ics ▁studying ▁the ▁subject ▁have ▁divided ▁relig ions ▁into ▁three ▁broad ▁categories : ▁ ▁world ▁relig ions , ▁a ▁term ▁which ▁refers ▁to ▁trans c ult ural , ▁international ▁relig ions ; ▁ ▁ind igen ous ▁relig ions , ▁which ▁refers ▁to ▁smaller , ▁culture - specific ▁or ▁nation - specific ▁religious ▁groups ; ▁and ▁ ▁new ▁religious ▁movements , ▁which ▁refers ▁to ▁recently ▁developed ▁relig ions . ▁ ▁Some ▁recent ▁scholar ship ▁has ▁argued ▁that ▁not ▁all ▁types ▁of ▁religion ▁are ▁necessarily ▁separated ▁by ▁mut ually ▁exclusive ▁philosoph ies , ▁and ▁further more ▁that ▁the ▁utility ▁of ▁as cri bing ▁a ▁practice ▁to ▁a ▁certain ▁philosophy , ▁or ▁even ▁calling ▁a ▁given ▁practice ▁religious , ▁rather ▁than ▁cultural , ▁political , ▁or ▁social ▁in ▁nature , ▁is ▁limited . ▁The ▁current ▁state ▁of ▁psych ological ▁study ▁about ▁the ▁nature ▁of ▁religious ness ▁suggests ▁that ▁it ▁is ▁better ▁to ▁refer ▁to ▁religion ▁as ▁a ▁largely ▁invariant ▁phenomen on ▁that ▁should ▁be ▁distinguished ▁from ▁cultural ▁norm s ▁( i . e . ▁relig ions ). ▁ ▁Mor ph ological ▁classification ▁Some ▁sch ol ars ▁class ify ▁relig ions ▁as ▁either ▁universal ▁relig ions ▁that ▁seek ▁world wide ▁accept ance ▁and ▁act ively ▁look ▁for ▁new ▁converts , ▁or ▁eth nic ▁relig ions ▁that ▁are ▁identified ▁with ▁a ▁particular ▁eth nic ▁group ▁and ▁do ▁not ▁seek ▁converts . ▁O thers ▁reject ▁the ▁distinction , ▁pointing ▁out ▁that ▁all ▁religious ▁practices , ▁whatever ▁their ▁philosoph ical ▁origin , ▁are ▁eth nic ▁because ▁they ▁come ▁from ▁a