For Islamists, though, this is much more difficult because the words of the Qur'an and the practices of the earliest Muslims form the core of their ideology.
Some Saudis acknowledge their country's dominant theology as a distinct school of Islamic thought, but they will typically refer to this school as Salafism, a term that refers to the beliefs and practices of the earliest followers of Islam.
The Salafis believe that the only true path is to follow the practices of the early generations of Muslims – literally.
And last year, the McGregor Museum renovated its displays to include the views of the Khoisan, as described by 19th-century missionaries, and to acknowledge prominently the racism inherent in the scientific practices of the early 20th century.
"This harp plays a central role in the religious organization called Bwiti, which is a combination of a tradition of ancestral veneration that was borrowed from a neighboring group, and Christian practices of the early 20th century.
When Lou Reed moved into his new apartment in New York in the early Sixties he came across a book called The Velvet Underground, by Michael Leigh, which detailed various underground sexual practices of the early Sixties.
The origin of the bilingual lists can be traced to a practice of the early Middle Ages, that of writing interlinear glosses explanations of difficult words in manuscripts.
Having survived the ravages of the Maoist era, when Confucius' call to "revive the spirit and the practice of the earlier rites" was derided as "an attempt to reverse the course of history," the classics must not lose their distinction in the hullabaloo of the market economy or under the pressure of globalization.
On the one hand, the everyday pedagogical practice of the early learning classroom can shape the long-term professional role, identity and recognition of the new Early Childhood professionals.
The only reason I can think of why people would touch me, is to either they think I will bring them good luck, like Buddah's belly or to heal me, by the laying on of hands, a common practice of the Early Church and found in the New Testament.
Mr. Coffer, 48, has for more than 20 years been practicing one of the earliest methods of photography and living the life that went with it.
