Felipe Fernández-Armesto and Spodek approach to studying world religions in two different ways. Much like them, the game also presents world religion in a unique way that does not follow history.
FFA follows a horizontal integration approach with world religion. Horizontal integration meaning he looks how the religions are connected to each other across space and time. In the early parts of chapter nine, he examined the early rise of world religions. The three main religions he focused on were Islam, Buddhism, and Judaism.
Spodek took a much different approach. He focused on six different themes that apply to all world religions. He even included Hinduism. His six themes were the santifications of time, space, language and literature, artistic and cultural creativity, family and ancestors, and religious organizations.
Religion is a feature reintroduced in the Civilization V: Gods & Kings expansion pack. If you do not have this expansion, you are missing out. Just as in the real world, Religion consists of a series of beliefs, defining the religion's ideas and goals. In the game environment this is represented through a system of bonuses, which have a diverse set of possible effects. Bonuses can include +1 to culture, +2 to science, faster production, and even happiness.
Religion doesn't start at the beginning of the game (4000 BC). Much like the views of FFA and Spodek, the common world religions today didn't start with the beginning of man. The religions did not begin momentum until 1000 C.E. The one stat you must collect in order to begin a religion is faith. Faith is accumulated through buildings like shrines or terrain features and Religious City-States.
Once enough faith is collected, you can create a pantheon. A Pantheon is a belief in a certain God pertaining to a certain civilization. The civilization chooses which Pantheon they want (this is were the bonuses come in handy).
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I tend to pick my pantheon depending on my environment. If I am located next to the see and I know my border growth will eventually lead me to the resources, I'll pick a pantheon favoring the sea. If I know my resources can make use of camps, I'll pick a god that favors hunting. This is where Technology and the Environment and Religious and Moral Code themes overlap. The religion is shaped by the environment. Pantheons are shaped by the will of the people. They will worship and sacrifice for a god that is specific to their environment.
After you have founded a pantheon, a Great Prophet will eventually appear (through further Faith accumulation, or from completing Wonders). He has the special ability to "Found a Religion." There are eleven religions to choose from with Gods & Kings expansion, thirteen with Brave New World.
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The "finding" the religion stays within a historical context because they list world religions that can be found relevant today. The neat thing about the simulator is you can choose whatever religion. French civilization can be Buddhist. Chinese civilization can become Islamic. This in my opinion, is the fun thing about the game. Free reign to go against societies organized religions.
I personally never bothered with religion in my experience because I was too busy dominating. I know there are bonuses for fighting, but my domination victory is all about rushing and less about creating religion. Much like in real life, if you want your religion to survive, you have to spread it. It requires missionaries and prophets travelling to different civilizations and city-states preaching the word of your religion. Without this, your religion will not succeed and you run the risk of being dominated by another religion.
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