1
: a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices
2
a(1)
: the service and worship of God or the supernatural
(2)
: commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance
b
: the state of a religious
a nun in her 20th year of religion
3
: a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith
Synonyms
Example Sentences
Many people turn to religion for comfort in a time of crisis.
There are many religions, such as Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism.
Shinto is a religion that is unique to Japan.
Hockey is a religion in Canada.
Politics are a religion to him.
Where I live, high school football is religion.
Food is religion in this house.
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Recent Examples on the Web
As Passover begins tonight, the three Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam will all be observing major holidays.
—
Greg Garrison | , al, 6 Apr. 2023
The doctoral degree is just one of White’s many steps toward a life guided by religion.
—Kelly Wynne, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2023
The human desire to turn back the clock can be found throughout the legends and religions of cultures around the world—not to mention sci-fi and horror stories.
—Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, 5 Apr. 2023
Mayor Bradley signed Councilwoman Joy Picus’ ordinance banning discrimination by most private clubs for race, gender, religion or other factors.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2023
Judaism is one of the world’s oldest surviving religions.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 4 Apr. 2023
Many of his own scientific papers documented the languages of Indigenous peoples or sought to explain their cultures, cosmology, rites, social structure and religion.
—Larry Rohter, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Apr. 2023
As a parent, grandparent and pastor, the Rev. Willis was known for her compassion, as well as her sternness regarding morals and religion, her grandson, former Baltimore City Council President Lawrence A. Bell III, said.
—Dan Belson, Baltimore Sun, 3 Apr. 2023
Not all proselytizing religions embrace adoption.
—Larissa Macfarquhar, The New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘religion.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Middle English religioun, from Anglo-French religiun, Latin religion-, religio supernatural constraint, sanction, religious practice, perhaps from religare to restrain, tie back — more at rely
First Known Use
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2b
Time Traveler
The first known use of religion was
in the 13th century
Dictionary Entries Near religion
Cite this Entry
“Religion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/religion. Accessed 13 Apr. 2023.
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[ ri-lij—uhn ]
/ rɪˈlɪdʒ ən /
This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.
noun
a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.
a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects: the Christian religion;the Buddhist religion.
the body of persons adhering to a particular set of beliefs and practices: a world council of religions.
the life or state of a monk, nun, etc.: to enter religion.
the practice of religious beliefs; ritual observance of faith.
something one believes in and follows devotedly; a point or matter of ethics or conscience: to make a religion of fighting prejudice.
religions, Archaic. religious rites: painted priests performing religions deep into the night.
Archaic. strict faithfulness; devotion: a religion to one’s vow.
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Idioms about religion
- to acquire a deep conviction of the validity of religious beliefs and practices.
- to resolve to mend one’s errant ways: The company got religion and stopped making dangerous products.
get religion, Informal.
Origin of religion
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English religioun, from Old French religion or directly from Latin religiōn- (stem of religiō “conscientiousness, piety,” equivalent to relig(āre) “to tie, fasten” (re- re- + ligāre “to bind, tie”; cf. ligament) + -iōn- -ion; cf. rely
OTHER WORDS FROM religion
re·li·gion·less, adjectivean·ti·re·li·gion, adjectivenon·re·li·gion, nounsub·re·li·gion, noun
Words nearby religion
relievo, relig., relight, religieuse, religieux, religion, religionism, religiose, religiosity, religious, religious house
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Words related to religion
church, creed, cult, denomination, doctrine, morality, myth, mythology, prayer, ritual, sect, spirituality, superstition, theology, communion, devotion, observance, orthodoxy, pietism, piety
How to use religion in a sentence
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We will reclaim our history, and our country, for citizens of every race, color, religion and creed.
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Connecticut, which requires voters to show up at their polling place on election day unless they’re incapable due to illness, physical disability, or their religion, has extended absentee voting to all eligible residents, for example.
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Democrats are once again doubling down on religion this year.
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A deeply controversial film at the time of its release because of its dark and cynical, even sinister view of organized religion, Hunchback is perhaps Disney’s most intense film.
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A study by Naseem and his colleagues at Blue Veins found the reasons behind child marriage to be a complex milieu of culture, religion and poverty.
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And yes, our values include tolerance of those who wish to make fun of religion.
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In the end, the line between magic and religion may be something of an artificial one.
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It is the kind of compassion espoused by every world religion and every revered religious leader.
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It needs to be said: bigotry in the name of religion is still bigotry; child abuse wrapped in a Bible verse is still child abuse.
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Isha Aran at Jezebel worries that the show “glorif[ies] the way religion can constrain people.”
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The supernaturalist alleges that religion was revealed to man by God, and that the form of this revelation is a sacred book.
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Each religion claims that its own Bible is the direct revelation of God, and is the only true Bible teaching the only true faith.
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No man should regard the subject of religion as decided for him until he has read The Golden Bough.
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Pretty women without religion are like flowers without perfume.
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It was in the college stage that most of us made out our religion and made it real for ourselves.
British Dictionary definitions for religion
noun
belief in, worship of, or obedience to a supernatural power or powers considered to be divine or to have control of human destiny
any formal or institutionalized expression of such beliefthe Christian religion
the attitude and feeling of one who believes in a transcendent controlling power or powers
mainly RC Church the way of life determined by the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience entered upon by monks, friars, and nunsto enter religion
something of overwhelming importance to a personfootball is his religion
archaic
- the practice of sacred ritual observances
- sacred rites and ceremonies
Word Origin for religion
C12: via Old French from Latin religiō fear of the supernatural, piety, probably from religāre to tie up, from re- + ligāre to bind
Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with religion
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Many say the etymology of religion lies with the Latin word religare, which means «to tie, to bind.» This seems to be favored on the assumption that it helps explain the power religion has to bind a person to a community, culture, course of action, ideology, etc. The Oxford English Dictionary points out, though, that the etymology of the word is doubtful. Earlier writers like Cicero connected the term with relegere, which means «to read over again» (perhaps to emphasize the ritualistic nature of religions?).
Some argue that religion doesn’t even exist in the first place — there is only culture, and religion is simply a significant aspect of human culture. Jonathan Z. Smith writes in Imagining Religion:
«…while there is a staggering amount of data, phenomena, of human experiences and expressions that might be characterized in one culture or another, by one criterion or another, as religion — there is no data for religion. Religion is solely the creation of the scholar’s study. It is created for the scholar’s analytic purposes by his imaginative acts of comparison and generalization. Religion has no existence apart from the academy.»
