In the 17th century, the description of paganism turned from the theological aspect to the ethnological one, and religions began to be understood as a part of the ethnic identities of peoples, and the study of the religions of so-called primitive peoples triggered questions as to the ultimate historical origin of religion.
Pada abad ke-17, deskripsi paganisme berpaling dari aspek teologis ke etnologis, dan agama mulai dipahami sebagai bagian dari identitas etnis suatu bangsa, kemudian studi tentang agama-agama dari bangsa-bangsa "primitif" memicu berbagai pertanyaan seperti sejarah pasti asal mula agama.