gef ühl , ▁commonly ▁translated ▁as ▁" the ▁feeling ▁of ▁absolute ▁dependence ". ▁ ▁His ▁contemporary ▁Georg ▁Wilhelm ▁Friedrich ▁H eg el ▁disag re ed ▁thoroughly , ▁defining ▁religion ▁as ▁" the ▁Div ine ▁Spirit ▁becoming ▁conscious ▁of ▁Him self ▁through ▁the ▁finite ▁spirit ." ▁ ▁Edward ▁Burn ett ▁T yl or ▁defined ▁religion ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 1 ▁as ▁" the ▁belief ▁in ▁spiritual ▁be ings ". ▁He ▁argued ▁that ▁narrow ing ▁the ▁definition ▁to ▁mean ▁the ▁belief ▁in ▁a ▁supre me ▁de ity ▁or ▁judgment ▁after ▁death ▁or ▁id ol at ry ▁and ▁so ▁on , ▁would ▁exclude ▁many ▁pe op les ▁from ▁the ▁category ▁of ▁religious , ▁and ▁thus ▁" has ▁the ▁fault ▁of ▁ident ifying ▁religion ▁rather ▁with ▁particular ▁develop ments ▁than ▁with ▁the ▁deeper ▁mot ive ▁which ▁under lies ▁them ". ▁He ▁also ▁argued ▁that ▁the ▁belief ▁in ▁spiritual ▁be ings ▁exists ▁in ▁all ▁known ▁soci eties . ▁ ▁In ▁his ▁book ▁The ▁Vari eties ▁of ▁Relig ious ▁Exper ience , ▁the ▁psych ologist ▁William ▁James ▁defined ▁religion ▁as ▁" the ▁feelings , ▁acts , ▁and ▁experiences ▁of ▁individual ▁men ▁in ▁their ▁sol itude , ▁so ▁far ▁as ▁they ▁app reh end ▁themselves ▁to ▁stand ▁in ▁relation ▁to ▁whatever ▁they ▁may ▁consider ▁the ▁divine ". ▁By ▁the ▁term ▁divine ▁James ▁meant ▁" any ▁object ▁that ▁is ▁god like , ▁whether ▁it ▁be ▁a ▁concrete ▁de ity ▁or ▁not " ▁to ▁which ▁the ▁individual ▁feels ▁imp elled ▁to ▁respond ▁with ▁solemn ity ▁and ▁gravity . ▁ ▁The ▁soci