Religion is a powerful force in the lives of most people. It plays a significant role in many areas of human life, including psychotherapy, education, public policy, and the media. It also provides social support and a sense of meaning in a person’s life. However, some individuals have negative experiences with religion. If you are struggling with the influence of religion in your life, you may benefit from talking to a mental health professional about it.
Traditionally, scholars have approached the concept of religion by defining it as a taxon of social practices with certain defining properties. Such “monothetic-set” definitions include the idea that the practice of religion involves a belief in deities and spirits. They also exclude practices that do not involve belief in disembodied spirits or cosmological orders.
More recently, scholars have shifted to a more polythetic view of religion, in which it is seen as a genus of practices that appear in many cultures but that do not necessarily exist in all cultures. This approach is exemplified by Emile Durkheim’s claim that religion is whatever group’s dominant concern serves to create solidarity within that group. It is also found in Paul Tillich’s notion that “religion” is any axiological focus that organizes values and provides orientation in life.
There is strong empirical evidence that regular religious participation benefits society in many ways, such as by reducing out-of-wedlock births, drug and alcohol abuse, violence, prejudice, and social anxieties and distress. Thus, it is important for a person’s psychological well-being to find a religion that provides spiritual fulfillment and emotional support.