▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁the ▁root ▁of ▁the ▁English ▁word ▁religion , ▁the ▁Latin ▁relig io , ▁was ▁originally ▁used ▁to ▁mean ▁only ▁rever ence ▁for ▁God ▁or ▁the ▁gods , ▁careful ▁p onder ing ▁of ▁divine ▁things , ▁p iety ▁( which ▁Cic ero ▁further ▁derived ▁to ▁mean ▁dil ig ence ). ▁Max ▁Müller ▁character ized ▁many ▁other ▁cult ures ▁around ▁the ▁world , ▁including ▁Egypt , ▁Pers ia , ▁and ▁India , ▁as ▁having ▁a ▁similar ▁power ▁structure ▁at ▁this ▁point ▁in ▁history . ▁What ▁is ▁called ▁ancient ▁religion ▁today , ▁they ▁would ▁have ▁only ▁called ▁law . ▁ ▁Definition ▁ ▁Sch ol ars ▁have ▁failed ▁to ▁agree ▁on ▁a ▁definition ▁of ▁religion . ▁There ▁are , ▁however , ▁two ▁general ▁definition ▁systems : ▁the ▁soci ological / function al ▁and ▁the ▁phenomen ological / ph il osoph ical . ▁ ▁Modern ▁Western ▁Religion ▁is ▁ ▁a ▁modern ▁Western ▁concept . ▁Par allel ▁concepts ▁are ▁not ▁found ▁in ▁many ▁current ▁and ▁past ▁cult ures ; ▁there ▁is ▁no ▁equivalent ▁term ▁for ▁religion ▁in ▁many ▁languages . ▁Sch ol ars ▁have ▁found ▁it ▁difficult ▁to ▁develop ▁a ▁consistent ▁definition , ▁with ▁some ▁giving ▁up ▁on ▁the ▁possibility ▁of ▁a ▁definition . ▁O thers ▁argue ▁that ▁regardless ▁of ▁its ▁definition , ▁it ▁is ▁not ▁appropriate ▁to ▁apply ▁it ▁to ▁non - West ern ▁cult ures . ▁ ▁An ▁increasing ▁number ▁of ▁sch ol ars ▁have ▁expressed ▁res erv ations ▁about ▁ever ▁defining ▁the ▁ess ence ▁of ▁religion . ▁They ▁observe ▁that