ized ▁the ▁cultural ▁reality ▁of ▁religion , ▁which ▁he ▁defined ▁as ▁ ▁Peter ▁Mand av ille ▁and ▁Paul ▁James ▁intended ▁to ▁get ▁away ▁from ▁the ▁modern ist ▁du alis ms ▁or ▁dich ot om ous ▁understand ings ▁of ▁im man ence / trans c end ence , ▁spiritual ity / material ism , ▁and ▁sacred ness / sec ular ity . ▁They ▁define ▁religion ▁as ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁Mac Mill an ▁Encyclopedia ▁of ▁Relig ions , ▁there ▁is ▁an ▁exper ient ial ▁aspect ▁to ▁religion ▁which ▁can ▁be ▁found ▁in ▁almost ▁every ▁culture : ▁ ▁Class ical ▁ ▁Friedrich ▁Sch le ier m acher ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 8 th ▁century ▁defined ▁religion ▁as ▁das ▁sch le ch th inn ige ▁Ab häng ig ke its