It is true that many societies do not draw a clear line between their culture and what scholars would call «religion,» so Smith certainly has a valid point. This does not necessarily mean that religion doesn’t exist, but it is worth keeping in mind that even when we think we have a handle on what religion is, we might be fooling ourselves because we aren’t able to distinguish what belongs just to a culture’s «religion» and what is part of the wider culture itself.
Functional vs. Substantive Definitions of Religion
Many scholarly and academic attempts to define or describe religion can be classified into one of two types: functional or substantive. Each represents a very distinct perspective on the nature of the function of religion. Although it is possible for a person to accept both types as valid, in reality, most people will tend to focus on one type to the exclusion of the other.
Substantive Definitions of Religion
The type a person focuses on can tell a lot about what he thinks of religion and how he perceives religion in human life. For those who focus upon substantive or essentialist definitions, religion is all about content: if you believe certain types of things you have a religion while if you don’t believe them, you don’t have a religion. Examples include belief in gods, belief in spirits, or belief in something known as “the sacred.”
Accepting a substantive definition of religion means looking at religion as simply a type of philosophy, a system of bizarre beliefs, or perhaps just a primitive understanding of nature and reality. From the substantive or essentialist perspective, religion originated and survived as a speculative enterprise which is all about trying to understand ourselves or our world and has nothing to do with our social or psychological lives.
Functional Definitions of Religion
For those who focus on functionalist definitions, religion is all about what it does: if your belief system plays some particular role either in your social life, in your society, or in your psychological life, then it is a religion; otherwise, it’s something else (like philosophy). Examples of functionalist definitions include describing religion as something which binds together a community or which alleviates a person’s fear of mortality.
Accepting such functionalist descriptions results in a radically different understanding of the origin and nature of religion when compared to substantive definitions. From the functionalist perspective, religion doesn’t exist to explain our world but rather to help us survive in the world, whether by binding us together socially or by supporting us psychologically and emotionally. Rituals, for example, exist to bring us all together as a unit or to preserve our sanity in a chaotic world.
The definition of religion used on this site doesn’t focus on either functionalist or essentialist perspective of religion; instead, it attempts to incorporate both the types of beliefs and the types of functions which religion often has. So why spend so much time explaining and discussing these types of definitions?
Even if we don’t use a specifically functionalist or essentialist definition here, it remains true that such definitions can offer interesting ways to look at religion, causing us to focus on some aspect which we might have otherwise ignored. It is necessary to understand why each is valid to better understand why neither is superior to the other. Finally, because so many books on religion tend to prefer one type of definition over another, understanding what they are can provide a clearer view of authors’ biases and assumptions.
Problematic Definitions of Religion
Definitions of religion tend to suffer from one of two problems: they are either too narrow and exclude many belief systems which most agree are religious, or they are too vague and ambiguous, suggesting that just about anything and everything is a religion. Because it’s so easy to fall into one problem in the effort to avoid the other, debates about the nature of religion will probably never cease.
A good example of a narrow definition being too narrow is the common attempt to define «religion» as «belief in God,» effectively excluding polytheistic religions and atheistic religions while including theists who have no religious belief system. We see this problem most often among those who assume that the strict monotheistic nature of western religions they are most familiar with must somehow be a necessary characteristic of religion generally. It’s rare to see this mistake being made by scholars, at least anymore.
A good example of a vague definition is the tendency to define religion as «worldview» — but how can every worldview qualify as a religion? It would be ridiculous to think that every belief system or ideology is even just religious, never mind a full-fledged religion, but that’s the consequence of how some try to use the term.
Some have argued that religion isn’t hard to define and the plethora of conflicting definitions is evidence of how easy it really is. The real problem, according to this position, lies in finding a definition that is empirically useful and empirically testable — and it’s certainly true that so many of the bad definitions would be quickly abandoned if proponents just put in a bit of work to test them.
The Encyclopedia of Philosophy lists traits of religions rather than declaring religion to be one thing or another, arguing that the more markers present in a belief system, the more «religious like» it is:
- Belief in supernatural beings.
- A distinction between sacred and profane objects.
- Ritual acts focused on sacred objects.
- A moral code believed to be sanctioned by the gods.
- Characteristically religious feelings (awe, sense of mystery, sense of guilt, adoration), which tend to be aroused in the presence of sacred objects and during the practice of ritual, and which are connected in idea with the gods.
- Prayer and other forms of communication with gods.
- A world view, or a general picture of the world as a whole and the place of the individual therein. This picture contains some specification of an overall purpose or point of the world and an indication of how the individual fits into it.
- A more or less total organization of one’s life based on the world view.
- A social group bound together by the above.
This definition captures much of what religion is across diverse cultures. It includes sociological, psychological, and historical factors and allows for broader gray areas in the concept of religion. It also recognizes that «religion» exists on a continuum with other types of belief systems, such that some aren’t religious at all, some are very close to religions, and some definitely are religions.
This definition is not without flaws, however. The first marker, for example, is about «supernatural beings» and gives «gods» as an example, but thereafter only gods are mentioned. Even the concept of «supernatural beings» is a bit too specific; Mircea Eliade defined religion in reference to a focus on «the sacred,» and that is a good replacement for «supernatural beings» because not every religion revolves around the supernatural.
An Improved Definition of Religion
Because the flaws in the above definition are relatively minor, it’s an easy matter to make some small adjustments and come up with a much-improved definition of what religion is:
- Belief in something sacred (for example, gods or other supernatural beings).
- A distinction between sacred and profane spaces and/or objects.
- Ritual acts focused on sacred spaces and/or objects.
- A moral code believed to have a sacred or supernatural basis.
- Characteristically religious feelings (awe, sense of mystery, sense of guilt, adoration), which tend to be aroused in the presence of sacred spaces and/or objects and during the practice of ritual which is focused on sacred spaces, objects, or beings.
- Prayer and other forms of communication with the supernatural.
- A worldview, ideology, or a general picture of the world as a whole and the place of individuals therein which contains a description of an overall purpose or point of the world and how individuals fit into it.
- A more or less complete organization of one’s life based on this worldview.
- A social group bound together by and around the above.
