Religion has a lot of power in people’s lives. It affects their attitudes and beliefs, their behavior and even their morals. It is hard to imagine modern-day life without a strong spiritual component. Even for those who say that they are not religious, it is difficult to live without a belief system. The Pew Research Center shows that people who say they are religious are more likely to be involved with their families and communities and have a positive outlook on life. Yet it is not easy to define what religion is. One of the problems is that it changes over time, as culture shifts and traditions change. For example, a belief in an afterlife was once common but is now not. And there are many societies that do not believe in disembodied spirits or cosmological orders.
A lot of the research that has been done on religion focuses on cultural aspects. Some scholars have used formal definitions (as Durkheim did), such as Wach (1951). Other social scientists have taken a functional approach to the study of religion, such as Paul Tillich (1957).
Both types of approaches are valid and helpful. However, there is also the possibility that a more holistic view of what religion is could be more useful. For example, Catherine Albanese may have been the first to suggest that a fourth dimension could be added to the traditional three-sided model of the true, the beautiful and the good.