Religion is the broader category of all beliefs and values that a group considers to be spiritually significant. It is a system of rituals and practices that a group holds to be sacred, as well as ideas that guide its members in their daily lives. Most people around the world belong to one or more religions. The most popular religions are Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Others include Judaism, Sikhism, and Confucianism.
There are many ways to define Religion, and these definitions shift over time. For example, the concept of religion was once a label for scrupulous devotion, and it is now a taxon for sets of social practices. Some use a functional definition of religion, defining it as whatever grouping of social practices unites people into a moral community (even though this may not involve belief in unusual realities).
Others reject the notion that there is such a thing as a “thing” called Religion. In this view, it is a term that was developed by Western colonialism and should be dropped in favor of a more neutral description of the range of human cultural life.
To help students learn about the many ways that Religion is defined, choose resources that include descriptions of a variety of religions in their entirety and in detail. Look for resources that are not just standard textbooks with dates and doctrines, but also include first-person accounts of religious life; scholarly articles on the complexities and nuances of contemporary religious diversity; and discussions of the different views of Religion in our multicultural society.