The vast majority of the world’s population subscribes to some form of religion. The largest religions by world population are Christianity (which includes a wide variety of denominations), Islam, Judaism and Hinduism. Many of these religions have significant numbers of adherents in the US. There are also smaller groups such as Mormonism, Buddhism and Hindu Hinduism (which may be considered one religion or several), and various tribal folk religions.
Some scholars define religion as something that exists in all cultures. This view, known as pan-humanism, is a major tenet of some modern social science theories. Others, such as Émile Durkheim and Paul Tillich, use a functional definition. They believe that, whatever its substance, religion serves a useful function in human life by creating a sense of community and orienting a person’s values. Still other scholars take a more substantive view and see religion as a belief in a transcendent reality and associated practices such as the creation of myth, symbols and rites, codes of ethics, sacred writings, and the belief that salvation can be achieved through these beliefs and related activities.
Whatever its nature, religion has had a huge influence on the development of civilizations and on people’s everyday lives. It has shaped fashion, the media, war, colonization and enslavement, abolition, law and law enforcement, marriage practices, economics, education, health, self-control and personal hygiene, and many other facets of life across time and space. It has been the source of inspiration for artists, musicians and writers as well as a motivation for good works such as philanthropy, charity and service. It has also served to provide meaning and purpose to the lives of millions.
In recent decades, there has been a “reflexive turn” in the study of religion as scholars pull back and examine the constructed nature of the objects that they had previously taken for granted. This approach reveals that what counts as religion is not universal but reflects cultural choices. It has revealed that the study of religion is inherently political.
It is important for government, business, academia and the media to understand the role of religion in America. Religious Americans deserve to have their views and concerns respected. They should be included in discussions of public policy, psychotherapy and education. It is vital that Presidents and the Senate appoint judges who are sensitive to the role of religion in American society, and who have an understanding of its place in the Constitution. This will help to ensure that religion is not crowded out of every activity in which the federal government is involved. The Senate should require a clear statement of candidates’ views on this subject in order to make the right choice. The resulting decisions will determine the future of the nation and its religions.