A. General 
1. 
Abingdon
Dictionary of Living Religions. Ref. BL 31 .A24
The history and major tenets of each religion are presented in long articles.
Brief definitions of terms, short biographies, and articles on broad religious
topics are also included.
2. Atlas
of the World's Religions. Ref. G 1046 .E4 A8 1999
Chapters show major religions and their rise and spread in maps. Timelines
detailing important events in the history of each religion are included with
each chapter.
3. Dictionary
of Comparative Religion. Ref. BL 31 .D54
Articles cover religious concepts and terms and also religions by geographic
region or ethnic group, e.g., Melanesian religion, Slavic religion.
4.
Encyclopedia
of Religion. Ref. BL 31 .E46 2005
Religious concepts, beliefs, practices, and figures, as well as all religions,
are discussed. Especially useful for sociological and practical aspects of
religion. This multi-volume work is a standard in the field. 15 volumes.
World Religions (Ref. BL 31 .W67 1998) includes selections in essay format
from the Encyclopedia of Religion.
5. Historical
Atlas of the Religions of the World. Ref. BL 80.2 .F28
The essays on each major religion includes bibliographies, illustrations, and
maps. Chronologies for each religion are in the appendix.
6. How
to be a Perfect Stranger: The Essential Religious Etiquette Handbook. Ref.
BJ 2010 .H68 2002
Entries include a brief history of the religion/denomination; outlines the
basic service/ceremony; guest behavior during and after service. Provides special
vocabulary and ideology of the religious group. Covers many Christian denominations,
Baha'i, Native American, Sikh, Buddhist, Christian Science, Hindu, Islam, Jehovah's
Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventist and Jewish services.
7. The
Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. Ref.
BL 31 .O84 2000
Broad coverage of the concepts, texts, practices and people, of the world's
religions. Includes a lengthy introductory essay on the idea of religion.
8. Encyclopedia
of Women and World Religion. Ref. BL 458 .E53 1999
Covers major religions of the world and concentrates on women's contributions
to religion or women's role within the religion. Two volumes.
9. Man,
Myth and Magic. Ref. BF 1411 .M25 1983
An illustrated multivolume set covering major mythologies, legends, and
the unknown. 12 volumes.
10. Thirty-five
Oriental Philosophers. Ref. B 5005 .C65 1994
Brief articles on representative philosophers from Islamic, Indian,
Tibetan, Chinese, and Japanese traditions.
11. The Wilson Chronology of the World's Religions. Ref.
BL 80.2 .L464 2000
Begins with religion in prehistoric times. Covers major religions
as well as new religions, sects, cults, and atheism. Includes articles
on missionary activity, televangelism, and religious tolerance and
intolerance.
B. Individual Religions
12. Encyclopaedia
Judaica. Ref. DS 102.8 .E5
All aspects of Judaism are covered in this major scholarly encyclopedia. Historical,
philosophical, and social as well as religious topics are included. 16 volumes.
Also available from http:www.library.georgetown.edu/advisor/
13. Encyclopaedia
of Buddhism. Ref. BL 1403 .E5
A multivolume encyclopedia which aims to provide comprehensive coverage of
Buddhist terms and topics. In progress, through the letter "J".
14. Encyclopaedia
of Islam (EI). Ref. DS 35.53 .E53 1987 New ed.
Ref. DS 37 .E523
The major scholarly encyclopedia in Middle Eastern studies, this multi-volume
work contains articles on all aspects of the Islamic world: religious, biographical,
historical, and social. Short bibliographies of classical works accompany signed
articles. Many articles in the new edition (EI2) have been revised and updated.
Also available from http:www.library.georgetown.edu/advisor/.
15. Encyclopaedia
of Sikhism: Religion and Culture. Ref.
BL 2017.3 .E64 1997
Comprehensive entries from A to Z about Sikh scriptures, philosophy and doctrine,
mythology, theology and hymns as well as Sikh people and their customs. Two volumes.
16. Hindu
World. Ref. BL 1105 .W34 1968
All aspects of Hinduism are covered. Longer articles include short bibliographies.
Two volumes.
17. Historical
Dictionary of the Baha'i Faith. Ref. BP 327 .A33 1998
Entries cover the important events, people, and doctrines of the Baha'i faith.
Includes a timeline and bibliography.
18. International
Encyclopaedia of Buddhism. Ref. BQ 128 .I58 1996
Arranged alphabetically by country, this multi-volume work explores most aspects
of Buddhism from its beginnings to the present. Final volume is an index. 75
volumes.
19. Muslim
Almanac. Ref. BP 40 .M83 1996
Presents the history and culture of the Muslim peoples worldwide, but explores
their diversity by region.
20. The
New Encyclopedia of Islam. Ref. BP 40 .G427 2001
Along with definitions of terms and concepts, this one-volume encyclopedia
includes illustrations, maps, charts, a chronology, and a bibliography.
