More than 80 percent of the world’s population subscribes to a religion. This enormous figure might suggest that the term “religion” should have a clear, straightforward meaning. Yet it is a word that has acquired multiple senses, with the overlapping and competing notions creating confusion.
Some definitions are based on specific beliefs, such as theistic or monotheistic beliefs or in the existence of heaven and hell. Others are based on an understanding of human nature and spirituality. Still others are based on specific social practices, such as community, morality, and ritual.
Most of these definitions are based on the idea that a particular concept can accurately describe the essence of the phenomenon to which it is applied. This classical approach is called “monothetic.”
Other approaches are based on the idea that a concept can be used to distinguish the characteristics of a particular phenomenon. This is called a functional definition. An example of this is Emile Durkheim’s concept of religion as whatever set of social practices unite people into a moral community (whether or not they involve belief in unusual realities).
Another way to define religion is to understand it as the social process of creating and managing symbolic worlds. This view is sometimes called a verstehen approach. These theories posit that religions are the worldviews of a culture, and they serve many functions, including promoting social cohesion, fostering psychological and physical well-being, and motivating people to work for positive social change.