Religions

Religions are organized systems of beliefs, practices, and ethical norms that relate humans to the sacred or transcendent, and to communal life. They typically include creeds or myths, rituals, moral codes, sacred texts, places of worship, and institutions such as clergy. Religions address questions of meaning, origins, destiny, and the nature of the divine, the universe, and humanity's role within it. They vary widely in doctrine and practice but often encompass rites of passage, prayer, worship, moral disciplines, and codes of conduct.

Scholarly study classifies religions across traditions and regions. Major world traditions include Abrahamic faiths—Judaism, Christianity, Islam; Indian traditions—Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism; East Asian traditions—Confucianism, Taoism; Shinto; and various folk and indigenous religions. Many people identify with a religion culturally or historically, while others practice a personal spirituality outside organized religion or adopt secular worldviews. Religions interact with politics, law, art, and science, shaping calendars, education, ethics, and public life.

They may be institutionalized with hierarchical leadership, congregations, and formal organizations; or they may be decentralized and pluralistic. Throughout history, religions have inspired social reform, pilgrimages, literary and artistic production, and movements for social justice, as well as conflicts and tensions when differing beliefs intersect. The academic study of religion uses methods from history, anthropology, sociology, and theology to analyze beliefs, practices, institutions, and their changing roles in societies. It emphasizes pluralism, context, and critical inquiry.