Religious life is one of the fundamental factors that shape culture, history, and knowledge. Its influence extends across all aspects of human society, from the development of languages to the creation of the arts. In many cultures, religion is a significant social institution that helps to form groups, promotes morality and ethics, and supports the status of the family. It has also influenced government, and served as a source of political legitimacy for monarchs, as well as an opposition to oppressive rulers and unequal social structures like India’s caste system.

It is often difficult to define religion because the ancient world entwined spirituality, identity, and culture in such ways that an independent definition is impractical. James was interested in what he called personal religion: “all the feelings, acts and experiences of individuals in their solitude in regard to whatever they may consider to be the divine.” Other scholars have used a formal strategy to develop a more precise definition, such as identifying a set of features that constitute religion. Examples include the three-sided model of the true, the beautiful and the good, as developed by Ninian Smart or the seven dimensions described by Catherine Albanese.

Scholars have also analyzed the social functions of religion, focusing on how it binds people together and enables them to cope with stressors. They have looked at how it affects health and the ability to achieve wealth, as well as its role in promoting social cohesion and providing a sense of meaning in life. Some have also considered the issue of whether religion can be seen as a universal phenomenon by examining whether it appears in every human culture.