In the broad definition, a religion is seen as the guiding principle that governs our lives or 'grounds our being'. For instance, if shopping is the most important thing in someone’s life, providing their central focus, then it constitutes their religion.

Likewise, for some, football takes on a religious significance. Football fans are devoted to a team, engage in a form of worship on match days and collect religious paraphernalia like team strips and match programmes.

The old Soviet Union outlawed traditional religious worship, but at the same time constructed socialist practice as religion. In this case, the state was 'God' and the ruling elite were the 'saints'. Worship was expressed by devotion to the communist cause at home and abroad.

Within this broad view, everyone has religion; even an atheist must have some focus. Whether you are the Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates or a peasant farmer in Afghanistan, the principles that organise your life constitute your religion.

But is this type of religion powerful? If we see power as a bottom up force, then the way that people live is guided by their organising principles and is an exercise of power. These principles govern our day-to-day lives, therefore religion is involved in shaping everyday activities, events and practices. In this way, religion rules the world.

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