Research Guides: Religious Studies: Library Resources

Find Background Information

Why is background information important?

Provides an overview of an unfamiliar topic.
Give you basic information about a topic like definitions & summaries.
Helps you broaden or narrow your search.

Reference materials, such as encyclopedias and dictionaries, are great sources of background information.

Britannica Academic This link opens in a new window
Combines Encyclopdia Britannica and Merriam-Websters Collegiate Dictionary and Thesaurus, plus magazines and periodicals, an atlas, biographies, e-books, and other tools.
Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
Credo Reference is an e-reference database with hundreds of encyclopedia, topical dictionary, and handbook titles. Use Credo to start your research by gathering background information, finding key terms and concepts, and then connecting to scholarly articles.
Watch this short video on how to use this database:
eBooks from Master Academic eBook Collection (Infobase) This link opens in a new window
With more than 2,500 core reference works from the Facts On File, Ferguson’s, and Bloom’s imprints. Coverage includes a wide range of academic subject areas—from literature and language reference, to world history, religion, and philosophy. Also includes Literary Classics eBook collection and Sacred Text eBook collection.

New Testament Web Resources

New Testament Gateway
Award winning web directory of internet resources on the New Testament, managed by Duke University faculty.
King James Bible
Search or browse the King James Bible. From the Univ. of Michigan.
Christian Classics Ethereal Library
A large collection of online manuscripts of the Christian faith including many early Greek and Latin documents translated into English.

Comparative Web Resources

The Pluralism Project
From Harvard University, the Pluralism Project studies and interprets the changing religious landscape of the United States. Learn about individual faiths, or view original research throughout the website, including essays "Christianity in America" or "Issues for Muslims in America".
Association of Religion Data Archives
American and international collections and developing features for educators, journalists, religious congregations, and researchers.
BBC Religions Guide
Coverage of 20 religions from the British Broadcasting Corporation.
ATLA
Established in 1946 as the American Theological Library Association, Atla is a membership association of librarians and information professionals, and a producer of research tools, committed to advancing the study of religion and theology.
World Religion Database World Map
The map shows the percentage of the majority religion by provinces/states and also included in the database is Christian percentage by provinces/states.

More Web Resources: Religious Texts

Book of Mormon
Search or browse The Book of Mormon
Internet Sacred Text Archives - Jewish Texts
Electronic access to Jewish sacred texts.
The Qur'an
Search or browse the Qur'an with English translation and text and audio in the original Arabic. Translation and site developed as an open source project.
Bhagavad Gita
Read and listen to translations of the Hindu epic.

Quick Links to Subject Databases

Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new window
Scholarly, multi-disciplinary full-text database, with more than 8,500 full-text journals.
Watch this short video on how to use this database:
Academic Video Online This link opens in a new window
Academic Video Online (AVON) spans a wide range of subject areas. Includes content like documentaries, films, and demonstrations from publishers like the BBC, PBS, and Sony.
Religion and Philosophy (Gale) This link opens in a new window
Discover a comprehensive collection of periodical content covering topics across a wide range of philosophies and religions. Researchers will gain valuable insight about the impact religion has had on culture throughout history, including literature, arts, and language.
Watch this short video on how to use this database:
Ebook Central This link opens in a new window
SKYCTC's ebooks from ProQuest. Includes thousands of ebooks from leading publishers like Wiley, 130 university presses, and more. Collections cover subjects such as: biology, business management, computer science/IT, education, engineering & manufacturing, history, literature, nursing and other health-related fields, physical sciences, psychology, religious studies and sociology.
eBooks from the University Press of Kentucky This link opens in a new window
KYVL has partnered with the University Press of Kentucky to make more than 1,300 titles in the collection freely available to KYVL members. This collection includes topics ranging from architecture to business, education to law, Arts & Humanities and studies in Romance languages to social & behavioral sciences and STEM fields.

EBSCO: eBook Collections

Use the link below to access EBSCOhost eBook Collection and type keywords into the search box.

