Religion is a cultural system of behaviors, practices and ethics that give meaning to people’s lives. It serves several functions: it gives people a sense of purpose, reinforces social unity and stability, promotes psychological and physical well-being, and may motivate people to work for positive social change.

A sociological approach defines religion as whatever dominant concern serves to organize a person’s values (whether or not that concern involves belief in unusual realities). Durkheim’s definition of religion turns on the function of creating solidarity, but Paul Tillich also uses the functional concept to define religion.

There is an ongoing debate about the best way to study religion, which cuts across disciplinary lines. The methods and topics are different from one discipline to the next, but it is essential to take a balanced approach to studying religion.

The question of how to define religion is a tricky one, especially since it is an evolving social taxon. Rather than waiting for language to label it, the evolution of religion has been driven by social realities that existed long before they were named.

In the 19th century, the methods and perspectives of history, philology, literary criticism, psychology, anthropology, sociology and other fields were brought together to examine the origins, development and functions of religion. This was the beginning of the modern study of religion.

Some philosophers today argue that the concept of religion is a cultural product that has no ahistorical essence. Others say that the modern expansion of the term religion was a result of European colonialism, and therefore it should be rejected.