y , ▁and ▁obs ess ive - comp uls ive ▁dis order . ▁A the istic ▁content ▁is ▁also ▁found ▁to ▁be ▁common ▁with ▁temporal ▁lo be ▁ep ile ps y . ▁ ▁Compar ativ ism ▁ ▁Compar ative ▁religion ▁is ▁the ▁branch ▁of ▁the ▁study ▁of ▁relig ions ▁concerned ▁with ▁the ▁system atic ▁comparison ▁of ▁the ▁do ctr ines ▁and ▁practices ▁of ▁the ▁world ' s ▁relig ions . ▁In ▁general , ▁the ▁compar ative ▁study ▁of ▁religion ▁yields ▁a ▁deeper ▁understanding ▁of ▁the ▁fundamental ▁philosoph ical ▁concerns ▁of ▁religion ▁such ▁as ▁eth ics , ▁met aph ys ics , ▁and ▁the ▁nature ▁and ▁form ▁of ▁salv ation . ▁Stud ying ▁such ▁material ▁is ▁meant ▁to ▁give ▁one ▁a ▁rich er ▁and ▁more ▁s oph istic ated ▁understanding ▁of ▁human ▁belief s ▁and ▁practices ▁regarding ▁the ▁sacred , ▁num in ous , ▁spiritual ▁and ▁divine . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁field ▁of ▁compar ative ▁religion , ▁a ▁common ▁ge ographical ▁classification ▁of ▁the ▁main ▁world ▁relig ions ▁includes ▁Middle ▁Eastern ▁relig ions ▁( including ▁Z oro ast rian ism ▁and ▁Iran ian ▁relig ions ), ▁Indian ▁relig ions , ▁East ▁Asian ▁relig ions , ▁African ▁relig ions , ▁American ▁relig ions , ▁Ocean ic ▁relig ions , ▁and ▁classical ▁H ellen istic ▁relig ions . ▁ ▁Classification ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁and ▁ 2 0 th ▁centuries , ▁the ▁academic ▁practice ▁of ▁compar ative ▁religion ▁divided ▁religious ▁belief ▁into ▁philosoph ically ▁defined ▁categories ▁called ▁world ▁relig ions . ▁Some ▁academ