Here's a good culture/religion strategy I've been growing quite fond of lately I thought I would share with you guys. What I like to do is start out with some liberty and work my way to the free settler at which point I expand rapidly to about 3 or 4 cities, by the end of the game having around 7. After finishing liberty, take a GE as your GP and hurry a wonder in an expansion city not your Capitol. Make sure to build a wonder in your capitol as well.
Now get piety and go for reformation, this will give you a large culture boost. Piety works well with wide empires, as there are simply more shires and temples to build. You will have a very dominant religious game. I typically take church property, and make sure every city of mine has a pagoda. If your worried about being attacked, take defender of the faith
You will stockpile an enormous amount of faith, and can spend it on GE when you get order. Hurry wonders in all different cities to maximize reformation. The goal is to have one wonder in each city. This will set you up nicely for a decisive cultural victory. The weakness of this strategy is science and gold, but if your diligent about building libraries and markets and banks and universities, along with hurrying a couple wonders that help science and gold, you will be fine.
Now get piety and go for reformation, this will give you a large culture boost. Piety works well with wide empires, as there are simply more shires and temples to build. You will have a very dominant religious game. I typically take church property, and make sure every city of mine has a pagoda. If your worried about being attacked, take defender of the faith
You will stockpile an enormous amount of faith, and can spend it on GE when you get order. Hurry wonders in all different cities to maximize reformation. The goal is to have one wonder in each city. This will set you up nicely for a decisive cultural victory. The weakness of this strategy is science and gold, but if your diligent about building libraries and markets and banks and universities, along with hurrying a couple wonders that help science and gold, you will be fine.