The past exists only in the present, in our understanding of... - Jonathan Z. Smith

"The past exists only in the present, in our understanding of it."

Jonathan Z. Smith History

Historian of Religion American 1938–2017

More from Jonathan Z. Smith

"Religion is not about believing things. It is about belonging to things."

"The real issue is not belief, but belonging."

"Comparison is a fundamental cognitive tool."

"There is no data that is absolutely sacred."

"I've seen a lot of things in my time."

"That's how we archaeologists tell time."

"We must learn from history or be doomed to repeat it."

"Every artifact tells a story."