The Sex Worship and Symbolism of Primitive Races: An Interpretation

Brown, Sanger, 1884-1968Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 2.3

Word count: 137K words
Chapters: 14

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Sex Worship and Symbolism of Primitive Races: An Interpretation by Sanger BrownAuthor: Brown, Sanger, 1884-1968,Language: English, Class: BL: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion: Religion: General, Miscellaneous and Atheism, Release Date: Dec 24, 2009

Editor's review

Written by Sanger Brown, this book is an interpretive study of sex worship and symbolism among so-called "primitive races," classified under the general field of religion and philosophy. Its value lies not in offering conclusions accepted by today's scholarship, but in presenting an interpretive approach from the early twentieth century, when anthropology and the psychology of religion overlapped; readers can observe the research questions, conceptual frameworks, and modes of expression of that time. As a public-domain Project Gutenberg e-book, it is freely accessible and searchable, making it suitable material for comparative history of scholarship, the study of religious symbolism, or critical reading. Methodological vigilance is required: the book's concept of "primitive" and its comparative methods bear the marks of their era and should not be taken directly as contemporary ethnographic conclusions. Its strengths are a focused topic and manageable length; it is suited to reading with questions in mind rather than passive acceptance.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in the scholarly history of religious anthropology and symbolism studies
Social science students who need to examine early discourses on sex worship
Advanced readers practicing critical reading and the contextualization of historical sources
Enthusiasts interested in the psychology of religion and comparative religion

Not a good fit for

Beginners seeking authoritative conclusions from contemporary anthropology
Readers uncomfortable with topics involving sex worship and symbolism
General readers lacking basic background in religious studies and anthropological terminology

Reading tips

Read the introduction or opening chapters first to clarify the author's central questions and key concepts.
Mark passages reflecting period biases as you read, distinguishing description from interpretation.
Read alongside a contemporary introduction to religious anthropology to develop a critical perspective.
After finishing, write a one-page methodological reflection noting which conclusions are no longer accepted today.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Do this book's views still hold today?

It should not be treated as a settled conclusion of contemporary scholarship. It reflects an early twentieth-century interpretive framework for sex worship and symbolism, and concepts such as "primitive races" and its comparative methods carry clear period limitations. It is better suited as material for the history of scholarship and critical reading.

What background knowledge is needed before reading?

A basic vocabulary in religious studies, anthropology, or psychology is recommended, and familiarity with the general development of comparative religion would be helpful. Readers with no relevant background may wish to start with a concise introduction to religious anthropology before approaching this book.

Does the book contain sensitive or unsuitable content?

Judging from its title and theme, it discusses sex worship and symbolism as topics in religious studies and anthropology, but its mode of expression bears the period flavor of early research. Readers should approach it in an academic context; those sensitive to such topics may wish to browse the table of contents before deciding whether to read closely.

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Brown, Sanger, 1884-1968 Author · American · 1884–1968

Sanger Brown (1884–1968) was an American neuropsychiatrist who practiced for many years in Chicago and conducted research on mental illness. Public information about his life is limited, and only one of his works is held in this collection: The Sex Worship and Symbolism of Primitive Races: An Interpretation. As the title and subtitle suggest, the book attempts an interpretive examination of sex worship and its symbolic systems among primitive peoples, combining the perspectives of psychiatry and anthropology. Such themes were not uncommon in early twentieth-century psychiatric writing, where authors often used symbolic interpretation to understand the psychological roots of beliefs and rituals, giving the work a pronounced interpretive and speculative character. The book offers a window into Brown's scholarly interests and the research climate of his time.