Clifford Geertz, one of the most influential interpretive anthropologists, viewed religion primarily as a cultural system of symbols that shapes human understanding of the world. His perspective marked a shift from explaining religion through its origins or social functions to understanding the meanings that religious beliefs and practices hold for individuals and communities. In the sociology of religion, Geertz's symbolic and interpretive approach has significantly contributed to understanding how religion influences social life by creating meaningful frameworks for human existence. Geertz defined religion as "a system of symbols which acts to establish powerful, pervasive, and long-lasting moods and motivations in people by formulating conceptions of a general order of existence and clothing these conceptions with such an aura of factuality that the moods and motivations seem uniquely realistic." This definition emphasizes that religion is not merely a set of beliefs or