which play any important part in history have, in the course of their development, frequently transformed their ideals in important respects, and have at the same time retained, in addition to these new ideals, their old ones, which are occasionally revived. To regard all this from a single point of view would be too difficult. Take for example the Hindoo religion in its development from the hymns of the Rig-Veda, through Brahmanism and Buddhism, to its final form of mystical Pantheism and coarse idolatry. In what place could this be inserted in the above classification? The most important thing will always be clearly to portray the peculiar characteristics of the different religions, and to explain them as well as possible from the character and the historical experiences of the various peoples. It is also of especial importance to show the influences which the different religions exercise upon and receive from one another, for in this we recognize something like an organic connection in the religious life of mankind. Thus, for example, the reciprocal influence of the Semitic and Indo-Germanic religions is of the utmost importance. For after thousands of years of preparation these finally made ready the soil where Christianity could take root and grow.
The philosopher of religion cannot, it is true, follow out the development of Christianity in detail. That is the business of biblical and historical theology. His task, however, is to show how Christianity is the fulfilment of all previous religious systems — of the Pagan as well as of the Jewish — since, by embracing their partial truths in a common unity, it removes their one-sidedness and sums up the religious inclinations of mankind in an essentially true and satisfactory manner. Christianity itself has not been able to express all at once the truth involved in itself, but only in the course of centuries has it been able to advance towards an ever fuller and purer expression of this truth. This evolution the Philosophy of Religion must also follow. It has to show how the Christian principle, in order to take root and establish itself in the world, had to adapt itself to the prevailing forms of the religious and moral consciousness, and how, after this unavoidable fusion of Jewish
