Generally, each religious emblem program is a progression of learning starting in Cub Scouting and ending years later as a older Boy Scout, Venture Scout or Explorer. Each program has specific emblems that are linked with age appropriate requirements. Many start by focusing on the Scout's understanding of God at the Tiger level moving to the Scout's relationship to God at the Cub level. By the time a Scout becomes a Webelos the program materials shift to an emphasis on the Scout and his family's relationship to God. At the Boy Scout level the program focuses on the relationship of the Scout to his life in the community of his faith. And, at the final level the program examines how the Scout will apply his or her faith in his or her life.

In each case the program material focuses on similarities between how the Scout sees himself in successively broader relationships and his relationship with God. In addition, each of the programs begins with simple concepts and moves towards a more complex understanding through successive levels of learning about religious writings, religious figures, religious celebrations, acts of service and worship.

As the Scout grows in the Scouting family, he can participate in successive religious emblem programs at each age level that are more and more challenging. However, none of these programs at any level is a prerequisite to starting a program at another level.

These religious emblems are presented by religious organizations to Scouts, who work with their religious leader or a counselor through a fairly demanding program of requirements that may take from a few months to a year or more to complete. By completing such a program, a Scout will learn about his relationship to his religious beliefs and grow spiritually. At the same time that Scout will be developing better character.