religion,

human beings' relation to that which they regard as holy, sacred, spiritual, or divine. Religion is
commonly regarded as consisting of a person's relation to God or to gods or spirits. Worship is
probably the most basic element of religion, but moral conduct, right belief, and participation in
religious institutions are generally also constituent elements of the religious life as practiced by
believers and worshipers and as commanded by religious sages and scriptures.

The subject of religion is treated in a number of articles in the MACROPAEDIA. For treatment
of particular religious systems, as well as founders, reformers, and other religious personages, see
Biblical Literature and Its Critical Interpretation;
Buddhism,
The Buddha
Calvinism,
Calvin
Christianity;
Confucianism,
Confucius
Eastern Orthodoxy;
European Religions,
Ancient;
Hinduism;
Islam, Muhammad and the Religion of;
Jainism;
Jesus: The Christ and Christology;
Judaism;
Luther;
Middle Eastern Religions, Ancient;
Moses;
Mystery Religions;
Protestantism;
Roman Catholicism;
Shinto;
Sikhism;
Taoism;
Zoroastrianism and Parsiism.

For cross-cultural
discussion of religious beliefs and practices, see
Doctrines and Dogmas, Religious;
Myth and Mythology;
Religious and Spiritual Belief, Systems of;
Religious Experience;
Religious Symbolism and Iconography;
Rites and Ceremonies, Sacred;
Theology.

For philosophical and ethical
aspects, see
Ethics;
Metaphysics;
Philosophies of the Branches of Knowledge.

For a review of
the efforts to systematically study the nature and classify the forms of religious experience, see
Religions, The Study and Classification of.