| Summary: | The 1912 religio-philosophical study »The Elementary Forms of Religious Life« by Émile Durkheim (1858–1917) is considered a classic in religious studies, and established a framework for understanding religion that inspired numerous later works. The new German translation of this groundbreaking text, published in 2014, confirms the continued germaneness of Durkheim in modern times. Through a discussion of critiques (i.e. Adorno), an example of its reception by the scholarly community (i.e. Joas), and an analysis of its core arguments from a poststructuralist perspective, this essay seeks to establish the enduring relevance of Durkheim’s signature work and its application to other social phenomena.
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