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Research Guides

Comparative Religion: Subject definition

Suggested resources in religious studies

Subject Definition

The religion collection supports the study of religion in its historical, social, cultural, and scientific aspects.

Relevant Call Numbers

Religion is principally classified in the BL-BX range of the Library of Congress call number scheme.  The major subclasses are:

BL   History of religion; Jainism and Hinduism; East Asian religions except Buddhism 
BM Judaism
BP Islam; new religious movements
BQ Buddhism
BR Christianity by region; history of Christiany
BS Biblical studies
BT Christian doctrinal theology
BV Christian worship and practice, moral theology
BX Christian denominations and sects

In some cases, religion is classified with the disciplines that touch on it: e.g., philosophy of religion - B; psychology of religion - BF, religious music - M; religious art - N.  Some materials published before 1975 are classified in the 200s of Dewey Decimal system.