"Religious adherents" refers to people who follow or believe in a particular religion. They are individuals who have faith in and follow the teachings and practices of a specific religious belief system. Full definition
«The biggest consumers are politicians, their cronies, family and coteries,» says Omoyele Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters, an online news network that covers Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa, adding there is a growing number of «movie stars, musical artists, con artists and a sizable population of religious adherents of the prosperity - preaching get - rich - quick Pentecostal stock» who are revelling in the bubbly. (canadianbusiness.com)
For instance, several seminal organizations began tabulating the number of religious adherents in the middle of the century, including the United States Census Bureau, something that widely attests to the importance of religious identities. (firstthings.com)
I think most religious adherents do not believe in all of this stuff, deep down. (religion.blogs.cnn.com)