Instructions given by religious societies (6)
I believe the answer is:
orders
This clue might be a double definition.
'instructions' is the first definition.
(an order is an instruction or command)
'religious societies' is the second definition.
'orders' can be an answer for 'societies' ('order' can be a synonym of 'society'). I'm unsure of the 'religious' bit.
'given by' is the link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for orders that I've seen before include "Presumably 26 [TURKEY] will have to have taken these" , "Decrees, commands" , "customer's requests?" , "Dictates, commands" , "Dictates, decrees" .)