Life of Pi explains how religions and zoos are both steeped in illusion. What are other ways in which these two fields find unlikely compatibility.

The previous answer was pretty disparaging of religion, but one does not need to be. When one begins to compare zoos with religion, there are many things one can see in terms of similarities. Let me give a few:

1. First, let me reverse the logic of the previous answer. Just as man creates zoos, so God creates religion.  This is another way to look at things. And it is just as legitimate to say.

2. Zoos can only function because people take care of the animals in them. In a similar fashion, one can argue that religions are able to thrive for so long, because there is reality behind religion. A good example is the explosion of religion in our world. Unlike what social scientists believed in the past about the future of religion, today there is more religious people than ever. Just read any works by Peter Berger.

I think these two points should get you started thinking.