James George Frazer

Sir James George Frazer (January 1, 1854—May 7, 1941) was a Scottish anthropologist, folklorist, and classical scholar. His work helped influence the early development of the modern study of mythology and comparative religion. Frazer spent most of his professional career as a professor of social anthropology at Cambridge. He is considered one of the fathers of modern anthropology due to his publication of The Golden Bough: A Study in Comparative Religion. The theme of The Golden Bough focuses on the theory of the development of modes of thought from magic, to religion, to science. Though this sequence of thought progression is no longer accepted, it allowed Frazer to make wider comparisons of religious and magical practices that led to further development in this field of study.