Religion is a diverse phenomenon that encompasses a wide range of beliefs, rituals, and societal structures. Some people define it as an organized system of faith, while others think that religion simply refers to beliefs in one or more supernatural beings. Still others define it as a set of values that are considered morally or ethically significant. Some scholars focus on how religion relates to other social phenomena such as economics, politics, and history. Yet, there are also those who see religion as a uniquely human phenomenon. This article will explore some of the different definitions that have been proposed for religion and the implications of each.
Some of the most common definitions for religion are functional and focus on its functions. For example, Durkheim deemed religion as a system that generates social cohesion and Paul Tillich defined religion as whatever dominant concern serves to organize a person’s values (whether or not the concerns involve belief in unusual realities). Functional definitions are useful for studying religious behavior, but they have some problems. In particular, they tend to exclude beliefs and practices that many people passionately defend as religious.
In contrast to functional definitions, substantive definitions of religion focus on its properties and features. For example, Smith points out that religions have a unique point of reference—the sacred—and that there are specific characteristics that distinguish them from other social phenomena. He argues that if scholars are to understand these unique properties of religion, they need to study them as a distinct sociocultural phenomenon.
Substantive definitions are not without their problems, however. For one, they can lead to a reductive image of humans. If a scholar uses a substantive definition, it is easy to conclude that two out of three people in the world are not religious. Furthermore, a substantial definition can also exclude some beliefs and behaviors that have been proven to have functional benefits for individuals and society.
Despite these problems, substantive definitions remain popular in studies of religion. In fact, they are often used in studies of religious diversity and are important for the development of cultural anthropology.
There is a growing body of evidence that shows that religion has a number of distinct sociocultural properties. For example, religion is a source of motivation; a contributor to personal and social well-being; an organizer of social life; a source of authority and identity; and a provider of meaning in life.
Although some scholars have tried to reduce the uniqueness of religion by reducing its characteristics to other social processes, there is increasing evidence that there may be something special about religion. Specifically, research suggests that it has an unifying point of reference—the sacred—that separates it from other social phenomena and provides a distinctively powerful source of motivation. In addition, a number of empirical studies show that religions are associated with better health and higher levels of mental functioning. These findings indicate that the concept of religion needs to be revised in order to take these findings into account.