Religion is a term used to describe human beings’ relation to that which they regard as holy, sacred, absolute, spiritual, divine, or worthy of especial reverence. It also often includes the way people deal with ultimate concerns about their lives and their fate after death.

Religion has a major impact on social life, including society’s beliefs and practices and how it interacts with the natural world. Its effects range from creating solidarity to encouraging healthy behaviors.

Sociologists have studied religion for a long time. In the work of Emile Durkheim, for example, religion was seen as a social genus that served society regardless of how it was practiced or what beliefs and rituals a culture favored.

While religion has a significant influence on our lives, it’s not necessary to believe in it to be happy and enjoy your life. Taking steps to engage in healthy behaviors, form social connections with others, and strengthen your coping skills can have just as many benefits as participating in a religious group.

A few things you can do to get a better understanding of religion: Read the Holy Book or some parts of it that interest you; Ask someone who is different from you about their faith; and take a field trip to a church or temple.

One of the most influential approaches to studying religion is called the “reflexive turn.” It has pulled back the camera on the objects that scholars previously regarded as unproblematically “there” and examined them for their constructed nature. It has done this in a variety of ways, but the most successful approach is to treat religion as a social genus that reveals the political character of its use.