Final answer:
Durkheim termed groups united by religious beliefs and practices as a Church and saw religion as pivotal in fostering community, values, and social solidarity by distinguishing sacred objects and actions from those of the ordinary, or profane.
Step-by-step explanation:
French sociologist Émile Durkheim referred to groups of people united by religious beliefs and practices as a moral community or a Church. According to Durkheim, religion acted as a force for cohesion, binding the members of society through shared sacred beliefs and practices. In his work The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life, he defined religion as “a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things”, which are set apart and treated with reverence in contrast to the profane aspects of everyday life. These beliefs and practices ultimately unite adherents into one single moral community, thus providing social cohesion, behavior consistency, and meaning.
Durkheim's approach to the study of religion implicated the societal impact and the collective conscience that arises from common values and experiences within a group, leading to social solidarity. He believed that religious rituals and the classification of the world into sacred and profane contribute to the building of community by fostering a shared identity among individuals.