Religious studies: Getting started
This guide is intended to help students, faculty, and researchers locate and access sources and reference tools for the study of religions.
General resources
The SearchWorks catalog is the best place to begin looking for monographs on specific topics related to the study of religion. The Articles+ function of SearchWorks can be used for full-text searching across a number of serials to which the Libraries hold electronic access.
Bibliographies
- Index Religiosus : international bibliography of theology, church history and religious studiesExtensive, searchable bibliography covering publications written in various European languages (English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, etc.).
- Oxford bibliographiesPeer-reviewed and annotated bibliographies compiled by specialists, covering a number of subject areas. Specific bibliographies that may be of interest for those doing research in religious studies include: Anthropology, Biblical Studies, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islamic Studies, Jewish Studies, Medieval Studies, Philosophy, Renaissance and Reformation, and Sociology. Entries on religion and religiosity can also be found in many of the area studies-related bibliographies: African Studies, African-American Studies, Chinese Studies, Latin American Studies, and Latino Studies.
Databases and Serials
- Adherents.comThis website provides tens of thousands of adherent statistics and religious geography citations--references to published membership and congregational statistics for over 4,200 religions, churches, denominations, religious bodies, faith groups, tribes, cultures, movements, concerns, etc.
- ATLA religion database with ATLASerials PLUSThe database of the American Theological Library Association provides access to over four hundred full-text titles, including all the journals within the ATLASerials collection, covering many areas related to religious studies and theology.
- Database of religious historyA centralized clearinghouse for scholarly knowledge of the historical record, bringing together a core of quantified, standardized data with qualitative comments, references to crucial resources, and links to on-line text and image databases. Built-in analytic and data visualization tools are included.
- Religious magazine archiveA searchable archive of magazines devoted to religious topics, spanning 19th-21st centuries. The publications were originally written by/for a wider populace rather than academic/cultural elites and offer insights into, for example, the influence of belief systems on public life, the history of popular religious movements and the means used by religions to gain adherents and communicate their ideologies. A wide variety of religions and denominations are represented, allowing for comparative studies of religions during this period.
- The Association of Religion Data Archives : ARDAData included in the ARDA are submitted by the foremost religion scholars and research centers in the world. The ARDA allows you to interactively explore the highest quality data on American and international religion using online features for generating national profiles, GIS maps, church membership overviews, denominational heritage trees, tables, charts, and other reports.
The ARDA utilizes data from the World Religion Database, which is based on the World Christian Database. Further information on the methodology used to create that database and recommendations on its use can be found in Hsu, et al., "Composition of All Nations: An Empirical Assessment of the World Christian Database," Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 47, no. 4 (2008), 678-693, available here (copy DOI link into a new window):
doi:10.1111/j.1468-5906.2008.00435.x - World religion database: international religious demographic statistics and sourcesThe World Religion Database (WRD) contains detailed statistics on religious affiliation for every country of the world. It provides source material, including censuses and surveys, as well as best estimates for every religion to offer a definitive picture of international religious demography. It offers best estimates at multiple dates for each of the world's religions for the period 1900 to 2050.
The World Religion Database employs data from the World Christian Database. Further information on the methodology used to create that database and recommendations on its use can be found in Hsu, et al., "Composition of All Nations: An Empirical Assessment of the World Christian Database," Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 47, no. 4 (2008), 678-693, available here (copy DOI link into a new window):
doi:10.1111/j.1468-5906.2008.00435.x
Media
- Ethnographic video onlineLarge collection of streaming ethnographic video includes material related to religion.
- EVIA digital archive: ethnographic video for instruction & analysisThe EVIA Digital Archive Project is a collaborative effort to create a digital archive of ethnographic field video for use by scholars and instructors.
- The index of Medieval artBased on the Index of Christian Art, but expanded to encompass a more broad collection of religious and secular imagery.
Reference
- Cambridge histories onlineProvides full text online access to the complete 250-plus volumes of Cambridge Histories reference series.
- Encyclopedia of religionOnline access to the latest edition of the Encyclopedia of Religion, a standard reference work in fifteen volumes that contains articles and bibliographies compiled by specialists.
- Oxford reference onlineProvides online access to a number of dictionaries, companions, and encylopedias published by Oxford University Press, featuring many entries and articles on a variety of subjects related to the study of religion.
- Oxford research encyclopediasPeer-reviewed articles on a number of specific topics. Includes the contents of the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Religion and other titles.
- Routledge handbooks online: ReligionThe Religion collection of Routledge Handbooks Online contains a number of companions, handbooks, and other reference works that provide in-depth introductions to specific topics related to the study of religion.
- Last Updated: Oct 16, 2024 2:46 PM
- URL: https://guides.library.stanford.edu/religion
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