Which religion is an example of the animistic theory of religion?

Which religion is an example of the animistic theory of religion?

• A. Buddhism
• B. Shinto
• C. Christianity
• D. Islam

Answer: (B)

Animism holds that spirits inhabit natural things and places, so religious life centers on honoring and relating to those spirits in everyday life. Shinto fits this pattern because its belief in kami—the divine or sacred beings residing in nature such as trees, rivers, rocks, and mountains—frames ritual practice around harmony with the natural world’s spirits. In contrast, Buddhism often emphasizes liberation from suffering and the path to enlightenment rather than animistic spirits; Christianity and Islam center on worship of a single, transcendent God rather than spirits found in nature. So Shinto is the best example of the animistic approach.

Animism holds that spirits inhabit natural things and places, so religious life centers on honoring and relating to those spirits in everyday life. Shinto fits this pattern because its belief in kami—the divine or sacred beings residing in nature such as trees, rivers, rocks, and mountains—frames ritual practice around harmony with the natural world’s spirits. In contrast, Buddhism often emphasizes liberation from suffering and the path to enlightenment rather than animistic spirits; Christianity and Islam center on worship of a single, transcendent God rather than spirits found in nature. So Shinto is the best example of the animistic approach.