Most of the key concepts discussed in this book—such as socialization, domination, legitimation, authority—are broadly used by scholars. Almost all social theorists, sociologists, and cultural anthropologists for the last two hundred years have utilized these concepts in one way or another; they are common fare. By contrast, the concept of habitus is much less broadly utilized. (Note: the plural of habitus is habitus; readers must determine whether the word is singular or plural from context.) This concept can be found here and there in western philosophy and social theory, and anthropologist Marcel Mauss reintroduced it in the early twentieth century, but it was importantly picked up and significantly revised by sociologist Pierre Bourdieu and his disciples in the second half of the twentieth century. He revised this concept in order to address what he saw as some of the weaknesses of traditional sociological accounts of how social order is reproduced over time. It should be clear that the root of habitus is “habit,” and the concept does indeed concern human habits. One's habitus is the result of socialization, and is related to the fact that one develops habits linked to one's social class. For Bourdieu, these habits work—independently of an individual's conscious intentions—to reinforce social hierarchies. At the end of this chapter we will see how it is possible for a religious community to have its own unique habitus, and how this has the effect of reinforcing group boundaries.