One of the works by Reville, a French Protestant theologian. After studying at Geneva and Strassburg, he became pastor at Lunerai near Dieppe, and of the Walloon Church at Rotterdam. In 1880 he was made professor of the history of religions in the College de France at Paris. Six years later he was appointed president of the section of religious studies in the ficole des hautes etudes at the Sorbonne. He is one of the leaders of the French school of advanced critical theology.