ologist ▁É mile ▁Dur k heim , ▁in ▁his ▁sem inal ▁book ▁The ▁Element ary ▁Form s ▁of ▁the ▁Relig ious ▁Life , ▁defined ▁religion ▁as ▁a ▁" un ified ▁system ▁of ▁belief s ▁and ▁practices ▁relative ▁to ▁sacred ▁things ". ▁By ▁sacred ▁things ▁he ▁meant ▁things ▁" set ▁apart ▁and ▁forb idden — bel ief s ▁and ▁practices ▁which ▁un ite ▁into ▁one ▁single ▁moral ▁community ▁called ▁a ▁Church , ▁all ▁those ▁who ▁ad here ▁to ▁them ". ▁Sac red ▁things ▁are ▁not , ▁however , ▁limited ▁to ▁gods ▁or ▁spirits . ▁On ▁the ▁contrary , ▁a ▁sacred ▁thing ▁can ▁be ▁" a ▁rock , ▁a ▁tree , ▁a ▁spring , ▁a ▁p eb ble , ▁a ▁piece ▁of ▁wood , ▁a ▁house , ▁in ▁a ▁word , ▁anything ▁can ▁be ▁sacred ". ▁Relig ious ▁belief s , ▁myth s , ▁dog mas ▁and ▁leg ends ▁are ▁the ▁representations ▁that ▁express ▁the ▁nature ▁of ▁these ▁sacred ▁things , ▁and ▁the ▁virt ues ▁and ▁powers ▁which ▁are ▁attributed ▁to ▁them . ▁ ▁E cho es ▁of ▁James ' ▁and ▁Dur k heim ' s ▁definitions ▁are ▁to ▁be ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁writ ings ▁of , ▁for ▁example , ▁Frederick ▁Ferr é ▁who ▁defined ▁religion ▁as ▁" one ' s ▁way ▁of ▁valu ing ▁most ▁compreh ens ively ▁and ▁intens ively ". ▁Similarly , ▁for ▁the ▁the olog ian ▁Paul ▁Till ich , ▁faith ▁is ▁" the ▁state ▁of ▁being ▁ultimately ▁concerned ", ▁which ▁" is ▁itself ▁religion . ▁Religion ▁is ▁the ▁subst ance