▁and ▁J . G . ▁Fra zer ; ▁the ▁ps y cho - anal yt ic ▁approach ▁of ▁Sig mund ▁Fre ud ; ▁and ▁further ▁É mile ▁Dur k heim , ▁Karl ▁Marx , ▁Max ▁We ber , ▁Mir ce a ▁El ia de , ▁E . E . ▁Evans - P rit ch ard , ▁and ▁Cl iff ord ▁Ge ert z . ▁ ▁Michael ▁St aus berg ▁gives ▁an ▁over view ▁of ▁contemporary ▁theories ▁of ▁religion , ▁including ▁cogn itive ▁and ▁bi ological ▁approaches . ▁ ▁The ories ▁ ▁Soci ological ▁and ▁anth rop ological ▁theories ▁of ▁religion ▁generally ▁attempt ▁to ▁explain ▁the ▁origin ▁and ▁function ▁of ▁religion . ▁These ▁theories ▁define ▁what ▁they ▁present ▁as ▁universal ▁characteristics ▁of ▁religious ▁belief ▁and ▁practice . ▁ ▁Orig ins ▁and ▁development ▁ ▁The ▁origin ▁of ▁religion ▁is ▁uncertain . ▁There ▁are ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁theories ▁regarding ▁the ▁subsequent ▁orig ins ▁of ▁religious ▁practices . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁anth rop olog ists ▁John ▁Mon ag han ▁and ▁Peter ▁Just , ▁" Many ▁of ▁the ▁great ▁world ▁relig ions ▁appear ▁to ▁have ▁begun ▁as ▁rev ital ization ▁movements ▁of ▁some ▁sort , ▁as ▁the ▁vision ▁of ▁a ▁char ism atic ▁proph et ▁fires ▁the ▁imag in ations ▁of ▁people ▁seeking ▁a ▁more ▁compreh ensive ▁answer ▁to ▁their ▁problems ▁than ▁they ▁feel ▁is ▁provided ▁by ▁every day ▁belief s . ▁Char ism atic ▁individuals ▁have ▁emer ged ▁at ▁many ▁times ▁and ▁places ▁in ▁the ▁world . ▁It ▁seems ▁that ▁the ▁key ▁to ▁long - term ▁success