Religion can provide comfort, guidance, and a sense of belonging. It can also inspire moral beliefs and behaviors. Some research suggests that it may even improve health and life expectancy.

However, these benefits don’t necessarily require belief in a specific religion. In fact, it seems that you can get many of the same positive effects from spiritual but not religious activities, such as engaging in meaningful community, exploring new perspectives, connecting with ancient rituals, and supporting prosocial actions.

Some critics, such as Smith and Asad, argue that the concept of religion is a social construct that has been created through cultural influences. They call for scholars to shift attention from the concept of religion itself to its assumptions baked into it. But, unlike Smith, they don’t draw a nonrealist conclusion: They accept that the concept of religion names a form of life operating in the world and have implications for how we understand and interact with it.

Religious belief and practice have a profound impact on culture and society. It can be seen in festivals, art and music, clothing and food styles, burial practices, family structure, marriage ceremonies, and other rites of passage. It has been a force in national politics and is the basis for the legal system of most countries. Religious faith and practice reduce the incidence of such social pathologies as divorce, crime, delinquency, drug and alcohol addiction, out-of-wedlock births, health problems, anxiety, and prejudice.

Emile Durkheim argues that religion functions as a cohesive force in society by uniting people around shared values and experiences. This function is emphasized by Paul Tillich, who defines religion as whatever dominant concerns serve to organize a person’s values (whether or not these concern involve belief in unusual realities).