The conceptualization of religion as a category, is actually quite a bit older. The idea that it was created recently was, well, created recently.[1]

Casadio details it going back thousands of years across cultures.[2]

[1] https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/concept-religion/index.ht...

[2] https://api.pageplace.de/preview/DT0400.9780191045882_A29773...