Historians study religious traditions that are still practised today.…

The correct answer is Option (3) → Continuity of traditions - lets historians compare present practice with old texts

Option (1) Lived beliefs of followers - ready acceptance that practices have changed — Incorrect. The pair reverses the point. Because these traditions are lived beliefs, there is often a lack of acceptance that they may have changed.

Option (2) Continuity of traditions - stops historians from tracing changes — Incorrect. Continuity does the opposite: it helps historians trace changes by setting today's practice beside older records.

Option (3) Continuity of traditions - lets historians compare present practice with old texts — Correct. Since the tradition still flourishes, the historian can compare contemporary practices with those in texts or old paintings. This is the advantage of continuity.

Option (4) Challenge for historians - a lack of written texts on these traditions — Incorrect. These traditions have many textual records. The real challenge is followers' resistance to the idea of change, which calls for sensitivity.