Speleology meteorology and cartography to develop portraits of caves as complex, evolving systems. Prior to the mid-nineteenth century the scientific value of caves was considered only in its contribution to other branches of science, and cave studies were considered part of the larger disciplines of geography, geology or archaeology. Very little cave-specific study was undertaken prior to the work of Édouard-Alfred Martel (1859–1938), the 'father of modern speleology', who through his extensive and well-publicised cave explorations introduced in France the concept of speleology as a distinct area of study. In 1895 Martel founded the Société de Spéléologie, the first organization devoted
Scientific study of religion for the sociology of religion, and particularly for the study of religious influences on human behavior and population outcomes. The CSSR went offline in 2007. Scientific study of religion The Scientific study of religion represents the systematic effort by scholars and researchers to investigate religious phenomena, as well as the sociology of church participation. The Society for the Scientific Study of Religion was founded in 1949 by scholars in religion and social science, and it publishes the "Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion", a quarterly which "offers perspectives on national and international issues such as brainwashing and cults, religious