21. The
Oxford dictionary of Islam. Ref BP 40 .O95 2003
Designed for those with little or no knowledge of Islam. Provides
more than 2,000 up-to-date and authoritative entries. Focuses
primarily on the 19th and 20th centures, stressing topics of most
interest
to Westerners. Also looks at Islam in individual nations.
22. Oxford
Dictionary of the Christian Church. Ref. BR 95 .O8
1997
Covers the broad spectrum of Christianity and reflects the changes and challenges
to orthodoxy of the last twenty years, in particular, Feminist and Liberation
Theologies and Christian Fundamentalism.
23. RoutledgeCurzon
Encyclopedia of Confucianism. Ref. BL 1840 .R68 2003
Contains over 950 alphabetically arranged entries with a long article
at the beginning introducing Confucianism as a tradition and as
a subject of study. Includes short articles on specific persons,
texts, or events and longer overviews of major subjects. Two volumes.
24. The
Sikh World: an Encyclopaedic Survey of Sikh Religion and Culture. Ref
BL 2017.3 .D64 2003
Includes entries on Sikh religion, history, society, castes,
culture, tribes, political affairs, value system, and way of life.
C. Religions in the United
States
25. Encyclopedia
of African American Religions. Ref. BR 563 .N4 E53
1993
African American religious leaders and groups and various aspects of religious
life are discussed. Most articles include bibliographies; there is also
a basic bibliography at the end of the volume.
26.Encyclopedia
of American Religions. Ref. BL 2525 .M449 2003
A comprehensive survey of religious and spiritual groups in America, this encyclopedia
has essays on various broad categories of religious bodies, e.g., the Pentecostal
Family, plus directory listings which describe each group, its organization
and characteristics, and give membership figures.
27. Encyclopedia
of American Religious History. Ref. BL 2525 .Q44 2001
Essays cover the diversity of the American religious experience. Entries discuss
movements and key individuals. Short bibliographies included.
28. Encyclopedia
of Native American Religions. Ref. E98 .R3 H73 2000
Terms and concepts of the spiritual traditions of native peoples in the United
States and Canada are presented. Biographies are also included.
29. Encyclopedia
of Religion and Society. Ref. BL 60 .E53 1998
Focuses on the societal impact of religions (in North America). Entries cover
issues, individuals, and religious organizations. Entries discussing issues
(for example, abortion) include the current and historical vieiw of the issue
by religious organizations.
30. Encyclopedia
of the American Religious Experience. Ref. BL 2525 .E53
1988
Organized thematically, essays cover various aspects of religion on the
North American continent and include bibliographies. Treats individual
religions and topics such as occult movements, revivalism, religious
music, ethnicity, and popular culture.
31. On
Common Ground: World Religions in America. Gelardin MMCD
160
A multimedia CD-ROM which explores the history, beliefs, and current
practices of fifteen religious traditions in the United States.
D. Statistics
32.
Adherents.com <http://www.adherents.com>
This site, which is not affiliated with any religious organization, summarizes
religious statistics found in books, journals, or Web sites. It provides
a list of the world's major religions with the number of adherents. It also
provides statistics by location (within the U.S., by state) or religious
affiliation. The source for the statistics is also given with the date of
publications,
so
information
can be verified.
33. World
Almanac. Ref. Desk AY 67 .N5 W7
Lists adherents of major world relgions in the U.S., in Canada, and by continent
for a one year period only. Earlier editions in stacks.
To locate books in Lauinger Library, use GEORGE <http://catalog.library.georgetown.edu/>,
the online catalog.
A. Subject Searching: Use Library of Congress Subject Headings to
search for books on religions. (These headings are terms that have
been established by the Library of Congress to represent subjects;
listed in the Library of Congress Subject Headings, a set of red
books located near the Reference Desk, these are used in most American
library catalogs.) Some typical headings include:
Religious ethics
Hinduism - Doctrines
Rites and ceremonies
Karma
Buddhism - China
Initiation rites
Islam and philosophy
B. Keyword Searching: When you can't determine a relevant Library
of Congress Subject Heading or when you want to combine headings,
search by "keyword." This technique locates words in a book's title,
subject headings, and in other fields within the record.
34. Reader's
Guide to the Great Religions. Ref. Z 7833 .A35 1977
Each bibliographic essay recommends basic readings on the major religions.
35. Guide
to Buddhist Religion. Ref. Z 7860 .R48
An annotated bibliography divided into thematic sections. It lists a wide range
of works on Buddhism.
36. Guide
to Chinese Religion. Ref. Z 7757 .C6 Y8 1985
This bibliography includes works primarily on the religious traditions indigenous
to China; Chinese Buddhism is excluded.
37. Guide
to Hindu Religion. Ref. Z 7835 .B8 D44
Works on all aspects of Hindu religion are listed. The detailed table of contents
provides introductions to sections on topics such as sacred texts, practices,
art, and mythology.
38. Guide
to Islam. Ref. Z 7835 .M6 G84 1983
Most of the materials listed in this annotated bibliography are in English.
