Religion may be defined as anything related to mankind's "beliefs and practices in relation to God, gods, or the supernatural" (Asheim, 1956, p. 2). "Religious Studies" is a term that may likewise be understood as anything related to the study of those beliefs or practices, often from an interdisciplinary perspective. The resources listed in this guide include a number of broad treatments of religion in America that may lead you to more specific resources relevant to the study of any particular aspect of religion.
To Find Books
Use the MERLIN Library Catalog and the MOBIUS Union Catalog to find resources relevant to your research. Relevant works can be found using subject headings (Library of Congress) such as:
- Religion
- Gods
- Christianity
- Judaism
- Faith
- Atheism
- Voodooism
- Mythology
- Cults
- Isis
- Islam
- Buddhism
- Supernatural
- Hinduism
- Demeter (Greek Deity)
- New Age Movement
- Religion - United States
- Religious Fundamentalism
- Japan - Religion - 20th Century
The religious aspect of another subject can also be found using subject headings such as:
- Art and Religion
- Church and State
- Religion and Culture
- Religion and Ethics
- Women and Religion
- Religious Education
- Religion and Politics
- Religion and Literature
- African-Americans - Religion
Finally, information on specific religious books and figures can be found using subject headings such as:
- Bible
- Book of Mormon
- Muhammad, Prophet
- Gautama Buddha
- Koran
- Talmud
- Luther, Martin, 1483-
- Mahabharata
To find the location of a book in Miller Nichols Library, see the Location Guide.
To Find Articles
Remote (off-campus) access to databases is available only to UMKC students, faculty, and staff. All other users must access online resources within the Libraries. Begin searching by selecting a database. After selection you will be prompted to provide a UMKC Single Sign-On user name and password OR a 9-digit UMKC ID number followed by the letter k (example: 0123456789k) and last name, as needed.
- ATLA Religion Database (FirstSearch) 1949 - present.
Save to del.icio.usATLA Religion Database provides information on topics such as biblical studies, world religions, church
history, and religion in social issues. This database is the definitive index
for religious and theological literature. ATLA Religion Database contains
more than 1.4 million bibliographic records covering the research literature
of religion in over 60 languages. Most coverage spans from 1949 to the present,
while an ambitious retrospective indexing project provides citations of select
titles back to their original publication date. [Source:
EBSCOhost ATLA Religion Database information page, accessed June 8, 2006.] Link
to EBSCOhost
web user's guide. - OmniFile V Full Text (Wilson) 1982 - present. Save to del.icio.us
Selected full text 1994 - present.Provides indexing, abstracts, and some full-text from five of Wilson's full-text indexes: General Science Full Text, Humanities Full Text, Readers' Guide Full Text, Social Sciences Full Text, and Wilson Business Full Text. - Philosopher's Index (FirstSearch) 1940 - present. Save to del.icio.usIndexes scholarly research in books and journals in fifteen fields of philosophy. Many
citations include brief abstracts.
-
Religious and Theological Abstracts (1958-1986)
Ref BR1 .R286
Approximately 300 journals are indexed from around the world. There is no electronic counterpart to this database currently available through the Miller Nichols Library. - MLA International Bibliography (Chadwyck-Healey) 1884 - present. Save to del.icio.usAn index to scholarship in literature, linguistics, film, folklore, and cultural
studies. The print version of this bibliography is available in the Miller Nichols
Library and
covers 1921 - 1999. The location and call number are Reference Index Wall Z7006
.M64. See the MLA
Directory of Periodicals for a list of periodicals indexed.
- ISI Web of Science
Note: This database is no longer be available. Permits multidisciplinary searching for articles from international academic journals in the sciences, social sciences, and the arts and humanities. This combined database for the Science Citation Index, the Social Sciences Citation Index, and the Arts & Humanities Citation Index offers cited reference searching. Link to ISI Web of Science user's guide. - JSTOR 1838 - present. Save to del.icio.us
Full text. Coverage varies by title.Contains fully searchable scanned articles from selected journals in a broad range of disciplines, including African-American studies, art, ecology, economics, education, history, law, literature, music, general science, sociology, and statistics. (To see a complete list of discipines and journal titles, link to the JSTOR browse list.) Covers the full run of journals from the first issue of volume one; however, the most recent three to five years of journals are not generally available.
Note: indexes to literature relevant to a specific faith may also be available in the reference stacks, for example:
- Catholic
Periodical Index (1933-1966)
Ref AI3 .C32 - Index to Jewish Periodicals (1963-
)
Ref Z6367 .I5 - Index
Islamicus (1993- )
Ref DS44 .I62
University Libraries Photocopying and Printing Services
Reference Sources: Encyclopedias, Etc.
Reference sources are useful for locating background information, definitions, general descriptions, and basic facts. Use these books to help you select or focus your research topic.
