This article traces the changing cultural and social geographical approaches to religion. The discussion introduces readers to the early themes in research from the sixteenth century right up till the present, with a particular focus on the last two decades. The article is structured around three main sections: first, the early research traditions in this area; second, the politics and poetics of religious place and community which have characterized research in the last two decades; and third, the multiple dimensions of religious life and place that can still benefit from geographical analysis.