This is the definition of religion describes religious systems but not non-religious systems. It encompasses the features common in belief systems generally acknowledged as religions without focusing on specific characteristics unique to just a few.
re·li·gion
(rĭ-lĭj′ən)
n.
1.
a. The belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers, regarded as creating and governing the universe: respect for religion.
b. A particular variety of such belief, especially when organized into a system of doctrine and practice: the world’s many religions.
c. A set of beliefs, values, and practices based on the teachings of a spiritual leader.
2. The life or condition of a person in a religious order: a widow who went into religion and became a nun.
3. A cause, principle, or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion: a person for whom art became a religion.
Idiom:
get religion Informal
1. To become religious or devout.
2. To resolve to end one’s immoral behavior.
[Middle English religioun, from Old French religion, from Latin religiō, religiōn-, perhaps from religāre, to tie fast; see rely.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
religion
(rɪˈlɪdʒən)
n
1. belief in, worship of, or obedience to a supernatural power or powers considered to be divine or to have control of human destiny
2. any formal or institutionalized expression of such belief: the Christian religion.
3. the attitude and feeling of one who believes in a transcendent controlling power or powers
4. (Roman Catholic Church) chiefly RC Church the way of life determined by the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience entered upon by monks, friars, and nuns: to enter religion.
5. something of overwhelming importance to a person: football is his religion.
6. archaic
a. the practice of sacred ritual observances
b. sacred rites and ceremonies
[C12: via Old French from Latin religiō fear of the supernatural, piety, probably from religāre to tie up, from re- + ligāre to bind]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
re•li•gion
(rɪˈlɪdʒ ən)
n.
1. a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usu. involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code for the conduct of human affairs.
2. a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects: the Christian religion.
3. the body of persons adhering to a particular set of beliefs and practices: a world council of religions.
4. the life or state of a monk, nun, etc.: to enter religion.
5. the practice of religious beliefs; ritual observance of faith.
6. something a person believes in and follows devotedly.
7. Archaic. strict faithfulness; devotion.
Idioms:
get religion,
a. to become religious; acquire religious convictions.
b. to resolve to mend one’s errant ways.
[1150–1200; religioun < Latin religiō conscientiousness, piety <religāre to tie, fasten (re- re- + ligāre to bind, tie; compare ligament)]
re•li′gion•less, adj.
Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
religion
- nullifidian — Someone having no faith or religion; a disbeliever.
- apostasy — Abandonment or renunciation of one’s religion or morals.
- renegade — First referred to a person who abandons one religion for another.
- secular — Has a root meaning of «temporal»—opposed to the eternity of the church—and means «not connected to a religion.»
Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.
Religion
1. the property or jurisdiction of an abbot.
2. the time during which a person serves as an abbot.
the practice of going naked for God; the beliefs of some ascetic sects in ritual nakedness. See also nakedness — Adamite. n. — Adamitic, adj.
1. Obsolete, a spiritual or mental elevation.
2. a mystical interpretation of a text (usually the Bible.) — anagogic, adj. — anagogically, adv.
the study of hidden meanings, usually in Bible passages.
1. Theology. the doctrine or theory concerning angels.
2. the beliefs concerning angels.
the appearance to men, in visible form, of angels.
the principles of those who oppose the with-drawal of the recognition or support of the state from an established church, usually used in referring to the Anglican church in the 19th century in England.
Theology. 1. any doctrine concerning the end of the temporal world, especially one based on the Revelations of St. John the Divine.
2. the millennial doctrine of the Second Advent and the reign of Jesus Christ on earth. — apocalyptic, apocalyptical, adj.
a formal apology, especially on behalf of some belief or doctrine.
relinquishing of a religious belief. — apostate, n., adj.
being of or contemporary with the Apostles in character.
the worship of children.
the doctrines and practices of a sect growing out of Babism and reflecting some attitudes of the Islamic Shi’a sect, but with an emphasis on tolerance and the essential worth of all religions. — Baha’i, n., adj. — Baha’ist, n., adj.
obtuse or narrow-minded intolerance, especially of other races or religions. — bigot, n. — bigoted, adj.
a pre-Buddhist religion of Tibet, involving worship of nature spirits and the practice of sacrifice, magie, and divination. It was influential on the Tibetan form of Buddhism.
the doctrines of an Indochinese religion, especially an amalgamation of features from Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Christianity, and spiritualism. — Caodaist, n.
belief in a church or religious system.
the state of eternal coexistence; eternal coexistence with another eternal entity. — coeternal, adj.
the practice of converting people to a religion. — convertist, n.
the worship of the world.
a term used in 16th-century Germany for secret sympathies toward Calvinists, held by professed Lutherans. — crypto-Calvinist, n.
the quality or state of a person markedly characterized by religious devotion. — devotionalist, n.
the doctrines and practices of an order of Celtic priests in ancient Britain, Gaul, and Ireland. — Druid, n., adj. — Druidic, Druidical, adj.
Theology. 1. the doctrine of two independent divine beings or eternal principles, one good and the other evil.
2. the belief that man embodies two parts, as body or soul. — dualist, n. — dualistic, adj.
the use of a thesis to state a belief, as the Ecthesis of Heracïius, for-bidding discussion of the duality of Christ’s will.
a mania for religion.
the appearance to man, in visible form, of a god or other supernatural being.
official recognition of a church as a national institution, especially the Church of England. Cf. antidisestablishmentarianism.
Obsolete, a complete, usually public, confession.
religious doctrines or practices that are easily understood by the general public. — exoteric, n., adj.
the beliefs of the familists, members of an antinomian sect of 16th-and 17th-century Europe. — familist, n. — familistic, adj.
the character, spirit, or conduct of a person with an extreme and uncritical enthusiasm or zeal, as in religion or politics. — fanatic, n.
whipping or flogging as a religious practice for the mortification of the flesh. — flagellant, n., adj, — flagellator, n.
the state or quality of being non-Jewish, and especially a heathen or pagan. — gentile, n., adj.
1. a belief or practice of heathens.
2. pagan worship; idolatry.
3. irreligion.
4. barbaric morals or behavior. — heathen, n., adj. — heathenistic, adj.
the worship of heroes.
the principles, attitudes, and practices of priests as a group, both Christian and non-Christian. — hieratic, adj.
a mania for priests.