All call numbers in this guide refer to the UMKC Miller Nichols Library, unless otherwise noted. Titles are linked to the corresponding MERLIN Library Catalog record.
Encyclopedias and Dictionaries
| A Dictionary of Comparative Religion | BL31 .D54 |
| Man, Myth & Magic: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Mythology, Religion and the Unknown (21 vols.) | Ref BF1407 .M34 |
| The Encyclopedia of Religion (16 vols.) | Ref BL31 .E46 |
| The
Encyclopedia of Native American Religions |
Ref E98 .R3 H73 |
| Encyclopedia of the American Religious Experience: Studies of Traditions and Movements (3 vols.) | Ref BL2525 .E53 |
| American Religious Creeds (3 vols.) | Ref BL427 .E52 |
| The Encyclopedia of American Religions |
Ref BL2530 .U6 M443 |
| New Age Encyclopedia | Ref BP605 .N48 M44 |
| Encyclopedia of African American Religions | Ref BR563 .N4 E53 |
| The Encyclopedia of African and African-American Religions | Ref BL2462.5 .E53 |
| The Encyclopedia of Unbelief (2 vols.) | Ref BL2705 .E53 |
Additional Sources
| Historical Atlas of the Religions of the World | Ref BL80.2 .F28 |
| Religion in American Life (4 vols.) | Ref BR515 .S6 |
Note: Reference material on a specific religion can be found by doing a "keyword" search using the name of the religion and the type of material desired (e.g., "encyclopedia and judaism").
Web Resources
- Finding God
in Cyberspace: A Guide to Religious Studies Resources on the Internet
(sim74.kenrickparish.com/)
Metasites and Directories
- Academic Info:
Religion Gateway
An annotated list of a broad variety of web-based materials for the academic study of religion, includes links to journals, academic departments.
(www.academicinfo.net/religindex.html) - Guide to Internet Resources for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion
A selective, annotated guide to a wide variety of electronic resources of interest to those who are teaching or studying religion and theology at the undergraduate or graduate level.
(www.wabashcenter.wabash.edu/Internet/front.htm) - Virtual
Religion Index -
Rutgers University
The VR Index, sponsored by the Rutgers University Department of Religion, is another excellent starting place for academic research in religious studies.
(www.rci.rutgers.edu/~religion/vri/index.html)
Electronic Texts
- Guide
to Early Church Documents
This site, sponsored by the Institute for Christian Leadership, contains links to full-text documents "relating to the early church, including canonical documents, creeds, the writings of the Apostolic Fathers and other historical texts relevant to church history."
(www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/christian-history.html) - Religious
and Sacred Texts
A hypertext collection of sacred texts from a number of faith traditions, including Christian, Confucian, Hindu, Taoist, and others.
(davidwiley.com/religion.html)
Electronic Journals
- Religion News Service
The Religion News Service provides worldwide coverage of news relevant to religion, ethics, spirituality, and moral issues. Over 60 years' experience in covering religious news issues.
(www.religionnews.com/) - Journal of Southern Religion
A completely web-based academic journal "devoted to the study of religion in the American South," and sponsored by the University of Virginia.
(jsr.lib.virginia.edu/) - The North Star: A Journal
of African-American Religious History
A completely web-based academic journal sponsored by the Afro-American History Group of the American Academy of Religion.
(www.aar-site.org/)
World Religions
Buddhism
- Buddhist Studies
WWW Virtual Library
Perhaps the single largest collection of links to scholarly and popular web-based resources on Buddhism and Buddhist culture; includes collections of links to Buddhist Studies databases, journals, texts and art.
(www.ciolek.com/WWWVL-Buddhism.html) - Resources
for the Study of East Asian Language and Thought
(Charles Muller, Toyo Gakuen University, Japan)
Includes links to the "Dictionary of East Asian Buddhist Terms" (with over 5,000 entries), the "Electronic Buddhist Text Initiative," and bibliographies of East Asian and Korean Buddhism. Also includes links to material on Confucianism and Taoism.
(www.human.toyogakuen-u.ac.jp/~acmuller/index.html) - The Electronic Bodhidharma
The "largest Buddhist primary materials on the internet." Sponsored by the International Research Institute for Zen Buddhism (Kyoto).
(iriz.hanazono.ac.jp/book/book05.en.html). - Tricycle: The Buddhist Review
An online journal in Buddhist studies; includes a glossary to basic Buddhist terminology and guides to Buddhist studies centers across the country.
(www.tricycle.com) - Western
Buddhist Review
An online journal produced by the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order. Not a completely scholarly journal, but the articles tend to be both thoughtful and thorough.
