Toward a Theory ofJewish Histoɾ<br > None of the major religions of the world can be simply defined<br > The very factors that make them major religions lead to difficulties<br > of exact characterizationFor any religion iS a complex of beliefs<br > asserting one possible interpretation of the ultimate nature of the<br > world and of the place of human beings in the worldtogether with<br > patterns of practice expressing and reflectingat least approxi-<br > matelythat view of the worldA major religion iS one that has<br > persisted through timethat has attracted adherents in relatively<br > large numbersand that has spread far and wide over the face of the<br > earthPersistence through time requires a religion either to have<br > accepted and adapted current scientific or common sense views of<br > the nature of the world or to have satisfactorily adjusted the conflict<br > between itS traditional cosmology and current knowledge and<br > beliefTo attract and hold a large number of adherents in a variety<br > of places and timesunder a range of political and cultural<br > conditionsa religion must be flexible enough to serve as a guide<br > yet rigid enough to set a pattern for living<br > Truethere may be periods in the history of any religion in<br > whichin a particular cultural area of the worldonly negligible<br > variations occurBut if we shift our attention to a century earlier or<br > later or to synchronous manifestations elsewhere in the worldit<br > again becomes clear that mans religionsparticularly those called<br > maj orare constant chiefly in the ways they adapt to novel<br > conditionsThe symbols of a religion may remain unchangedbut<br >