1. the performance of holy works.
2. the holy work itself.
the principles that distinguish the Anglican church from the Calvinist and Protestant Nonconformist churches, especially deference to the authority and claims of the Episcopate and the priesthood and belief in the saving grace of the sacraments. — High Churchist, High Churchite, n.
the art of sacred speaking; preaching. — homiletic, homiletical adj.
Taoism, def. 2.
the religion of a fourth-century Asiatic sect whose beliefs were composed of Christian, Jewish, and pagan elements.
the belief in or worship of idols. — idolatry, idolist, n. — idolatrous, adj.
a view that admits no real difference between true and false in religion or philosophy; a form of agnosticism. — indifferentist, n. See also attitudes.
adherence to a theory or doctrine of divine influence, inspiration, or revelation, especially concerning the Scriptures.
the beliefs of the Izedis, a Mesopotamian sect said to worship the devil. — Izedi, Yezdi, Yezidi, n.
a dualistic, ascetic religion founded in the 6th century B.C. by a Hindu reformer as a revolt against the caste system and the vague world spirit of Hinduism. — Jain,n.,adj. — Jainist, n.
a Christian sect founded by Cornelius Jansen, 17th-century Dutch religious reformer. See also heresy.
the relation between Jehovah and his people and church.
the policies and measures concerning religion introduced by Emperor Joseph II of Austria (1741-90). Also Josephism.
the study of homiletics. — kerystic, adj.
tolerance or broadmindedness, especially in matters of religion; the liberal interpretation of beliefs or doctrines. — latitudinarian, n., adj.
Theology. 1. the doctrine that salvation is gained through good works.
2. the judging of conduct in terms of strict adherence to precise laws. — legalist, n. — legalistic, adj.
the study of public church ritual. — liturgist, n.
the system of church rituals and their symbolism. — liturgiolo-gist, n.
the principle that the Church of England is really little different from the Protestant Nonconformist churches in England and thus that the authority of the Episcopate and the priesthood, as well as the sacraments, are of comparatively minor importance. — Low Churchman, n.
the killing of something for the purpose of sacrifice.
1. the doctrine of a generalized, supernatural force or power, which may be concentrated in objects or persons.
2. belief in mana. — manaistic, adj.
1. the condition of being a martyr.
2. the death or type of suffering of a particular martyr.
3. any arduous suffering or torment.
Obsolete, a list, register or book of martyrs.
the worship of Ahura Mazda in Zoroastrianism as the source of all light and good. — Mazdaist, n.
the preachings of the American William Miller (1782-1849), founder of the Adventist church, who believed that the end of the world and the return of Christ would occur in 1843. — Millerite, n.
a West Indian Negro cult, probably of West African origin, that believes in the Obeah.
1. the doctrine that an immediate spiritual intuition of truth or an intimate spiritual union of the soul with God can be achieved through contemplation and spiritual exercises.
2. the beliefs, ideas, or practices of mystics.
the revival of paganism. — neopagan, adj. — neopaganist, n., adj.
a person who has no religion; a religious skeptic.
1. the state or position of being without religious faith or belief.
2. advocacy of such a state or position. — nullifidian, n., adj.
a belief that certain secret, mysterious, or supernatural agencies exist and that human beings may communicate with them or have their assistance. — occultist, n., adj.
Philosophy. the doctrine that the human intellect has as its proper object the knowledge of God, that this knowledge is immediate and intu-itive, and that all other knowledge must be built on this base. — ontologist, n. — ontologistic, adj.
the doctrines and beliefs of certain Gnostic sects that worshiped serpents as the symbol of the hidden divine wisdom and as having benefited Adam and Eve by encouraging them to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge. Also Ophitism. — Ophite, n. — Ophitic, adj.
the religion of the Orphic mysteries, a cult of Dionysus (Bacchus) ascribed to Orpheus as its founder, especially its rites of initiation and doctrines of original sin, salvation, and purification through reincarnations. Also Orphicism. — Orphic, n., adj.
the condition, quality, or practice of conforming, especially in religious belief. — orthodox, adj.
1. a hedonistic spirit or attitude in moral or religious matters.
2. the beliefs and practices of pagans, especially polytheists.
3. the state of being a pagan. — paganist, n., adj. — paganistic, adj.
1. the belief that identifies God with the universe.
2. the belief that God is the only reality, transcending all, and that the universe and everything in it are mere manifestations of Him. — pantheist, n., adj. — pantheistic, adj.
the worship of the Church Fathers.
ostentatious piety; sanctimoniousness.
the doctrine or theory of spiritual beings. — pneumatologist, n. — pneumatologic, pneumatological, adj.
the study of the history of ecclesiastical disputes.
a derogatory term for the practices and beliefs of priests or the priesthood.
1. the behavior of a prophet or prophets.
2. the philosophical system of the Hebrew prophets.
the religious beliefs of a West Indian sect who worship the late Emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie (given name: Ras Tafari), and who believe that black people are the chosen of God, and that their promised land is Africa. Their use of marijuana in rituals was widely publicized.
recusancy. — recusant, adj.
resistance to authority or refusal to conform, especially in religious matters, used of English Catholics who refuse to attend the services of the Church of England. Also called recusance. — recusant, n., adj.
the act or quality of being renewed, reformed, or reborn, especially in a spiritual rebirth. — regenerate, adj.
the strict adherence and devotion to religion. — religionist, n. — religionary, adj.
the worship of relics.
advocacy of the reunion of the Anglican and Catholic churches. — reunionist, n. — reunionistic, adj.
a person who believes in divine revelation or revealed religion.
the principles, institutions, or practices of the Rosicrucian Order, especially claims to various forms of occult knowledge and power, and esoteric religious practices. — Rosicrucian, n., adj.
the religious system of the Sabians, a group, according to the Koran, entitled to Muslim religious toleration. They have been associated with the Mandeans, who claim direct descent from the followers of John the Baptist. See also astronomy.
the religious doctrines of the Samaritans.
the appearance of Satan on earth.
a division especially peculiar to a Christian church or a religious body. — schismatic, n. — schismatical, adj.
the doctrines and beliefs of a religious movement founded in the mid-20th century by L. Ron Hubbard, especially an emphasis upon man’s immortal spirit, reincarnation, and an extrascientific method of psychotherapy (dianetics). — Scientologist, n., adj.
