Religion is a system of beliefs, practices and ethics that gives people meaning and direction in life. It usually deals with something bigger than the individual, like a god or spirit, and often includes rituals and moral codes. It may also have a sacred history or mythology, holy texts and symbols, and sacred places. People who practice religion believe that they are part of a larger community and have special powers to connect with the divine.
Different theories of religion have evolved over time. One view is that it is a response to humankind’s recognition that it will eventually die, and that it must either find a way to avoid death or, if that is not possible, to ensure that life goes on after death in some kind of spiritual existence. Another view is that religion provides a sense of belonging to a group, and that it offers hope for a better future. A third view is that religion is a source of comfort and meaning in a frightening world. The concept of religion has always been a controversial one. There is a wide range of definitions, from the broad, such as the one proposed by Paul Tillich, that religion is any belief that deals with an “ultimate concern,” to the narrow, such as the claim that only Christianity is a true religion.
Anthropologists, who study primitive societies, have sometimes tried to use their findings to formulate theories of the genesis and function of religion. For example, the Swiss anthropologist Johann Jakob Bachofen (1815-87) attempted to explain the religious significance of female deities in certain ancient cultures by suggesting that they were a result of a matriarchal society. But he and other anthropologists soon realized that such attempts to create tidy accounts of the origins of religion by reference to nonliterate, prehistoric societies were unlikely to produce decisive results. They thus became more concerned with functional and structural accounts of religion in society, and relinquished the apparently futile search for its origins.
Psychologists and neuroscientists have taken up the issue, too, and suggest that there is an element of truth in the idea that humans create religion to satisfy a need. The psychologist William James (1886-1955) suggested that religion is a form of self-denial, while the sociologists Emile Durkheim (1860-1938) and Herbert Spencer (1901-1990) proposed that it is a way to organize social life.
Many religions are responsible for establishing educational institutions, hospitals and charities, and providing the backbone of social welfare networks throughout the world. But there are also a number of extremist religions, which are violent and seek to control people’s lives by forcing them to adhere to their beliefs. In addition, some scientists are beginning to question whether religion really does have a place in modern society, as the evidence for its positive effects is not very strong. However, the need to deal with problems caused by religion continues to be a significant challenge. Therefore, the field of study is likely to continue to be a major focus of research and debate in the future.