Research Guides
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- Encyclopedias & Statistics
Comparative Religion: Encyclopedias & Statistics
Suggested resources in religious studies
Encyclopedias help you figure out the who, what & where of a topic. Knowing the who, what & where of a topic is the first step in researching a topic and discovering the "how" and "why". Encyclopedias and dictionaries can provide background information and can be used to identify key people, events and dates which can then be used as search terms for finding additional information. Many also provide a jumpstart on your research by listing related readings.
Major encyclopedia: Oxford Research Encyclopedia: Religion
Two online encyclopedia collections: Gale Ebooks & Oxford Reference Online
Multidenominational
- Dictionary of Creation Myths
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- Encyclopedia of Global Religion
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- Encyclopedia of New Religious Movements
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- Encyclopedia of Psychology and Religion
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- Encyclopedia of Religion
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- Encyclopedia of Religion, Communication, and Media
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- Encyclopedia of Religious Ethics
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- Encyclopedia of Sacred Places
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- Encyclopedia of Science and Religion
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- Encyclopedia of Women in World Religions: Faith and Culture across History
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- Food, Feasts, and Faith: An Encyclopedia of Food Culture in World Religions
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- Oxford Encyclopedia of Politics and Religion
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- Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices
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- Sage Encyclopedia of the Sociology of Religion
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- Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices
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Statistical Resources
- World's Religions in Figures : An Introduction to International Religious Demography
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- Yearbook of International Religious Demography 2014-2018
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Specific Religions & Regions
- Brill’s Encyclopedia of Jainism Online This link opens in a new window
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- Brill’s Encyclopedia of the Religions of the Indigenous People of South Asia Online This link opens in a new window
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- Cambridge Dictionary of Christian Theology
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- Cambridge Encyclopedia of the Jesuits
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- Encyclopaedia Judaica
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- Encyclopedia of African Religion
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- Encyclopedia of African Religions and Philosophy
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- Encyclopedia of Buddhism
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- Encyclopedia of Caribbean Religions
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- Encyclopedia of Christianity Online
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- Encyclopedia of Eastern Orthodox Christianity
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- Encyclopedia of Indian Religions: Buddhism and Jainism
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- Encyclopedia of Indian Religions: Sikhism
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- Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World
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- Encyclopedia of Jewish History and Culture Online
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- Mormonism: A Historical Encyclopedia
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- Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church
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- Oxford Encyclopaedia of South Asian Christianity
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- Qur'an: An Encyclopedia
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- Religion in Southeast Asia: an Encyclopedia of Faiths and Cultures
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- Voodoo Encyclopedia: Magic, Ritual, and Religion : Magic, Ritual, and Religion
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United States
- African American Religious Cultures
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- Encyclopedia of American Religions
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- Encyclopedia of Christianity in the United States
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- Encyclopedia of Women and Religion in North America
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- Evangelical America: An Encyclopedia of Contemporary American Religious Culture
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- Melton's Encyclopedia of American Religions
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- Religion and American Cultures: Tradition, Diversity, and Popular Expression
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- Religion and Politics in America : an Encyclopedia of Church and State in American Life
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- Religion and the Law in America: an Encyclopedia of Personal Belief and Public Policy
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Handbooks & Companions
Handbooks and companions are specialized types of reference sources that provide an overview of scholarship on a specific topic.
- Oxford Handbooks: Religion
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More than 100 religion-related handbooks that offer "an authoritative and state-of-the-art survey of current thinking and research," - Routledge Handbooks: ReligionMore than 30 handbooks on various religion-related topics
- Brill Handbooks: Religion20 religion-related handbooks
- Wiley-Blackwell Companions: Religion19 religion-related handbooks