1. a view that religion and religious considerations should be ignored or excluded from social and political matters.
2. an ethical system asserting that moral judgments should be made without reference to religious doctrine, as reward or punishment in an afterlife. — secularist, n., adj. — secularistic, adj.
the simulation of religious, “seraphic” ecstasy.
1. a person who delivers sermons.
2. a person who adopts a preaching attitude.
1. the act of delivering a sermon.
2. sermons taken collectively.
1. the tenets of the primitive religion of northern Asia, especially a belief in powerful spirits who can be influenced only by shamans in their double capacity of priest and doctor.
2. any similar religion, as among American Indians. — shamanist, n. — shamanistic, adj.
the doctrines and practices of Shinto, the native religion of Japan, especially its system of nature and ancestor worship. — Shinto, n., adj. — Shintoistic, adj.
the practices of simony, especially the making of a profit out of sacred things. — simonist, n. — simoniac, n., adj. — simoniacal, adj.
1. a philosophical system evolved by Lao-tzu and Chuang-tzu, especially its advocacy of a simple and natural life and of noninterference with the course of natural events in order to have a happy existence in harmony with the Tao.
2. a popular Chinese religion, purporting to be based on the principles of Lao-tzu, but actually an eclectic polytheism characterized by superstition, alchemy, divination, and magic. Also called Hsüan Chiao.
a system of government in which a deity is considered the civil ruler. Also called thearchy.
the study of God and His relationship to the universe. — theologist, n. — theological, adj.
a religious ecstasy in which the devotee believes that he is the deity.
the state or condition of being formed in the image or likeness of God. — theomorphic, adj.
a manifestation or appearance of God or a god to man. — theophanic, theophanous, adj.
the doctrines or tenets of a deistic society in post-Revolutionary Paris that hoped to replace the outlawed Christian religion with a new religion based on belief in God, the immortality of the soul, and personal virtue. — theophilanthropist, n. — theophilanthropic, adj.
the belief that knowledge not accessible to empirical study can be gained through direct contact with the divine principle. — Theosophist, n. — Theosophic, Theosophical, adj.
treatment of illness or disease by prayer and other religious exercises. — theotherapist, n.
the beliefs and practices of the Therapeutae, a Jewish mystical sect in Egypt during the 1st century A.D.
Obsolete, the religion of the Turks, i.e., Islam.
the principles of the Vaudois or Waldenses, who did not acknowledge the primacy of the Pope. — Waldensian, adj.
the religious system of the Wahhabi, a Muslim order founded by Muhammad Ibn-Abdul Wahhab.
Bible. the worship of idols instead of God; idolatry.
the Kongo and Kimbundu system of religion, characterized by worship of a snake deity during voodoo rites.
the doctrines and practices of a dualistic Iranian religion, especially the existence of a supreme deity, Ahura Mazda, and belief in a cosmic struggle between a spirit of good and light and a spirit of evil and darkness. Also called Zoroastrism, Zarathustrism, Mazdaism. — Zoroastrian, n., adj.
-Ologies & -Isms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
Religion
See Also: BELIEFS
- As men’s prayers are a disease of the will, so are their creeds a disease of the intellect —Ralph Waldo Emerson
- As religious as any man who prays daily and hangs a rabbit’s foot on his windshield —Harry Prince
- Beautiful women without religion are like flowers without perfume —Heinrich Heine
- Catholicism’s a little too much like the gold standard: a fixed weight of piety translatable into a fixed exchange rate of grace —Michael M. Thomas
- The Christian is like the ripening corn; the riper he grows, the more lowly he bends his head —Thomas Guthrie
- Christianity is like electricity. It cannot enter a person unless it can pass through —Bishop Richard C. Raines
- The church is a sort of hospital for men’s souls, and as full of quackery as the hospitals for those bodies —Henry David Thoreau
- A consistently godless world is like a picture without perspective —Franz Werfel
- Faith … a stiffening process, a sort of mental starch, which ought to be applied as sparingly as possible —E. M. Forster
- Faith is like love: it cannot be forced —Arthur Schopenhauer
- Faith without works is like a bird without wings —Francis Beaumont
- Folded into his religion like a razor into its case —Anon
- God’s like a kid with too many toys to take care of —Sharon Sheehe Stark
- People are born churchy or unchurchy, just as they are born with a tendency to arteriosclerosis, cancer or consumption —Anatole France
- In religion, as in friendship, they who profess most are the least sincere —Richard Brinsley Sheridan
- In religion as in politics it so happens that we have less charity for those who believe half our creed than for those who deny the whole of it —Charles Caleb Colton
- Living without faith is like driving in a fog —Anon
- The majority takes the creed [Calvinism] as a horse takes his collar; it slips by his ears, over his neck, he hardly knows how, but he finds himself in harness and jogs along as his fathers and forefathers before him —Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
- A man who writes of himself without speaking of God is like one who identifies himself without giving his address —Ben Hecht
- Men’s anger about religion is as if two men should quarrel for a lady they neither of them care for —Lord Halifax
- Our faith … runs as fast as feeling to embrace —William Alfred
- Our faith is too often like the mercury in the weather-glass; it gets up high in fine weather; in rough weather it sinks proportionally low —Anon
- Piety, like aristocracy, has its nobility —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
- Prayed like an orphan —Wendell Berry
- Prayer is a force as real as terrestrial gravity —Alexis Carrel
- Priestly mannerisms clung to him like the smell of candle-wax and incense —Peter Kemp
- Religion is comparable to a childhood neurosis —Sigmund Freud
- Religion is like love; it plays the devil with clear thinking —Rose Macaulay
- Religion is like the breath of heaven; if it goes abroad in the open air, it scatters and dissolves —Jeremy Taylor
- Religion, like water, may be free, but when they pipe it to you, you’ve got to help pay for the piping. And the piper —Muriel Spark
- Religious as a lizard on a rock —Anon
- Religious sense is like an esthetic sense. You’re born with it or you aren’t —P. D. James, New York Times Magazine, October 5, 1986
- Sects and creeds of religion are like pocket compasses, good enough to point you in the direction, but the nearer the pole you get the worse they work —Josh Billings
In Billings’ phonetic dialect: “Sekts and creeds of religion are like pocket compesses, good enuff tu point you inte the right direction, but the nearer the pole yu git the wuss tha wurk.”
