This essay will discuss and evaluate three scholarly definitions of religion. It will use a range of primary and secondary sources to determine what the best definition of religion is. The essay will examine and evaluate the beliefs and theories of Émile Durkheim, Karl Marx, and Sigmund Freud. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essayThe word “religion” derives from the Latin words “religio”, “religirere” and “religare”. “Religare” means to bind and “religare” means to repeat, which refers to the work and theory of the number one scholar, Emile Durkheim. Durkheim believed that religion was more the work of a community of people than of an individual. In John Bawker's Oxford Dictionary of World Religions he is quoted as saying: "A religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices relating to sacred things, that is, things set apart and forbidden – beliefs and practices that unite into a single moral community called a Church, all who adhere to it. This quote suggests that not one person can be religious, and that it takes a group of people with the same beliefs and practices to be religious, as he calls it, a church. It is also important to note that, like Marx, Durkheim was raised as an atheist and not in a religious community, this could contribute to a different view than that of a religious scholar. Durkheim's definition of religion is good because it explains the large number of religious individuals in the world and explains why there are so many different and diverse religions in the world. However, there are many criticisms of Durkheim's definition of religion. A key criticism I found is that Durkheim's view focuses on religion and the communal aspect. However, his definition does not focus on individuals who work against society and claim they are not religious. . I think Durkheim's definition is good but not as good as Marx's which takes into account all religious believers and not just those who work with society as Durkheim does. Marx's definition of religion is like Durkheim's in the sense that it is a function of society, however Marx's point of view is very different because he is negative in saying that it is "the opiate of the masses" . However, scholars such as Raines do not agree that it is negative, in his book "Marx on Religion" he discusses the possibility that religion, according to Marx, is a moral agency for people deprived of the class system of society. It is also worth mentioning that Marx saw two classes in society, both the working classes (proletarians) and the modern capitalists who exploit the working classes (bourgeois). It was also a protest by society against suffering. It can be argued that Marx saw the function of religion in society, once again echoing Raines' argument, that it helped the disadvantaged lower classes of society protest against suffering. classes also used religion to ensure that workers knew their place in society. In my opinion, Marx's definition of religion is good because it takes into account everyone in society, but his definition and perspective are not as fluid or dynamic as religion. Sigmund Freud is the final researcher who will be researched in this essay. Freud, of course famous for his controversial work in the field of psychology, also attempted, as did many.