In the last ten years
of his life, Wach was often mistakenly thought to be in the camp
of the second approach to comparative
religion at Chicago, which necessitated his stating repeatedly that while the philosophy
of religion applies an abstract philosophical
idea of what
religion is to the data
of empirical, historical studies, the history
of religions begins with the investigation
of religious phenomena, from which, it is hoped, a pattern
of «meaning» will emerge.