World religions is a category used in the study of religion to demarcate at least five—and in some cases more—religions that are deemed to have been especially large, internationally widespread, or influential in the development of Western society. Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism are always included in the list. Some scholars also include other religions in the category, such as the Baháʼí Faith, Sikhism, and/or Zoroastrianism. These are often juxtaposed against other categories, such as folk religions, Indigenous religions, and new religious movements (NRMs), which are also used by scholars in this field of research. Less dividing is the concept of major religious groups.
A 2013 interfaith event in the United Kingdom featuring proponents of the Baháʼí Faith, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and Sikhism, all belief systems classified as "world religions".
Religious studies, also known as the study of religion, is the scientific study of religion. There is no consensus on what qualifies as religion and its definition is highly contested. It describes, compares, interprets, and explains religion, emphasizing empirical, historically based, and cross-cultural perspectives.
Totem poles reflect the beliefs of the Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast; some scholars of religious studies argue that the term "religion" is too Western-centric to encompass the beliefs and practices of non-Western civilizations.
Max Müller; the first professor of comparative philology at Oxford University and author of Introduction to the Science of Religion.
