Religion is a large and varied taxon of beliefs, practices, traditions and experiences. It can be broadly defined as a set of beliefs about supernatural beings, and a set of ritualized behaviors aimed at those beings. It may also be viewed as a way of coping with death, and a system of moral values and guidelines for how to live life.

Some scholars, such as Emile Durkheim, define religion functionally as any set of beliefs and practices that unite people into a moral community. Others, such as sociologist Rodney Needham, have sort-of defined religion as “a class of ideas and practices which can be recognized by their co-occurrence of specific properties.” A common criticism of functional definitions is that they are overly panhuman, in that they view all human cultures to be religious.

In contrast, more recent approaches have sought to understand the category of religion in terms of its prototype structure. Using the prototype theory of concepts developed by Laurence Margolis, a number of scholars have attempted to categorize religions and find common features among them. These characteristics include the existence of a centralized authority or hierarchy, a belief in transcendent beings, moral codes and guidelines for conduct, and a system of worship.

Although religions have a wide range of teachings about transcendent beings, most of them are also concerned with how to live one’s life in the context of these beliefs. This is because most religions believe that, in some way, living one’s life according to the religious values can bring them closer to truth or even to God himself.

It is for this reason that most religions have a code of ethics, or a set of principles and values, which guide their followers in the way they should behave toward each other and how they should treat outsiders. These values often provide justification for particular forms of conduct and behaviors, and they may be rooted in the belief that the gods created both the code and humanity.

Many religions also have a form of prayer or meditation as part of their worship. This can be a private and personal experience, or it can take the form of group worship. Some religions are more structured and focused in their approach to this, for example, the major world faiths have elaborate systems of formal prayers that are meant to be recited regularly. These may be used to express devotion, thanksgiving or intercession. This practice can help to connect a person with a higher power and also to create a sense of inner peace. It is a vital part of most religions.