Emile Durkheim's Four Types Of Religion

Religion is a social institution composed of a unified system of beliefs, symbols, and rituals based on some sacred or supernatural realm that guides human behavior, gives meaning to life, and unites believers into a community. Many people feel that religious beliefs answer the unanswerable questions about the meaning of life or death, giving them a sense of meaning and purpose in their lives on earth and afterlife. According to Emile Durkheim, sacred refers to those aspects of life that are extraordinary or supernatural. He wanted to identify similarities between certain religions and different cultures, finding a common denominator. Religion is classified into four main types which include simple supernaturalism, animism, theism, and transcendent