Religion is a complex influence on human societies. It can help bring people together, but it can also create divisions. It affects our political systems, our daily lives, and the way we perceive the world around us. It is important to understand the variety of religions that exist around the globe. Studying the different types of religion can open your eyes to new ideas and experiences. It can also increase your level of happiness and contentment with life, as well as connecting you to a higher power.
Most of the world’s 6.5 billion people belong to one of the world’s major religions. However, many more people practice a religion in some form or another. While religion is hard to define, most scholars use a functional definition that depends on the distinctive role it plays in society. One sees this approach in Emile Durkheim’s definition of religion as a social institution that serves the function of creating solidarity and moral order in groups (whether or not this concern involves belief in unusual realities).
In addition to its social functions, religion typically deals with matters of personal spiritual salvation. This may take a literal form, as with a promise of eternal life in heaven, or it can be more symbolic, such as the promise of nirvana after death in some Eastern religions. Religions usually also have sacred rites and rituals, a clergy or priesthood that oversees religious practices and institutions, and a set of rules or beliefs about how to conduct life.
Theories about the origin of religion are largely based on the fact that human beings have always wondered what happens after death and have often felt fearful of uncontrollable forces. These feelings led to the desire for a way to control the future, for a loving creator who would protect them, and for hope that there is a purpose in life.
The earliest religions, at least the ones for which a record exists, developed along the Nile River in Egypt and in Mesopotamia. Later, more complicated forms of religion appeared in India and other parts of the world. Some of these religions included a belief in multiple gods and goddesses, while others were monotheistic, or focused on a single deity.
Modern anthropologists, or scientists who focus on studying human cultures and their origins, have offered various theories about the origin of religion. Some have argued that the word “religion” refers to a kind of faith, and therefore does not adequately capture what is actually involved in this activity. Other anthropologists have rejected substantive definitions of religion, such as those that depend on the presence of a belief in a specific kind of reality, and argue instead for a polythetic identification of religion with any grouping of activities that share certain characteristics. The most common of these polythetic definitions recognize the following features:
