The purpose of this guide is to lead the beginning researcher to the most important and useful sources in the Reference Collection and online for the study of religion. The list of sources is not exhaustive; please consult with a Reference Librarian for additional suggestions.
ATLASES
Atlas of the World's Religions. Ninan Smart and Frederick Denny, ed. Call number: REF 200.9 Atlas
BOOKS
The Book of Goddesses & Heroines. Patricia Monaghan. Call number: REF 291.2114 Mon
Talking to Goddess: Powerful Voices from Many Traditions. D'vorah J. Grenn, Ed. (on reserve)
DICTIONARIES
Abingdon Dictionary of Living Religions. Keith Crim, ed. Call number: R 291.0321 ABI
Continuum Dictionary of Religion. Michael Paye, ed. Call number: REF 200.3 Continuum.
Dictionary of Comparative Religion. S.G.F. Brandon, ed. Call number: REF 291 Di
Dictionary of Ethics, Theology and Society. Paul Barry Clarke and Andrew Linzey, ed. Call number:
REF 170.3 Dictionary.
Dictionary of Feminist Theologies. Letty M. Russell and J. Shannon Clarkson, ed. Call number:
R230.082 Dictionary
Dictionary of Religion & Philosophy. Geddes MacGregor. Cal number: REF 291.03 Mac
Facts on File: Dictionary of Religions. John R. Hinnells, ed. REF 291.0321 Fac
Harper Collins Dictionary of Religion. Jonathan Z. Smith, ed. Call number: REF 200.3 Harper-Collins.
ENCYCLOPEDIAS
Encyclopedia of African-American Religions. Larry G. Murphy et al., ed. Call number: REF 200.8996 Encyclopedia
Encyclopedia of the American Religious Experience: Studies of Traditions and Movements. Chalres H. Lippy and Peter W. Williams, ed. R 291.0943 v1-3
Encyclopedia of Ancient Deities. Charles Russell Coulter and Patricia Turner. Call number: REF 291.2 Coulter
Encyclopedia of Cults, Sects and New Religions. James R. Lewis. Call number: REF 200.3
Encyclopedia of Fundamentalism. Brenda E. Brasher, ed. Call number: REF 200.904 Encyclopedia
Encyclopedia of Hinduism. Constance A. Jones & James D. Ryan. Call number REF 294.5 Jones
Encyclopedia of Mysticism and the Mystery Religions. John Ferguson. Call number 291.42 Ferguson
Encyclopedia of Religion. Lindsay Jones, ed. Call number: REF 200.3 Encyclopedia v1-4
Encyclopedia of Sikh Religion and Culture. Ramesh Chander Dogra. Call number: REF 294.603 Dogra
Encyclopedia of Women and World Religion. Serinity Young, ed. v1-2. Call number: REF 200.82 Encyclopedia
Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of World Religions. Wendy Doniger, ed. REF 200.3 Merriam-Websters
HANDBOOKS
Handbook of Denonimations in the United States. Frank S. Mead. Call number: R 291.0973 Mead
CONNECT TO SNAP (Solano, Napa and Partners Online Catalog to locate additional books and materials)
ONLINE DATABASES
The following databases may be useful in locating information on religion. These reference sources are available online through Solano, Napa and Partners (SNAP) databases and require a library card or e-card to access them.
Academic Search Complete
Academic OneFile (Gale)
E-books (Ebsco)
General OneFile (Gale)
Opposing Viewpoints in Context
Religion and Philosophy Collection (Ebsco)
Student Resources In Context
WEBSITES
The Association of Religion Data Archives (http://www.thearda.com/)
Explore congregational membership in every county, state, and urban area in the United States. Based on the Religious Congregations and Membership Study collected by the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies this is the most complete census available on religious congregations and their members.
BILDI: Theological Databases (http://www.uibk.ac.at/bildi/bildi/info/journal-lists.html.en)
This site, created by the Department for Biblical Studies and Historical Theology at the University of Innsbruck, provides free access to an index containing a wealth of biblical studies citations. It includes classified documentation on biblical and biblical-archaeological literature. The collection also includes approximately 90 complete and approximately 540 relevant annuals and periodicals of the University Library at Innsbruck and the Jesuit Library of Innsbruck as well as titles of the ZID (theological periodicals of the University Library Tuebingen).
The Bible as Literature (http://www.vanderbilt.edu/AnS/english/plummerj/folium_meum.html)
John Plummer of the Department of English at Vanderbilt University has created this site to "facilitate the work of students enrolled in his courses." It includes the Bible as literature, the Bible in literature, and medieval studies.
The Centre for Reformation & Renaissance Studies (http://www.crrs.ca/library/webresources.htm)
A nice collection of websites of use to researchers working on topics in the Reformation and Renaissance.
Digital Resources for the Study of Religion (http://www.atla.com/digitalresources/)
The Cooperative Digital Resources Initiative of the American Theological Library Association and the Association of Theological Schools has created a repository of digital resources contributed by member libraries.
Eran Laor Cartographic Collection (http://www.jnul.huji.ac.il/dl/maps/pal/html/)
A gorgeous collection of maps of the holy land. Searchable by persons, date, or site, and even zoomable with the provided plugin.
The Internet Sacred Text Archive (http://www.sacred-texts.com/index.htm)
"The largest freely available archive of online books about religion, mythology, folklore and the esoteric on the Internet. The site is dedicated to religious tolerance and scholarship, and has the largest readership of any similar site on the web."
The Lilith Institute (http://www.lilithinstitute.com)
San Francisco Bay women's spirituality/study circle founded by Deborah J. Grenn, Ph.D.
NETS: The New English Translation of the Septuagint (http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/)
The Greek version of the Old Testament is available in a new English translation online.
New Religious Movements (http://web.archive.org/web/20060907005952/http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/relmove/)
Based upon a course in the Sociology of Religious Movements from the University of Virginia about how cults and sects emerge, develop and interact with a host culture. Group profiles are featured both alphabetically and by faith traditions so that the user can search more effectively. Cult group controversies are covered in depth.
Religion and Philosophy (http://www.digital-librarian.com/religion.html)
Digital Librarian (Margaret Vail Anderson) has an outstanding collection of links on her Religion and Philosophy page.
Some Interesting and Useful Books on the Bible for Use in Research Papers for the Bible as Literature(http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/bible.html)
Created by Professor Paul Brians of Washington State University for his students, this comprehensive list will help all students taking a Bible as Literature course.
Statistical Information on Religion (http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/cats/population/religion.html)
Search the 2010 Statistical Abstracts by "self-described religious identification of adult population", "religious bodies" or "Christian Church adherents and Jewish population, states".
Virtual Religion Index (http://virtualreligion.net/vri/)
An excellent site designed by Mahlon H. Smith of Rutgers University to advance research in matters of religion. This site is an ideal tool for students with little time. It analyzes and highlights religion-related websites. Hyperlinks are provided to homepages and major directories and documents. The index is quite comprehensive covering the following: Academic sites, Ancient Near Eastern Studies, Archaeology and Religious Art, Buddhist Studies, Comparative Study of Religion, American Studies, Anthropology and Sociology, Biblical Studies, Christian Tradition, Ethics and Moral Values, Hindu Studies, Islamic Tradition, Judaic Studies, Philosophy and Theology, and Psychology of Religion.
Copyright (C) 2010 Napa Valley College By: Napa Valley College Library
Last updated: July 15, 2010 Questions & Comments: Nancy McEnery