Definitions of Religion
We want to step back and think together in a more basic way about the subject of religion itself. What do we mean when we use this term? Obviously, depending on our starting point – from within a specific tradition, or from outside any particular tradition – we will frame our answer in different ways. Our starting points may be very different. What we emphasize especially will be shaped by our experience and perspective. Some may even question the term itself.
At the same time, I think we can come to some common understandings of the elements that make up this thing we call religion – while at the same time enriching our own view through hearing that of others. Learn more about current trends regarding Religion and Public Life here.
Religion by Stephen D. Glazier; Carol R. Ember; May 24, 2019
What is Religion?
“Religion may be defined as “any set of attitudes, beliefs, and practices pertaining to supernatural power, whether that power be forces, gods, spirits, ghosts, or demons” (C. R. Ember, Ember, and Peregrine 2019, 500). Defining the line between what is “supernatural” and “natural” is sometimes difficult, especially since some societies do not make such distinctions. However, most societies do (A. B. Child and Child 1993, 10). Alice and Irvin Child asserted that what all religions have a common is a concept of “mystical power” – power that is different from and greater than physical forces and social interaction. Thus, the supernatural is an extension of this idea of “mystical power.”
“Regardless of the many societal differences in how religion is structured and practiced, religion has been identified in all studied cultures (Glazier 1999, 2). Why religion is universal has been the subject of considerable scholarly discussion.”
“Religion serves many functions and has consequences for both individuals and societies. Religions offer explanations (Segal 2013; Butler 2010). Religion can be both comforting (Xygalatas et al. 2013) and terrifying (Acevedo and Thompson 2013; Winkelman 1998). Most researchers subscribe to Émile Durkheim’s notion that religion acts as a “glue” (some think the most important “glue”) that holds society together (Atran and Henrich 2010). Support for the idea that religion provides a cohesive force was found in a comparison between religious and secular communes in 19th-century America. Religious communes outlasted those motivated by secular ideologies (such as socialism) by many years (Norenzayan and Shariff 2008, 34; Sosis and Ruffle 2003). One explanation of their greater longevity may be that religious communes impose more than twice as many costly requirements as secular communes (Sosis and Ruffle 2003). The requirements include food taboos and fasts, constraints on material possessions, marriage, sex, and communication with the outside world. Costliness appears to not only demonstrate greater commitment by individuals but also increases the likelihood of in-group loyalty and cooperation. But others point out that while religion may be socially integrating, it can also be socially disruptive (Sosis, Kress, and Boster 2007; Dirks 1988; Skali 2016).”
“A common explanation for religion is that it helps humans deal with stress, anxiety and uncertainty. In The Future of an Illusion, Sigmund Freud concluded that religion gives people assurance in the face of insecurity because humans can never master the universal privations intrinsic to mortality (A. B. Child and Child 1993: 230). Nigel Barber (2011) reasons that if religion helps people cope psychologically with dangerous or unpredictable situations, then religious disbelief in God should increase with greater existential security. In a cross-national study Barber found that disbelief is higher in countries with more economic development, less income inequality, more redistribution, and better healthcare.”
“Religion not only serves many functions, but variation in religion is also predictive of many aspects of social and cultural life, including type of property, craft specialization, political hierarchy, and kin-based communities (McNett 1973, 245). Religion is also associated with material objects and buildings and it is these that help archaeologists infer the presence of religion in past societies.”
