Religion has been part and parcel of human history from time immemorial and religious influences continue to affect many aspects of our society. Although there’s no scholarly agreement on how religion should be defined, it could be loosely understood as a fundamental set of beliefs and practices shared by a group of people. These beliefs explain the cause, purpose and nature of the universe, contain a moral code for how people should conduct themselves, and specify devotional and ritual observances.
Research into religions can be approached from a variety of angles and a range of subject areas. Depending on your focus, you could explore, for example, theology, comparative religion, history of religions, religious law, economics, anthropology, philosophy, psychology or sociology or some combination of these.