EBSCOhost eBook Collection This link opens in a new window
Electronic book collection, including fiction, nonfiction, and reference.
Watch this short video on how to use this database:

eBooks from EBSCO

Creation Myths of the World by David A. Leeming
ISBN: 1598841742
Publication Date: 2009-12-18
The most comprehensive resource available on creation myths from around the world--their narratives, themes, motifs, similarities, and differences--and what they reveal about their cultures of origin.
Encyclopedia of Religion and Film by Eric Michael Mazur (Editor)
ISBN: 0313330727
Publication Date: 2011-03-08
Comprising 91 A-Z entries, this encyclopedia provides a broad and comprehensive introduction to the topic of religion within film.
Christianity by Philip Kennedy
ISBN: 1848853831
Publication Date: 2011-02-22
The history of the religion, while often glorious, is not one of unimpeded progress, but something still more remarkable, flawed and human.
The Myths We Live By by Mary Midgley
ISBN: 0415610249
Publication Date: 2011-05-17
The powerful role of symbolism and the need to take our imaginative life seriously.
Confucianism by Ronnie L. Littlejohn
ISBN: 184885174X
Publication Date: 2010-12-15
Full coverage of the tradition's metaphysics, as well as its varied manifestations in education, art, literature and culture.
The Copts of Egypt by Vivian Ibrahim
ISBN: 1848854994
Publication Date: 2010-11-30
An image of the community, examining Coptic agency in the twentieth century.
Islam by Solomon A. Nigosian
ISBN: 0253216273
Publication Date: 2004-01-29
The life of Muhammad; Islamic political development and territorial expansion; the important groupings of Islamic believers; the Qur'an; Sunnah, Hadith, and Shari'ah; the five Articles of Faith and the Five Pillars of Islam; and other religious observances and festivals.
Buddhism-the Ebook by Charles S. Prebish; Damien Keown
ISBN: 9780974705538
Publication Date: 2005-09-01
Full introduction to Buddhism from the foundational beliefs, history of its development, and its status and role across the contemporary world.

On the Shelf at SKYCTC

Books and DVDs to check out or use from the Learning Commons on the Main Campus, Building L, Room 113

The New Testament: a Very Short Introduction by Luke Timothy Johnson
Call Number: BS1140.3 .J64 2010
ISBN: 9780199735709
Publication Date: 2010-02-10
This one-of-a-kind introduction engages four distinct dimensions of the earliest Christian writings--anthropological, historical, religious, and literary--to provide readers with abroad conceptual and factual framework.
Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament by Louis A. Barbieri Jr.; J. Ronald Blue; Edwin A. Blum; Donald K. Campbell; John F. Walvoord (Editor); Roy B. Zuck (Editor)
Call Number: BS491.2 .B48 1983
ISBN: 9780882078120
Publication Date: 1983-07-01
Information on the author, historical background, and features of books of the Bible. Includes maps, charts, and diagrams.
The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture by Samuel S. Hill (Editor)
Call Number: F209 .N47 2006
ISBN: 0807830038
Publication Date: 2006-04-03
In this volume of The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture, contributors have revised entries from the original Encyclopedia on topics ranging from religious broadcasting to snake handling and added new entries on such topics as Asian religions, Latino religion, New Age religion, Islam, Native American religion, and social activism.
The Case for God by Karen Armstrong
Call Number: BL 473 A76 2009
ISBN: 9780307269188
Publication Date: 2009-09-22
Focusing especially on Christianity but including other religions, Armstrong examines the diminished impulse toward religion during a time when a significant number of people either want nothing to do with God or question the efficacy of faith.
The Evolution of God by Robert Wright
Call Number: BL 473 W75 2009
ISBN: 9780316734912
Publication Date: 2009-06-08
Takes us from the Stone Age to the Information Age revealing a hidden pattern that the monotheistic faiths have followed as they have evolved.
Foxfire 7 by Foxfire Fund, Inc.; Paul Gillespie (Editor)
Call Number: BR 563 M68 F69
ISBN: 0385152442
Publication Date: 1982-03-01
The seventh Foxfire volume presents traditions of mountain religious heritage, covering ministers, revivals, baptisms, gospel-singing, faith healing, camp meetings, snake handling, and more.

DVDs to Check out from the Learning Commons on the Main Campus, Building L, Room 113.

