How is culture related to religion?

They coexist to reinforce power structures. The powerful benefit by encouraging religious belief and religious leadership that reinforces the paradigm and threatens the uncooperative with loss of salvation.

That is why the fundamental focus of Christianity changed at the Constantine conversion from being a movement of the lowest classes as a way to find love and unity on earth, to being part of the Roman power structure with rules and a focus on condemnation and rewards in the after life.

Sometimes you can trace back cultural values, norms, and mores to religion, but it’s not the only influence. In society there are all sorts of groups and subgroups. Religion was a way to group people together, and in history religion probably separated people more than now. When groups are more isolated they develop their own culture.

Religion, hundreds and thousands of years ago, was like a government and was used to control people and society. In some ways it still does. Religion sometimes dictates daily tasks. When it’s ok to eat certain things, when to pray, many rituals. Of course, these things affect the culture of a group. Over generations, even if the group is less religious now, they might still practice some of the rituals, because they were handed down, and may not realize where they originated. This can be true of not just rituals, but how they view the world, and how they interact with the world.

Because it deprived from specific geographical cultures. A lot of religious practices and traditions carry on within a culture (even if a person renounces their faith). Atheists in areas with predominant Christian populations still practice many aspects of Christmas etc.

There are other examples such as people avoiding walking under ladders, avoiding breaking mirrors etc. Due to the old belief that doing such a thing is bad luck. These beliefs (weather religious or not) have been dated as far back as medieval times. Point is though, they are a perception that have been embedded into our culture.

Religion begat the first cultures, but it is certainly not the only factor. Take in to account geography. In Icy tundras, it is part of the culture to wear heavy, warm clothing. Maybe some have taken to certain styles, while in other areas of similar geographical makeup, other styles have been adopted. Deserts, rain forests, cities, farmlands- all culturally diverse. Different things may have become religious symbols in different cultures, showing that, sometimes, culture begat religion. Religion and culture may have been developing at the same time, or, taking into account the bible, religion was corrupted and changed as it traveled.