- She fought off God like an unwelcome suitor —Nancy Evans about Emily Dickinson, “First Editions”/WNYC February 18, 1987
- Some Christians are like soiled bank notes: while we acknowledge their value we wish them changed —William Lewis
- Sometimes the curse of God comes like the caress of a woman’s hand, and sometimes His blessing comes like a knife in the flesh —Amos Oz
- The soul united to God is like a leaf united to the tree —Ignazio Silone
- They treated their God like a desk clerk with whom they lodged requests and complaints —Helen Hudson
- Without dogma a religion is like a body without skeleton. It can’t stand —James G. Huneker
Similes Dictionary, 1st Edition. © 1988 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
| Noun | 1. |  religion — a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny; «he lost his faith but not his morality»
persecution — the act of persecuting (especially on the basis of race or religion) vigil, watch — the rite of staying awake for devotional purposes (especially on the eve of a religious festival) consecration — (religion) sanctification of something by setting it apart (usually with religious rites) as dedicated to God; «the Cardinal attended the consecration of the church» toleration — official recognition of the right of individuals to hold dissenting opinions (especially in religion) traditionalism — adherence to tradition (especially in cultural or religious matters) censer, thurible — a container for burning incense (especially one that is swung on a chain in a religious ritual) cloister — a courtyard with covered walks (as in religious institutions) habit — a distinctive attire worn by a member of a religious order orthodoxy — the quality of being orthodox (especially in religion) supernatural virtue, theological virtue — according to Christian ethics: one of the three virtues (faith, hope, and charity) created by God to round out the natural virtues meditation — (religion) contemplation of spiritual matters (usually on religious or philosophical subjects) belief — any cognitive content held as true apophatism — the religious belief that God cannot be known but is completely `other’ and must be described in negative terms (in terms of what God is not) cataphatism — the religious belief that God has given enough clues to be known to humans positively and affirmatively (e.g., God created Adam `in his own image’) doctrine of analogy, analogy — the religious belief that between creature and creator no similarity can be found so great but that the dissimilarity is always greater; any analogy between God and humans will always be inadequate cultus, religious cult, cult — a system of religious beliefs and rituals; «devoted to the cultus of the Blessed Virgin» cult — a religion or sect that is generally considered to be unorthodox, extremist, or false; «it was a satanic cult» ecclesiasticism — religion appropriate to a church and to ecclesiastical principles and practices nature worship — a system of religion that deifies and worships natural forces and phenomena revealed religion — a religion founded primarily on the revelations of God to humankind theism — the doctrine or belief in the existence of a God or gods Christian religion, Christianity — a monotheistic system of beliefs and practices based on the Old Testament and the teachings of Jesus as embodied in the New Testament and emphasizing the role of Jesus as savior Hindooism, Hinduism — a body of religious and philosophical beliefs and cultural practices native to India and based on a caste system; it is characterized by a belief in reincarnation, by a belief in a supreme being of many forms and natures, by the view that opposing theories are aspects of one eternal truth, and by a desire for liberation from earthly evils Brahmanism, Brahminism — the religious beliefs of ancient India as prescribed in the sacred Vedas and Brahmanas and Upanishads Jainism — religion founded in the 6th century BC as a revolt against Hinduism; emphasizes asceticism and immortality and transmigration of the soul; denies existence of a perfect or supreme being Sikhism — the doctrines of a monotheistic religion founded in northern India in the 16th century by Guru Nanak and combining elements of Hinduism and Islam Buddhism — the teaching of Buddha that life is permeated with suffering caused by desire, that suffering ceases when desire ceases, and that enlightenment obtained through right conduct and wisdom and meditation releases one from desire and suffering and rebirth Hsuan Chiao, Taoism — popular Chinese philosophical system based in teachings of Lao-tzu but characterized by a pantheism of many gods and the practices of alchemy and divination and magic Shintoism, Shinto — the ancient indigenous religion of Japan lacking formal dogma; characterized by a veneration of nature spirits and of ancestors Manichaeanism, Manichaeism — a religion founded by Manes in the third century; a synthesis of Zoroastrian dualism between light and dark and Babylonian folklore and Buddhist ethics and superficial elements of Christianity; spread widely in the Roman Empire but had largely died out by 1000 Mithraicism, Mithraism — ancient Persian religion; popular among Romans during first three centuries a.d. |
| 2. | religion — an institution to express belief in a divine power; «he was raised in the Baptist religion»; «a member of his own faith contradicted him»
Christian church, church — one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship Hindooism, Hinduism — the religion of most people in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal Taoism — religion adhering to the teaching of Lao-tzu Buddhism — a religion represented by the many groups (especially in Asia) that profess various forms of the Buddhist doctrine and that venerate Buddha Khalsa — the group of initiated Sikhs to which devout orthodox Sikhs are ritually admitted at puberty; founded by the tenth and last Guru in 1699 Church of Scientology, Scientology — a new religion founded by L. Ron Hubbard in 1955 and characterized by a belief in the power of a person’s spirit to clear itself of past painful experiences through self-knowledge and spiritual fulfillment Shinto — the native religion and former ethnic cult of Japan established church — the church that is recognized as the official church of a nation cult — followers of an unorthodox, extremist, or false religion or sect who often live outside of conventional society under the direction of a charismatic leader cult — followers of an exclusive system of religious beliefs and practices canonize, saint, canonise — declare (a dead person) to be a saint; «After he was shown to have performed a miracle, the priest was canonized» exorcise, exorcize — expel through adjuration or prayers; «exorcise evil spirits» confirm — administer the rite of confirmation to; «the children were confirmed in their mother’s faith» |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
religion
Quotations
«There is only one religion, though there are a hundred versions of it» [George Bernard Shaw Plays Unpleasant (preface)]
«Religion enables us to ignore nothingness and get on with the jobs of life» [John Updike Self-Consciousness]
«I count religion but a childish toy,»
«And hold there is no sin but ignorance» [Christopher Marlowe The Jew of Malta]
«Religion…is the opium of the people» [Karl Marx Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right]
