No Single Role

There is no single role of religion in society. There are a multitude of aspects of religion, with different roles applying in different circumstances. One such role is that of the religious practitioner, whose career and livelihood intimately connect with religion. For example, within Hinduism one role is that of the priest, another is that of the guru, and yet a third is that of person who simply practices that religion while living an ordinary life. The religion itself is simply a set of beliefs, practices, rites and rituals, which includes a worldview and often an associated morality. So different people can have quite distinct roles within the very same religion, and these may vary distinctly within different societies. Islam, for example, has very different roles in Iran than it does in Great Britain. Within Iran Islam with its Sharia Law has a governmental role that it lacks elsewhere.