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The myth of Śunahśepa ("Aitareya Brahmana", 7 .13-18) constitutes a primary acknowledgment by brahmanic tradition of the existence of peoples living outside of the "varna" system. The principal themes of this account served as the grounds for a socio-religious ideology that continued to develop throughout the history of brahmanic literature. This ideology established an opposition between the center — authority, sacrifice and cows of the brahmin Vasistha; and the periphery — antinomian power and asceticism of the non-brahmin Viśvāmitra, and haunt of marginals and their dogs. This ideology breaks down in late variants of this myth, in which the expanded universe of "bhakti" can even encompass the excluded.

Fahr al-Dīn al-Rāzī's Comprehensive View of Religions Besides his mediocre "I'tiqādāt" and some important passages of the "Mafātīh. al-gayb", the chief contribution of Rāzī (d. 606 H./1209) to the history of religions lies in his interest in their classing. Three classifications are here translated and introduced in chronological order. They are taken from : 1) the Persian "Garni' al-'ulum" ; 2) the "Kitāb al-arba'īn fï usūl al-dīn" ; 3) "al-Tafsīr al-kabīr", on Koran 22, 17. Each time, the criterion is different, but the author does not change his method : a series of dichotomies places the religions in growing remoteness from muslim truth. In sharp contrast, this analysis ends with a fine modern example of concentric taxonomy.

Theology in Kievan Russia ? The conversion to Christianity of the state of Kiev (988) gave rise to a Christian culture which manifested itself in several ways. One of the most accessible is the literary heritage of medieval Russia situated in its historical context in the basic work of Gerhard Podskalsky, "Christentura und theologische Literatur in der Kiever Rus'". His work, as well as several recent Soviet publications, highlight written Slavonic culture which includes not only original works but also translations ; they should make it possible to appreciate the exact importance of this heritage.