Topics such as historical development, Islamic mysticism, and religious practices
are covered.
39. Reader's
Guide to Judaism. Ref. BM 50 .R43 2000
Bibliographic essays cover many topics within Judaism. Short bibilographies
are included after each entry.
40. Women
in the Biblical World. Ref. Z 7770 .G77 1995
Covers works on women and womanhood in the Ancient Near East, Hebrew Bible,
Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, and Phoenicia.
Other bibliographies can be located in GEORGE by using the subheading
- Bibliography, under the subject heading, e.g., [name of religion]
- Bibliography or Ritual - Bibliography or [name
of country or region] - Religion - Bibliography.
41. Sacred
Texts of the World. BL 70 .S247 1982
An anthology of representative texts from the world's religions.
42. Judaism,
Christianity, and Islam. Ref. BL 80.2 .P455 1990
Organized thematically, this work compares the perspectives of Judaism, Christianity,
and Islam on the sacred books of these religions: "From Covenant to Community," "The
Word and the Law and the People of God," and "The Works of the Spirit."
To find other sacred writings use the subject headings Sacred
books or [name of religion] - Sacred books.
The titles of three series will also be helpful in locating sacred
texts: Textual Sources
for the Study of Religion, Sacred Books of the East,
and Sacred
Books of the Buddhists.
43. ATLA
Religion Database.
Indexes a fairly comprehensive list of religion periodicals with extensive
coverage of essay collections and Festschriften. Covers biblical commentary,
mission activity, and topics in religion and theology. The database represents
the following print sources: Religion Index 1 - Periodicals, 1949-present;
Religion Index 2 -Multi-author works,1960-present; Research in Ministry,1981-present;
Index to Book Reviews in Religion, 1949-present; Methodist Reviews Index, 1818-1985.
Also available from http://www.library.georgetown.edu/advisor/
44. ATLA
Serials Online.
Fulltext collection of over 50 religion and theology journals. The collection's
over 50,000 articles (and many more book reviews) address topics in the following
fields: Archaeology, Bible, Ecumenism, Ethics, Missions, Pastoral Ministry,
Philosophy, Religion, Society, and Theology. Also available from http://www.library.georgetown.edu/advisor/
45. Humanities
Index.
Indexes the major scholarly journals in the humanities, including religion,
since 1984. For earlier years, use the printed version of this index (Ref.
AI 3 .R472). Also available from http://www.library.georgetown.edu/advisor/
46. Index
Islamicus.
Major index to articles on Islamic studies in history, languages, literatures,
ethnography, and religion. Print edition is available at Ref. Z 7835.M6 L62.
Also available from http://www.library.georgetown.edu/advisor/
47. Philosopher's
Index
International coverage of periodical articles and books on philosophical and
religious thought from 1940 to the present. The print version is available
in the Reference stacks at B1 .A1 P5 (1967-1999); the print version includes
book reviews, but the database does not. Also available from http://www.library.georgetown.edu/advisor/
48. Religious
and Theological Abstracts.
Brief, non-sectarian abstracts in English of articles appearing in Christian,
Jewish, and Muslim theology journals in various languages. Print volumes available
on the 2nd floor at BR 1 .R286 and 1949 - present in Woodstock..
49. Library
of Congress Catalog <http://catalog.loc.gov/>
Lists over 9 million books and many more items of other types.
50. WorldCat.
Lists the holdings of over 1,000 research libraries, primarily in the United
States. Note: Available only to Georgetown students and faculty. Also
available from http://www.library.georgetown.edu/advisor/
51. WRLC
Catalog <http://catalog.wrlc.org/>
The catalog of the Washington Research Library Consortium (WRLC): George Washington,
American, Catholic, George Mason, Gallaudet, and Marymount Universities, the
University of the District of Columbia, and Georgetown University. Georgetown
students may borrow directly from WRLC libraries or request items via the WRLC
Catalog.
52. Virtual
Religion Index <http://virtualreligion.net/vri/>
Analyzes and highlights important content of religion-related websites. Some
sites of note are: the Bible Gateway, the Jewish Virtual Library, and the Islamic
Gateway.
53. Finding
God in Cyberspace. <http://www.kenrickparish.com/gresham/contents.htm>
A guide to religious studies resources on the Internet.
54. Religious
Studies Electronic Journals. <http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~lipton/journals.html>
One of the best listings of electronic journals on world religions on the Web.
The journals are organized according to religous groupings and annotations provide
information on the content.
55. Wabash
Center Guide to Internet Resources for Teaching and Learning in Theology
and Religion. <http://www.wabashcenter.wabash.edu/home/default.aspx>
A selective, annotated guide to a wide variety of electronic resources involved
in the study and practice of religion. Includes links to electronic journals,
sacred (electronic) texts, syllabi and teaching resources, and official web
sites of religious entities.
Please
send us your comments or suggestions
Content updated: 03/05,
mb
Links updated: 12/07
jc
I.
Background Sources