Religious beliefs and practices are a central part of human culture, and have helped to shape our values and our societies. They provide people with a moral code, support, and guidance to help them through challenging times. They also play a key role in building strong communities and bring people together.

Emile Durkheim, a French sociologist and founder of the discipline of sociology, wrote that religion is “a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things.” He added that it is a collective experience and that it involves a moral community. Durkheim’s definition is still considered a foundational concept in the study of religion, and his work remains important to both sociology of religion and philosophy of religion.

Many theories of religion have evolved, including the concept of social constructionism. Social constructivists argue that religion is a social construct rather than an essential reality, and that it can be interpreted in many ways by different cultures. They advocate that the concept of religion should be used to inform public policy, psychotherapy, and education.

Other scholars have critiqued stipulative definitions of religion, such as that of Joseph Campbell and Arnold Toynbeh. They have argued that such a narrow definition focuses on mythic belief and ritual practice, which are only a small portion of the total picture. A more useful criterion, according to these critics, is the idea that religion requires action—that it is not just about thoughts or belief systems, but about how people respond to and interact with the world around them.