Key Concepts in Religious Studies 200

Religion often involves belief in God or gods but varies across cultures.
Scholars have provided various definitions:
- Emile Durkheim: "A unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things."
- Rodney Stark: Systems of general compensators based on supernatural assumptions.
- Paul Tillich: "Religion is ultimate concern."
- Karl Marx: "The self-conscious and self-feeling of man who has either not found himself or has already lost himself."

Buddhism is seen as a religion that excludes God; it focuses on the idea of release from the cycle of existence (Samsara) through Nirvana/Nibbana.
Other traditions may view God as unimportant or absent.

Controversial status as a religion; perspectives on its practices and beliefs differ.
In Germany, it’s perceived negatively and faced legal challenges.

Definition includes repetitive behaviours with meanings beyond the act, embedded in tradition.
Cultural adaptation in modernizing rituals is noted.