Religion is a set of beliefs and practices that people follow to give meaning and purpose to their lives. It also includes a moral code and a system of social order. Various disciplines examine religion cross-sectionally to see its basic patterns or structures. For example, psychology views religious feelings and experiences; sociology or social anthropology studies the institutions of religion; and literature and other literary or historical disciplines examine myths and symbols. In addition, some scholars consider the history of a religious tradition and its development over time.
A variety of philosophical approaches to religion have been taken. For instance, some scholars have seen it as a purely psychological phenomenon, in which the mind creates a reality that a person then interprets and believes in. Others have seen religion as a set of ideas or concepts that gives people a sense of identity and a common purpose, thus creating community. A third school of thought, which is called naturalistic or philosophical naturalism, views religion as a set of beliefs and practices that a person follows to feel good about himself or herself.
In modern times, religion has often been viewed in terms of its influence on political life. For example, the vast majority of Muslim-majority countries are governed according to Islamic law (sharia), and many countries have strict anti-abortion laws based on Christian doctrine. In the United States, however, about 23% of adults identify as religiously unaffiliated and only one member of Congress—Kyrsten Sinema—is atheist.
One of the most important issues is how to define religion. It is generally agreed that the concept should include all of the practices, beliefs, and values that a person deems to be central to his or her life. There are, however, a number of problems with this approach.
Some philosophers have criticized the idea of using the term to refer to a whole category of human behavior, saying that this overemphasizes its role in people’s lives and confuses the differences between cultures. Others have suggested that the definition should be more limited, such as a belief in spiritual beings.
Many sociologists and historians study religion in its various forms, such as Islam, Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism. They examine the characteristics of religions as well as the social and economic impact of those religions on society.
The study of religion is an area that has been historically and cross-culturally influential, yet remains an extremely contested topic. The scholarly discipline of religion consists of a broad range of subjects, with the main components being philosophy, theology, history, anthropology, and sociology. The JSTOR database contains full backfiles of core scholarly journals in these areas, and the Project Muse database offers recent scholarly articles in most disciplines. Both resources can be accessed on campus or offsite. In addition, the Religion Library in the IU Bloomington Library offers a wide selection of books on the subject. For more information, see the Library’s religion webpage.