Decoding the Past: Secrets of the Koran by History Channel
Call Number: BP 130.4. D43 2006
ISBN: 0767090683
Publication Date: 2006
Explores the history and influence of the Koran. Scholars offer interpretations of the Koran's verses and draw comparisons between the Koran and the Bible.
God In America by PBS Distribution
Call Number: BL 2525. G63 2010
Publication Date: 2010
Tells the sweeping and dramatic story of religious life in America, examining more than 500 years of American religious history, from the voyage of Christopher Columbus to the 2008 presidential election. Examine this history as it has played out in public life, exploring the complex interaction between religion and democracy in the United States; the origins of the American concept of religious liberty; the dynamics of the ever-evolving American religious marketplace; and more.
Jonestown by WGBH Educational Foundation
Call Number: BP 605. P46 J66 2007
ISBN: 1415731527
Producer-director Stanley Nelson's 90-minute documentary devotes a good deal of time to Jones' personal history up to and including the founding of the Peoples Temple. There is ample footage of Jones himself, along with the recollections of Peoples Temple members (including those very few who survived Jonestown) and others.
Ken Burns' America: The Shakers by PBS
Call Number: BX 9766 S57 2004
ISBN: 141570256x
They strove for simplicity and perfection in all they did. They believed in peace, women's rights and freedom from prejudice. They made beautiful architecture, furniture and music. They were known as the Shakers, and this documentary examines this uniquely American movement and their lasting legacy.
The story of God. Season one by Morgan Freeman (presenter); Frank Kosa (producer)
Call Number: BL48 .S76 2016
Publication Date: 2016
The power of religion touches all of our lives, no matter what our faith is. This is Morgan Freeman's journey to discover how our beliefs connect us all. The quest of our generation. This is The Story of God.

Reference Books to Use in the Learning Commons on the Main Campus, Building L, Room 113.

New Testament Introduction by Donald Guthrie
Call Number: Reference: BS2330.2 .G87 1990
ISBN: 9780830814022
Publication Date: 1990-07-15
Provides a fixed point for surveying the books of the New Testament. Guthrie engages the issues of authorship and authenticity, purpose and structure, historical context and cultural setting.
Encyclopedia of Religion by Jones, Lindsay
Call Number: Ref BL31 E46 2005
ISBN: 0028657330
Publication Date: 2004-12-17
Preserving the best of the first edition's cross-cultural approach while emphasizing religion's role within everyday life and as a unique experience from culture to culture, this edition is one of the definitive work in the field for the 21st century.
Encyclopedia of Religion and War by Gabriel Palmer-Fernandez (Editor)
Call Number: Ref BL 80.3 E53 2004
ISBN: 0415942462
Publication Date: 2003-12-04
Examines and analyzes the role of religion in major wars, as well as the role of war in the development and spread of major religions. Entries cover historical as well as modern religious-based conflicts, such as modern Ireland and Chechnya.
Encyclopedia of Religious Revivals in America by Michael James McClymond
Call Number: Ref BV 3773 E53 2007
ISBN: 0313328285
Publication Date: 2006-11-30
This definitive, two-volume encyclopedia is the first academic reference work devoted specifically to religious revivals in North America
The New Encyclopedia of Islam by Cyril Glassé; Huston Smith (Foreword by); Cyril Glassé
Call Number: Ref BP40. G42 2008
ISBN: 9780742562967
Publication Date: 2008-07-11
The acclaimed New Encyclopedia of Islam comprehensively encompasses the beliefs, practices, history, and culture of the Islamic world in a single, accessible volume.

Find Library Resources

Type keywords in the Library Search box below to search most of the SKYCTC, KCTCS, and KYVL databases to find articles, books, and other resources.

How to Find Resources in Library Search
A short introduction to searching and saving favorites in Library Search.
Tutorial on How to Use Library Search
For an in-depth tutorial on how to do effective searches in Library Search.

Use the WKU Courier or SKYCTC Courier Service

Need to borrow a book from another library or have a book delivered to another campus?

Use the courier service links below.

Fill out a WKU Courier Service request
We will deliver books, DVDs, videos, and audiobooks from WKU Libraries to Main Campus, Transpark, Glasgow Health, Glasgow Tech, & Franklin campuses for you to pick up!

Librarian / Associate Professor

Ryan Dowell

Email Me

Contact:

Main Campus - Learning Commons
Building L, Office 119 - F

270-901-1171

Subjects: Library and Information Services

Off Campus?

Use your KCTCS email ID and password to access databases off campus.

If you are unable to login, try using Kentucky Virtual Library.

Kentucky Virtual Library (KYVL) Databases
Many of our databases are accessible using KYVL. SKYCTC students and employees can request the username and password for KYVL databases, which is different than your KCTCS login. To request the KYVL username and password, use the following link: https://password.kyvl.org/PasswordRequest.aspx, or contact the SKYCTC Help Desk (270-901-1171).

Still having trouble?

Off Campus Access Guide
Use your SKYCTC username and password to access most library databases off campus. Visit our Off Campus Access guide for more help or call the Library Help Desk at (270) 901-1171.

Religious Studies: Library Resources

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