Religion stories are about people, events, conflicts, alliances and change. That means you’ll be reporting on politics, pop culture, sex, science, ethnicity and economics. Along the way, you’ll wrestle with people’s beliefs about faith, hope, forgiveness and redemption.

Whether you’re reporting a religion story or a story that just happens to involve religion, you need to know your way around the major faith traditions. Learn about them, and about as many of the smaller ones as you can. This expertise will distinguish you among your colleagues; it’s one reason religion specialists are needed. It also will help you interpret the news in ways that connect with how people live and what they care about.

Any religious tradition is worthy of a lifetime of study, and there are countless resources available on each. Here are some basics to get you started. But remember: There’s no substitute for experience, whether you are crammed in the corner of a tent for a small-town revival or sitting silently with a crowd before a giant Buddha.

A roundup of religions

Religion stories are about people, events, conflicts, alliances and change. That means you’ll be reporting on politics, pop culture, sex, science, ethnicity and economics. Along the way, you’ll wrestle with people’s beliefs about faith, hope, forgiveness and redemption. Whether you’re reporting a religion story or a story that just happens to involve religion, you need to know your way around the major faith traditions. Learn about them, and about as many of the smaller ones as you can. This expertise will distinguish you among your colleagues; it’s one reason religion specialists are needed. It also will help you interpret the news in ways that connect with how people live and what they care about. Any religious tradition is worthy of a lifetime of study, and there are countless resources available on each. Here are some basics to get you started. But remember: There’s no substitute for experience, whether you are crammed in the corner of a tent for a small-town revival or sitting silently with a crowd before a giant Buddha.

The world’s largest belief systems
This 2005 ordering from www.adherents.com takes into account statistical and sociological information.
1. Christianity
2. Islam
3. Atheism/secularism/ nonreligion/agnosticism
4. Hinduism
5. Chinese traditional religion
6. Buddhism
7. Primal/indigenous religions
8. African traditional & diasporic religions
9. Sikhism
10. Juche