Choose a prominent religion to write about, for example, Judaism. Use scholarly articles, text books and encyclopedias to research your topic. Ensure your sources are non-biased, and strictly informative.
Create a thesis statement. A thesis statement is a few sentences describing what your paper is going to be about. For example, "Judaism is a monotheistic religion which has existed for thousands of years. Those who practice it have a unique set of practices, observances and core values." The points you list in your thesis will later make up the body of your paper.
Write an introduction paragraph. Try opening with an interesting fact or statistic to grab your reader's attention. For example, "Once the belief and tradition of a small nation, Judaism has grown into a faith with 14 million followers worldwide." Close your introductory paragraph with your thesis statement.
Write the body of your paper. Develop the body by making a list of questions to answer. For example: How did Judaism begin, and when? How did it become so widespread? What are the core values? What holidays and traditions are unique to this religion? Explain terms and answer the questions for the audience as if they know nothing about the topic.
Conclude with a brief review of the main points.