Religion is one of the most diverse and complicated categories in human society. It encompasses a wide range of beliefs and practices, some of which can be considered as merely mythological or philosophical. Many scholars argue that there is no single definition of religion that can adequately explain the diverse beliefs and behaviors that are considered to belong to this category. Some of the main viewpoints on religion are agnosticism, atheism, humanism, monotheism, polytheism, paganism, and pantheism.
Most religions grow out of the curiosity of humans about life after death and their fear of uncontrollable forces that may be beyond human power. Religions turn this curiosity and fear into hope by giving believers a belief in an afterlife, a kind creator that watches over humanity, and an ultimate meaning for their lives.
Many religious people find comfort in the rituals of their faith, and this helps them to cope with stress. Scientists studying this have found that people who are religious or spiritual tend to have better coping skills than those who do not.
Some scholars take a different approach to the study of religion, arguing that we should not look at religious belief and practice in terms of hidden mental states, but rather as visible social institutions or disciplinary structures. This is known as a structuralist or institutionalist view of religion. A variant on this is the theory put forward by Ninian Smart, which adds a fourth dimension to the classic three-sided model of religion, namely community.