A broad and amorphous concept, Religion is one of the world’s most powerful forces. Many different groups of people believe in it, and its beliefs and practices affect the lives of billions of people worldwide. It can be seen in the architecture of many cities, in music and art, and in the daily behavior of believers. It also forms the basis of many social institutions, such as schools, hospitals, and charitable foundations. However, because of its ambiguity, studying religion has long been a challenge. There are a variety of definitions of religion, and different scholars have taken differing approaches to studying it.
Some define religion as a set of beliefs that are universally shared by all members of the religion. Others define it as a system of organized rituals and belief. A third approach focuses on the idea of salvation, either in a literal sense with a place called heaven after death as in Christianity, or in a symbolic sense such as nirvana, as in Buddhism. Most religions have a central figure who is considered to be a messenger of God. This is true even for religions that have developed from natural ideas rather than divine messages, such as aristocratic or royal traditions, and philosophies like Buddhism, developed by Siddartha Gautama (c. 563-483 bce).
Scholars have tried to develop a taxonomy of religions, which would allow them to categorize all of the religions that exist according to common characteristics. However, there are many problems with this, the most obvious being that it takes a very long time to gather enough information on all religions to establish a taxonomy. Another problem is that if a tight definition of religion were used, then any number of things that might seem to fit the description could be classified as a religion. This is called the “monothetic” problem because it follows the classical view that a concept can be accurately defined only by describing a single property that all examples will share. The last several decades, however, have seen the rise of what is called a “polythetic” approach to the study of religions, which abandons the classical view and treats concepts as having prototype structures.
Psychologists, who study human emotions and the way people think, have a different take on religion. They believe that religion fills emotional needs, such as the fear of death, and provides meaning and purpose in people’s lives. Neuroscientists have a similar view. They have found that the brain has circuitry for religious experiences.
It’s important to learn about all of the different faiths in the world, and it can be a great way to connect with people who live around you. Whether you’re a student interested in taking a course to expand your knowledge of the field, or just want to learn more about your neighbors, there are a variety of resources available online to help you get started. The BBC, the United Religions Initiative, and other organizations have general background information about each religion, including its founding story, core beliefs, holidays, and geographical concentration.