(www.westernbuddhistreview.com/index.html)
Christianity
- Bible Gateway
(www.biblegateway.com)
A searchable electronic database containing the full text of several versions of the Bible:- New International Version
- New American Standard Bible
- The Message
- Amplified Bible
- New Living Translation
- King James Version
- English Standard Version
- Contemporary English Version
- New King James Version
- 21st Century King James Version
- American Standard Version
- Worldwide English (New Testament)
- Young's Literal Translation
- Darby Translation
- Wycliffe New Testament
- New International Version - UK
- The Vatican
The official Website of the Holy See.
(www.vatican.va/) - The Ecole Initiative
A hypertext encyclopedia of early Church history.
(www2.evansville.edu/ecoleweb/) - English
Literature and Religion
An excellent collection of materials focusing on the relationship between religion and English literature from the Middle Ages to the present; includes a database of over 6,000 items, electronic texts, and links to related sites.
(www.english.umd.edu/englfac/WPeterson/ELR/elr.htm) - Journal
for Christian Theological Research
An online scholarly journal published by the Christian Theological Research Fellowship (http://www.luthersem.edu/ctrf/) in association with the Systematic Theology Group of the American Academy of Religion (www.aarweb.org/Default.asp).
(www.luthersem.edu/ctrf/JCTR/default.htm)
Hinduism
- The Hindu Universe
A Yahoo-like directory for web-based resources in Hindu studies; includes links to Hindu publications, a Hindu calendar of events, Hindu news services, and extensive information on various branches of Hinduism.
(www.hindunet.org/home.shtml) - Hinduism
in America
A study of immigration to the United States and its effects on the retention of Hindu faith and practices. Originally completed as a student project for an American Civilization course at Brown University.
(www.brown.edu/Departments/AmCiv/Studentprojects/apurva/index.htm) - Electronic
Journal of Vedic Studies
An electronic scholarly journal in Vedic Studies, edited by Michael Witzel, Wales Professor of Sanskrit at Harvard University.
(northshore.shore.net/~india/ejvs/) - Hinduism Today
A magazine that presents today's news from a Hindu perspective.
(www.hinduism-today.com/)
Islam
- Al-Islam
An extensive collection of links to information about Islamic studies and Islamic religious practice; includes a digital library of Islamic texts and a site-based search engine.
(www.al-islam.org/) - Resources for Studying
Islam
A collection of links to Islamic resources by Alan Godlas, Professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Georgia.
(www.arches.uga.edu/~godlas/) - Journal of Arabic and Islamic
Studies
An online scholarly journal focusing on "Arabic language and linguistics, medieval and modern Arabic literature, and Islamic culture."
(www.uib.no/jais/)
Judaism
- Judaism and
Jewish Resources
An extensive collection of links to resources for the study of Judaism, Jewish news services, Israeli politics and culture; includes numerous links to the Jewish press and to the discussion lists.
(www.shamash.org/trb/judaism.html) - Shamash, The Jewish Network
Hosted by Hebrew College (www.hebrewcollege.edu/), Shamash provides links to numerous electronic resources, including discussion lists and online journals.
(shamash.org/) - Best of JTS Magazine: The Journal
of the Jewish Theological Seminary
An archive of the online journal for the study of Conservative Judaism (formerly called Masoret). Ceased publishing in 2002.
(www.jtsa.edu/about/communications/pubs/bestof/)
Note: There are many more faith traditions in the world than can be enumerated here. Use one or more of the metasites and directories provided above to locate web-based information on any world religion not listed (as well as further information on the religions that are).
Use search engines linked on the Internet Search Tools page to identify additional Web resources.
Religion on the Web Bibliography
Jason D. Baker, Christian Cyberspace Companion: A Guide to the Internet and Christian Online Sources, 2nd ed. Baker Books (Ada: 1996).
Hendrika Beaulieu, "Observing Unobserved: Computer Networks as a Source for the Study of Religion," North American Religion 2 (1993): 10-34.
Jeffrey A. Coon, "Internet Resources for Religious Studies," College & Research Libraries News 54 (December 1993): 635-637.
Kevin Moroney, "Scholarly Religious Sites on the World Wide Web," Collection Building 17 (2) (1998): 80-83.
Stephen D. O'Leary, "Cyberspace as Sacred Space: Communicating Religion on Computer Networks," Journal of the American Academy of Religion 64 (1997): 781-808.
Stephen D. O'Leary and Brenda E. Brasher, "The Unknown God of the Internet: Religious Communication from the Ancient Agora to the Virtual Forum," in ed. Charles Ess, Philosophical Perspectives on Computer-Mediated Communication State University of New York Press (Albany: 1996), 233-269.
Mark A. Stover, "Religious Studies and Electronic Information: A Librarian's Perspective," Library Trends 40 (Spring 1992): 687-703.
Dana Julie Wishnick, "The Soul of the Internet: Religion on the World Wide Web" (MSLS Thesis, University of North Carolina, 1997).
For further assistance, please contact the
Miller Nichols Library Reference Desk at (816) 235-1534.
