The definition I defend of the primary sense of “religious belief” is more widely held than you might suppose. Plato, Aristotle, virtually all the medievals, Calvin, Spinoza, and many others have held it. In the 20th century alone it has been advocated by Eliade, James, Tillich, Barth, NK Smith, Jaeger, Heisenberg, Wittgenstein, and many more.
But the reason it’s right is not how many people have agreed with it, but rather the overwhelming evidence in its favor. In the book I show that it’s true not only of Judaism, Christianity, & Islam but also Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism, and dozens of ancient religions and tribal religions.
Keep in mind that a person doesn’t have to be thinking of a certain belief for it to influence him/her. A presupposition can be quite unconscious and still exert great influence on a scientist’s work.
Roy