Jonathan Z. Smith

"All religions attempt to order the chaos of existence."

"We live in the worlds we create."

"The study of religion is ultimately self-knowledge."

"Classification is a form of control."

"Ritual is repetition with meaning."

"We are the interpreters of our own experience."

"Religion is about how we live together."

"The scholarly approach requires distance and rigor."

"All systems are provisional human constructions."

"We need maps to navigate the world."

"Religion is response and responsibility."

"Difference is what creates meaning and order."

"We are born into a world of categories."

"The sacred marks what we consider non-negotiable."

"Understanding requires stepping outside one's own framework."

"All human activity is meaningful activity."

"We construct reality through our classifications."

"Religion is a system of accountability."

"Myth and ritual work together to create meaning."

"We are not born human; we become human through culture."

"The study of religion is never purely objective."

"All boundaries serve human purposes."

"We need stories to make sense of our lives."

"Religion is how we imagine ourselves into being."

"The map becomes real through repeated use."

"We are interpreters in a world of signs."

"The sacred and profane are not opposites but poles of a continuum."

"All religious systems reflect their historical context."

"We understand by comparing and contrasting."

"Religion is fundamentally about practice, not just belief."