One unified definition of “religion” is difficult to determine, because there are so many psychological and emotional factors involved, and because religion means so many things to so many different people – and for some, religion is ostensibly meaningless (Gunn). Perhaps the most inclusive definition is that religion represents our response to existence. Whether it’s an organized religion, such as Judaism, Christianity or Islam, or a more individualized response, whether agnosticism or atheism, or a combination of several faiths’ tenets, it is true that all of respond to the events of our lives with beliefs and emotions (Comstock).
Many religious traditions have a set of texts that serve as a source for their doctrines. For example, most Christians use the Old and New Testaments as their source texts; some denominations also use the books that have been collected into the Apocrypha. These texts can include mythical stories as well as doctrinal analysis; in the Bible, there are such myths as the creation story and the flood narrative, as well as the teachings of St. Paul.
Most religious traditions have their members gather regularly for meetings, during which they pray, sing songs (often called hymns) and have a lesson from their leader. In the Christian tradition, these meetings take place on Sunday mornings, for the most part, and also involve sacraments, such as Communion and baptism.
Finally, most religious traditions have a hierarchy of leadership, either at the local or the regional level, or even higher. Within Christianity there are many different leadership models. The Baptist model stops at the church, with the pastor in charge of all decisions, along with the deacons. In the Catholic church, the pope is the head of the entire Church, assisted by a network of cardinals and bishops over the priests.
Works Cited
Comstock, R. (1984). Toward open definitions of religion. American Academy of Religion Vol.
52: 494-502.
Gunn, T. (2003). The complexity of religion and the definition of “religion” in international law.
Harvard Human Rights Journal Vol. 16: 189-215. Web. Retrieved 21 January 2012 from
http://www.law.harvard.edu/students/orgs/hrj/iss16/gunn.shtml#fn23
