Diffusionist - as exemplified by Wilhelm Schmidt (1868 - 1954)

Though he did not conduct field work himself, Schmidt was responsible for the field work training of a large number of Catholic missionaries. The culmination of his research was the 12 volume (each volume some 800-900 pages) Origins of the Idea of God, 1908-1930s. Like Tylor, Schmidt asked two basic questions: What was the earliest form of religion - origins? and, why are other forms of religion present - diversity? But he came up with opposite conclusions, based on an entirely different mechanism for culture change. Key points:

• Origin with "primitive monotheism," not animism or polytheism.
• And mechanism for change was not unilineal evolution, but diffusion. Specifically, process of diffusion out from centers - Kulturkreise, "culture circles," centers of "primitive monotheism."
• Problems:
  1. While diffusion is an acknowledged mechanism for change (credit Schmidt), but not only mechanism. As the only mechanism, it is a denial of independent invention and local adaptation to one's environment, a denial of human inventiveness.
  2. While well-trained students were sent out into the field, they were looking for "primitive monotheism" - "self-fulfilling prophesy"
• Contribution:
  1. Diffusion as one mechanism for change

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