Religion is a large and varied category, covering beliefs, practices, and institutions of all kinds. A religion may be a particular faith such as Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, or Judaism, or it may be a way of life such as Shinto in Japan, or it may even be a sport like hockey. It is generally seen as something that transcends individual egoism, and brings people together into groups with similar values. It often provides emotional support in times of crisis, and helps to knit a society into a cohesive whole.
Sociologists have approached religion in many different ways. One formal strategy looks for a structure that is consistent with known cases. Kidd, for example, argued that religion functioned as a substitute in the rational world for instinct in the subrational world. Another approach, that of Durkheim and Cooley, argues that it satisfies a need to make life seem reasonable and acceptable.
Other scholars have viewed religion more broadly, as a human universal, expressing the most intense and comprehensive form of valuing at any level. They have also emphasized that humans are addressed by their Creator as his stewards of the creation.
Finally, some sociologists have emphasized the positive social effects of religion, particularly its effect on morality and benevolence. They have also pointed out the potential for intolerance, cruelty, bigotry, social oppression, and self-opinionated nastiness in some religious communities. The issue of how to define religion remains a critical one, as it threatens to drive theories and determine conclusions.