Have you ever wondered why some people pray, celebrate certain holidays, or follow special rules about food and clothing? These actions are often part of a religion – something that has shaped lives, communities, and cultures all over the world for thousands of years. But what exactly is religion, and why do so many people follow one?
Timeline of religion
When we talk about the oldest religions in the world, we are talking about belief systems that have shaped cultures, guided moral values, and influenced laws for thousands of years. These religions were born long before modern technology or global travel, and yet they are still followed by millions of people today. From ancient temples in India to mountain shrines in Japan, these religions continue to play an important role in people’s lives across the world.
From the beginning of time, people have asked big questions: Where did we come from? How did the world begin? What is our purpose? These are deep and meaningful questions, and across different cultures and times, religions have tried to answer them. Many of the world’s major religions include a creation story – a way of explaining how everything began.
Festivals and celebrations are important in every culture and religion around the world. They bring people together to share joy, express beliefs, honour traditions, and make lasting memories. For many young people, festivals are also a chance to learn more about their identity or to explore different ways of life. Whether religious or cultural, big or small, festivals help communities celebrate what matters to them most.
When you look up at the night sky, you might see a full, glowing moon or just a thin silver crescent. It is beautiful, of course, but it is also deeply meaningful. For thousands of years, people have followed the movements of the moon to guide their lives. In many religions, the moon is more than a light in the sky – it is a way of marking sacred time.
The 2021 Census provides a fascinating insight into the religious make-up of England and Wales. For the first time since records began, fewer than half the population described themselves as Christian. This shift reflects a changing society where a wider range of beliefs – and non-beliefs – are openly expressed.
With many of younger generation found to identify as ‘spiritual’, research counters assumption spirituality is on decline and in fact implies God is ‘making a comeback’.
By Tara Cobham
God, heaven and hell, and life after death: data reveals UK’s low religious belief compared with other nations
The share of the British public who identify as religious has halved since the 1980s.
By CJ Faderogao
By Cory Price
The stress-reducing, life-extending benefits of religion can offer useful strategies even for non-believers, say scientists.
By David Robson
In a world of scientific miracles, what does faith have to offer us?
By Robin Dunbar
By Mary Gormandy White, M.A.
By Khadija Kothia, Aziz Foundation Intern Journalist
A quarter of Britons say they believe in ‘a god’. Four in ten neither believe in ‘a god’ nor in a ‘higher power’.
By Milan Dinic
When the category of religion is used to describe ‘world religions’, it is often in a way that turns multiple diverse traditions, philosophies, and practices into one single entity for the sake of simplicity.
By Luke Burns
Religious systems often include beliefs about the world (both seen and unseen), which describe (or dictate) how the world operates. Subscribing to a set of beliefs (orthodoxy) is not always essential for belonging to a religion.
By Luke Burns
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