Religions are complex phenomena, and the academic study of them is challenging. However, despite the enormous differences between religions, many common characteristics can be identified. These include a sacred community, place of worship, rituals, codes of ethics, myth and symbol, a concept of salvation, and often a god or goddess or group of gods to which believers pray or worship. In addition, religions all tend to have a central figure or leader who is given almost godlike status.
One theory is that religions grew out of human curiosity about the big questions of life and death, and out of fear of uncontrollable forces beyond the sphere of human control. As religion evolved, it took on the form of hope, which included a desire for immortality and life after death, for a kind creator who watches over humanity, and for a meaning to human existence.
A variety of disciplines study the phenomenon of religion: psychology views religious experiences and feelings; sociology studies the institutions that support a religion; social anthropology examines the culture in which a religion is rooted, and how it relates to its beliefs and values; history looks at the development of a religion over time; and literature and art examine the aesthetic aspects of a religious tradition. These different ways of examining a religion provide a balanced view of the whole phenomenon.
Some scholars prefer a polythetic approach to the study of religion, which views religion as a collection of characteristics rather than as an object or activity. For example, the psychiatrist Carl Jung argued that religions serve as containers for archetypal symbols drawn from the unconscious mind of mankind. When these symbols enter consciousness, they can help people in their quest for individuation, which is an important aspect of the psychological process of growing up and becoming an adult.