Religion is an umbrella term for the many ways that humans attempt to make sense of the universe and their place in it. It includes beliefs, morals, rituals, and practices. It also includes a set of ideas and values that guide and motivate religious people in their everyday lives. Religion is often complex, and can be both positive and negative in its influence on the world. Religions can bring people together or divide them. It is important to understand what defines a religion so that we can better appreciate and support those that promote peace, love and inclusion.
The definition of Religion has been debated for centuries. Some scholars believe that it is more helpful to study religion as a social construct rather than as a set of beliefs. Others believe that it is impossible to adequately understand religion without examining those beliefs. The debate has led to a wide variety of approaches, from monothetic (focusing on belief) to polythetic (examining both structure and individual mental states).
A definition of Religion must be capable of accounting for the fact that religion is an extremely broad phenomenon. Whether one is analyzing a small, isolated tribe or the entire planet, there are numerous religions that can be found. The question then becomes what is the most useful and accurate definition of religion?
While a monothetic definition would be ideal for the purpose of reducing the amount of work involved in studying religion, it is not practical. It is difficult to define the concept of Religion so that it captures every possible variation in human beliefs and behaviors. There is simply too much information to study, even if it were possible.
For this reason, scholars often adopt a polythetic approach to the study of Religion. This allows them to analyze a variety of religious traditions in their totality, rather than limiting their focus to those beliefs and behaviors that can be defined as “religious.”
Another consideration is the importance of recognizing that religions protect a great deal of information that has proven to be invaluable for human beings. This information can range from sex to salvation, from a sense of purpose to a means of dealing with death. It is information that has to be monitored, coded, protected, and transmitted if it is to be preserved.
In addition to protecting this information, some religions have also been developed to help achieve the goals of their adherents. Some of these goals are proximate and can be attained within this life (such as a more fulfilling, generous, and productive way of living) while others are ultimate in nature and have to do with the final state of this or any other life or the cosmos itself. In the latter case, there may be rewards for good deeds and punishment for bad ones. The latter goal explains why many religions have some form of a supernatural hierarchy. In some cases, this is a physical hierarchy, as in the Roman Catholic Church with its bishops, priests and cardinals; in other cases, it is a spiritual hierarchy such as the Navajo and Hindu religions that have a hierarchy of gods.