What is religion? Religions can be explained by possessing beliefs about nature, the purpose of the universe, and the supernatural, as stated by Webster's dictionary. Being a supernatural can be overpowered by one or more personal gods. By religion we mean a codified set of beliefs, which are invested with sacred things and rules of behavior of believers that connect a spiritual community. Therefore, in every society, there are a variety and number of religious organizations that help guide a set of principles for members. Even when people feel like they are having bad days, for a while they start turning to religion to start finding comfort for the time of crisis. We say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay First, there are those who have a small religious group. Religions with a small religious group are those led by charismatic leaders. This type is called worship. The term cult has many meanings. For Jan Groenveld, cult researcher and author, Christians define a cult that may be different from traditional Orthodox teachings. The definition of a cult can be defined as a small group aimed at others or a sinister. If the cult is religious, the group will often claim to be one true religion. The religion is distinguished by its leadership: amount of authority over its members and rigidity of its boundaries. For example, a person will have to give up outward freedoms when considering becoming a nun in a Catholic church. As Pettinger Tejvan, a biographer, says, “For those who are critical, this is a method of external and internal discipline that includes 'cultistic' behavior” (Religions and Cults). This includes religious movements claiming similar teachings with evidence of sectarian behavior. Usually, larger than a cult, a religious organization has churches or other temples at places of worship. This explains that denomination is the second type of course with religion. The denomination can be clarified as classifications, identifications, or a branch of a religion as stated by Webster's dictionary. The structure of some denominations has bishops who are regional authorities. Many denominations have seminars to train ministers. A denomination has a convention that describes the processes for electing overseers. Denominations are subgroups in a religion. For example, a Christian may be Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, Roman Catholic, or Protestant. Similarly, Judaism has denominations of Orthodox, Reform, and Conservative. In Islam, Sunni is a denomination; The Shiites are another. There are many other denominations in the United States alone, but the ones mentioned are a few denominations that you will tend to come across. In short, sociologists study religions from every aspect and explain the purpose and role that religion has. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay To conclude the essay, the role of religion is to teach its members how to worship and live. Therefore, this is why religion has such an important role in the current century because it is connected to societies and human experiences. Religion provides motivation for people to do better in life and work, so there are many types of religion.