Religion is the unified system of beliefs and attitudes, including codes of moral conduct, that give individuals an object or objects of devotion. It typically deals with the supernatural or spiritual, about forces and powers that are beyond human control. Religion is also often a source of hope for the future. In one form or another, it is a way of life that has attracted millions of adherents throughout the world.
It is sometimes claimed that religion consists of the belief in a god or gods, and the worship of that belief; it may include rituals, sacred writings, and a clergy to administer the religion. There are also various holy days, symbols, and places that hold religious significance to believers.
The term’religion’ can be used to refer to the whole range of religious beliefs and practices, from major world religions like Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism to less well-known ones such as Scientology and Rastafarianism. Some academics and writers take the concept of religion as a taxon for social types that is defined functionally or substantively; the taxonomy that gives rise to these definitions has implications that are different from those that are drawn from the notion of a ‘genus’ (like literature, democracy, or culture itself).
In functional terms, a definition of religion seeks to find some criteria to distinguish between different religions, so as to be able to make comparisons and evaluate them. This approach is often called a ‘functionalist’ view of religion and has a long history in the study of religion, beginning with Émile Durkheim.
Substantive definitions of religion are often thought to resist the ideological, passive image of humans that emerges from functionalist definitions, and to bring a sense of active involvement into the picture. They are, however, prone to oversimplification and can often be taken as a cover for a particular political or cultural position.
A good example of this is David Edward’s definition of religion, which seems to include cosmology and ecology within the category — fields that most people would not regard as religious, but which are important for understanding some religions.
In a substantive, evolutionary sense, the concept of religion is based on the fact that man recognizes his helplessness in the face of his surroundings and that he has a need for Divine assistance. He believes that he can attain his happiness and perfection by entering into friendly communion with the Deity or deities on whom he depends.
This concept of the Deity evokes feelings of reverence, awe, love, and fear; it is often combined with a recognition that mankind has offended and estranged the Deity and therefore has to earn his forgiveness and reconciliation. Religion is a means of bringing the individual into this communion, and of expressing this recognition in acts of homage, which may vary widely. In some cases they may be as simple as the recognition of dependence on God for his or her existence, or, more crudely conceived, conformity to a recognized moral standard.