Religious belief and practice are a fundamental aspect of human life. People of different faiths presumably have their own views about their own religion’s particular philosophy, god(s), spiritual leaders, teachings and practices. Those views often conflict. For example, many Christians believe that their particular religion is the true and best one in the world. Muslims and Hindus may have similar points of view.
But what exactly is the nature of religion? Philosophers have attempted to address this question by offering a variety of definitions. Generally, the aim is to identify and distinguish features that distinguish the category of religion as a whole from other categories. This task is a difficult one, because ordinary language usage of the term tends to blur and confuse the issue.
The concept of religion is complex, and it can be difficult to determine how to classify it. A number of philosophers have suggested a polythetic approach in which they examine a set of properties that are characteristic of religion and then use these to categorize various beliefs and activities as religions. Others have opted for a more restrictive approach in which they specify only one or more properties that are essential to the category of religion.
For example, Edward Tylor proposed that the minimal feature of a religion is belief in spiritual beings, while Paul Tillich offers that a religion is whatever ultimate concern serves to organize a person’s values. These approaches are called monothetic because they identify a single criterion that distinguishes the category of religion from other categories.