«The true meaning of religion is thus not morality, but morality touched by emotion» [Matthew Arnold Literature and Dogma]
«Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind» [Albert Einstein Out of My Later Years]
«Any system of religion that has any thing in it that shocks the mind of a child cannot be a true system» [Thomas Paine The Age of Reason]
«I am a Millionaire. That is my religion» [George Bernard Shaw Major Barbara]
«I can’t talk religion to a man with bodily hunger in his eyes» [George Bernard Shaw Major Barbara]
«We have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another» [Jonathan Swift Thoughts on Various Subjects]
«I am for religion against religions» [Victor Hugo Les Miserables]
«Time consecrates;»
«And what is grey with age becomes religion» [Friedrich von Schiller Die Piccolomini]
«One religion is as true as another» [Robert Burton Anatomy of Melancholy]
«Christians have burnt each other, quite persuaded»
«That all the apostles would have done as they did» [Lord Byron Don Juan]
«The nearer the Church the further from God» [Bishop Lancelot Andrews Of the Nativity]
«To become a popular religion, it is only necessary for a superstition to enslave a philosophy» [Dean Inge Idea of Progress]
«Religion’s in the heart, not in the knees» [Douglas Jerrold The Devil’s Ducat]
«Religion is the frozen thought of men out of which they build temples» [Jiddu Krishnamurti]
see Bible, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism
Religion
Religions animism, Babior Babism, Baha’ism, Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, druidism, heliolatry, Hinduismor Hindooism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Macumba, Manichaeismor Manicheism, Mithraismor Mithraicism, Orphism, paganism, Rastafarianism, Ryobu Shinto, Santeria, Satanism, Scientology (trademark), shamanism, Shango, Shembe, Shinto, Sikhism, Taoism, voodooor voodooism, Yezidis, Zoroastrianismor Zoroastrism
Religious books Adi Granth, Apocrypha, Atharveda, Ayurveda, Bhagavad-Gita, Bible, Book of Mormon, Granthor Guru Granth Sahib, I Ching, Koranor Quran, Li Chi, Lu, Mahabharata, New Testament, Old Testament, Ramayana, Rigveda, Samaveda, Shi Ching, Siddhanta, Su Ching, Talmud, Tipitaka, Torah, Tripitaka, Veda, Yajurveda
Religious buildings abbey, bethel, cathedral, chapel, church, convent, gurdwara, Kaaba, marae, monastery, mosque, synagogue, tabernacle, temple
Religious clothing alb, almuce, amice, biretta or berretta, calotte, canonicals, capuche or capouche, cassock, chasuble, chimere, chimer, or chimar, clerical collar, clericals, coif, cope, cornet, cotta, cowl, dalmatic, dog collar (informal), gremial, guimpe, habit, infulae, maniple, mantelletta, mitre, mozzetta or mozetta, pallium, peplos or peplus, pontificals, rochet, scapular, shovel hat, soutane, superhumeral, surcingle, surplice, tippet, wimple, zucchetto
Religious festivals Advent, Al Hijrah, Ascension Day, Ash Wednesday, Baisakhi, Bodhi Day, Candlemas, Chanukahor Hanukkah, Ching Ming, Christmas, Corpus Christi, Day of Atonement, Dhammacakka, Diwali, Dragon Boat Festival, Dussehra, Easter, Eid ul-Adhaor Id-ul-Adha, Eid ul-Fitror Id-ul-Fitr, Epiphany, Feast of Tabernacles, Good Friday, Guru Nanak’s Birthday, Hirja, Hola Mohalla, Holi, Janamashtami, Lailat ul-Barah, Lailat ul-Isra Wal Mi’raj, Lailat ul-Qadr, Lent, Mahashivaratri, Maundy Thursday, Michaelmas, Moon Festival, Palm Sunday, Passion Sunday, Passover, Pentecost, Pesach, Purim, Quadragesima, Quinquagesima, Raksha Bandhan, Ramadan, Rama Naumi, Rogation, Rosh Hashanah, Septuagesima, Sexagesima, Shavuot, Shrove Tuesday, Sukkothor Succoth, Trinity, Wesak, Whitsun, Winter Festival, Yom Kippur, Yuan Tan
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
religion
noun
A system of religious belief:
The American Heritage® Roget’s Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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My style has been pretty much like a newspaper. It’s got politics in it, it’s got media, sports, family relations, you know, all the sections you would expect, and wonderful religion things.
Kate Clinton
ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD RELIGION
Via Old French from Latin religiō fear of the supernatural, piety, probably from religāre to tie up, from re- + ligāre to bind.
Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.
PRONUNCIATION OF RELIGION
GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF RELIGION
Religion is a noun.
A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.
WHAT DOES RELIGION MEAN IN ENGLISH?
Religion
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Definition of religion in the English dictionary
The first definition of religion in the dictionary is belief in, worship of, or obedience to a supernatural power or powers considered to be divine or to have control of human destiny. Other definition of religion is any formal or institutionalized expression of such belief. Religion is also the attitude and feeling of one who believes in a transcendent controlling power or powers.
WORDS THAT RHYME WITH RELIGION
Synonyms and antonyms of religion in the English dictionary of synonyms
SYNONYMS OF «RELIGION»
The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «religion» and belong to the same grammatical category.
Translation of «religion» into 25 languages
TRANSLATION OF RELIGION
Find out the translation of religion to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of religion from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «religion» in English.
Translator English — Chinese
宗教
1,325 millions of speakers
Translator English — Spanish
religión
570 millions of speakers
English
religion
510 millions of speakers
Translator English — Hindi
धर्म
380 millions of speakers
Translator English — Arabic
دِين
280 millions of speakers
Translator English — Russian
религия
278 millions of speakers
Translator English — Portuguese
religião
270 millions of speakers
Translator English — Bengali
ধর্ম
260 millions of speakers
Translator English — French
religion
220 millions of speakers
Translator English — Malay
Agama
190 millions of speakers
Translator English — German
Religion
180 millions of speakers
Translator English — Japanese
宗教
130 millions of speakers
Translator English — Korean
종교
85 millions of speakers
Translator English — Javanese
Agama
85 millions of speakers
Translator English — Vietnamese
tôn giáo
80 millions of speakers
Translator English — Tamil
மதம்
75 millions of speakers
Translator English — Marathi
धर्म
75 millions of speakers
Translator English — Turkish
din
70 millions of speakers
Translator English — Italian
religione
65 millions of speakers
Translator English — Polish
religia
50 millions of speakers
Translator English — Ukrainian
релігія
40 millions of speakers
Translator English — Romanian
religie
30 millions of speakers
Translator English — Greek
θρησκεία
15 millions of speakers
Translator English — Afrikaans
Geloof
14 millions of speakers
Translator English — Swedish
religion
10 millions of speakers
Translator English — Norwegian
religion
5 millions of speakers
Trends of use of religion
TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «RELIGION»
The term «religion» is very widely used and occupies the 3.353 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
FREQUENCY
Very widely used
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «religion» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of religion
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «religion».
FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «RELIGION» OVER TIME
The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «religion» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «religion» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.
Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about religion
10 QUOTES WITH «RELIGION»
Famous quotes and sentences with the word religion.
And what is religion, you might ask. It’s a technology of living.
So obviously, any religion embodies some form of rules and expectations for behavior, and even sometimes consequences, and they don’t want to hear any of that.
I’ve been in elementary education for years and my belief is that Christmas pageants in schools are little more than conditioning kids for the Christian religion.
The new soft totalitarianism that is advancing on the left wants to have a state religion It is an atheist, nihilistic religion — but it is a religion that is obligatory for all.
I read Christopher McDougall’s book ‘Born to Run.’ If running were a religion, this would be its bible. I actually scribbled my favorite passages on my arm to read during the race.
Religion is never the problem; it’s the people who use it to gain power.
In Goddess religion death is not feared, but is understood to be a part of life, followed by birth and renewal.
The Twist was a guided missile launched from the ghetto into the heart of suburbia. The Twist succeeded, as politics, religion and law could never do, in writing in the heart and soul what the Supreme Court could only write on the books.
My style has been pretty much like a newspaper. It’s got politics in it, it’s got media, sports, family relations, you know, all the sections you would expect, and wonderful religion things.
Kinsey was trying to study sex scientifically, get rid of the overlay of culture and religion.
10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «RELIGION»
Discover the use of religion in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to religion and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
Three of the most important philosophers of our time—Jacques Derrida, Gianni Vattimo, and Hans-Georg Gadamer—together with other distinguished thinkers address a wide range of questions about the meaning, status, and future prospects of …
Jacques Derrida, Gianni Vattimo, 1998
From televangelism in the American South to the wearing of hijab in Britain and Egypt; from the rise of paganism to the aftermath of September 11th, this accessible guide looks at the ways in which religion interacts with the everyday world …
3
Einstein and Religion: Physics and Theology
Einstein and Religion also offers a badly needed critique of some of the many misinterpretations and misuses of Einstein’s views.
4
Religion: The Modern Theories
A comprehensive and approachable introduction to social scientific theories of religion as they have developed in the twentieth century.In the first section the groundwork is laid for the theories developed in the twentieth century, …
5
The Rise of Liberal Religion: Book Culture and American …
Winner of the Frank S. and Elizabeth D. Brewer Best First Book Prize of the American Society of Church History Named a Society for U. S. Intellectual History Notable Title in American Intellectual History The story of liberal religion in …
6
Religion and Peacebuilding
Religion and Peacebuilding looks beyond headlines concerning violence perpetrated in the name of religion to examine how world religions have also inspired social welfare and peacemaking activism.
Harold Coward, Gordon S. Smith, 2004
7
Religion, the Missing Dimension of Statecraft
This unified collection of case studies and theoretical pieces attempts to restore this missing dimension to its rightful place in the conduct of international diplomacy.
Douglas Johnston, Cynthia Sampson, 1995
Written with a rare combination of analysis and speculation, this comprehensive study of Javanese religion is one of the few books on the religion of a non-Western people which emphasizes variation and conflict in belief as well as …
9
The Disenchantment of the World: A Political History of Religion
This text reinterprets the modern West’s development in terms of mankind’s relationship to religion.
10
Sacred and Secular: Religion and Politics Worldwide
Religion has not disappeared and is unlikely to do so. Nevertheless, the concept of secularization captures an important part of what is going on. This book develops a theory of secularization and existential security.
Pippa Norris, Ronald Inglehart, 2004
10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «RELIGION»
Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term religion is used in the context of the following news items.
Charleston church shooting suspect Dylann Roof charged with …
… as part of a long-planned assault in which Roof allegedly singled out victims “because of their race and in order to interfere with their exercise of their religion.”. «Religion News Service, Jul 15»
Why Americans Are Abandoning Religion
There has been religious growth in certain areas: Jewish self-identification has risen from 1.7 percent in 2007 to 1.9 percent in 2014; Muslim self-identification … «Breitbart News, May 15»
The Future of World Religions: Population Growth Projections, 2010 …
The religious profile of the world is rapidly changing, driven primarily by differences in fertility rates and the size of youth populations among the world’s major … «Pew Research Center’s Religion and Public Life Project, Apr 15»
Obama sees religion as key tool against extremism
Washington (CNN) How President Barack Obama discusses the fight against ISIS — pointedly refusing to call it a war on Islam or a religious war — has led to … «CNN, Feb 15»
Obama condemns those who seek to ‘hijack religion‘
«We are summoned to push back against those who would distort our religion for their nihilistic ends,» Obama said during remarks at the National Prayer … «Fox News, Feb 15»
Laser pioneer Charles H. Townes sought to fuse science with religion
«My own view is that, while science and religion may seem different, they have many similarities, and should interact and enlighten each other,» he wrote. «Christian Science Monitor, Jan 15»
Pope Denounces ‘Deviant Forms of Religion‘
ROME— Pope Francis on Monday condemned religious fundamentalism, saying “deviant forms of religion” lead to atrocities such as last week’s attacks in … «Wall Street Journal, Jan 15»
Eric Holder bans law enforcement profiling based on religion …
The Justice Department on Monday released new guidance that prevents federal law enforcement officers from relying on religion and other factors alone as a … «TheBlaze.com, Dec 14»
Bill Maher: Islam’s “the only religion that acts like the mafia, that will f …
Just one week after sparking controversy — and a heated response from religious scholar Reza Aslan on CNN — Bill Maher, Sam Harris and Ben Affleck (along … «Salon, Oct 14»
Public Sees Religion’s Influence Waning
Perhaps as a consequence, a growing share of the American public wants religion to play a role in U.S. politics. The share of Americans who say churches and … «Pew Research Center’s Religion and Public Life Project, Sep 14»
REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Religion [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/religion>. Apr 2023 ».
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