What Makes a Religion?

The 7 Components of Faith

I was talking to a new acquaintance yesterday, and when I told him I was a rabbi, he told me college football is his religion.

That same day at the gym friend told me working out is his religion!

Both these comments got me thinking… what makes a religion? We don't think about this question much.

We go about our practice, and while a few people convert to a new religion, most simply follow what they inherited. Or they do nothing.

But knowing what makes a religion can help us appreciate and grow deeper in our own.

We better appreciate what sustains us, and what God uses to engage our hearts and minds.

So what makes a religion? The best approach I found draws from a combination of scholars and theologians.

I call them the seven dimensions of religion. Here they are: