Why read background information?
Reading background information helps fill in knowledge gaps. Virtually everyone, even experts, can benefit from reading authoritative summaries of the historic background, current developments, major players, and primary issues of a chosen topic. These summaries sometimes include basic bibliographies that help to jump start research projects.
Major sources of authoritative summaries are subject dictionaries and encyclopedias. Other background information may be obtained from biographical and statistical sources and other reference works such as handbooks and directories.
Biographical Information
Search one or more databases for biographical information about a particular person. See especially:
Or, try one of these selected biographical ebooks:
- opens new windowBiographical Dictionary of Christian Theologians
- opens new windowBiographical Dictionary of Psychology
- opens new windowDictionary of Theologians to 1308
- opens new windowKey Theological Thinkers: From Modern to Postmodern
- opens new windowThe Student's Companion to the Theologians
- opens new windowTwentieth-Century Theologians: New Introduction to Modern Christian Thought
- opens new windowThe Westminster Dictionary of Theologians
- opens new windowWho's Who in Theology: From the First Century to the Present
Search the library catalog for biographies. Try searching by:
- Personal names as subjects or keywords
- Classes of people as subjects or keywords
- Other keyword searches
Handbooks & Directories
To find a denominational or church-related directory or handbook, do a search for:
opens new window (denomination* OR sects) AND (handbook * OR director*)
Dictionaries & Encyclopedias
- Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
- Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
Search the library catalog for subject dictionaries and encyclopedias. Here are some sample searches to try:
- (Bible OR biblical) AND (dictionar* or encycloped*)
- theolog* AND (dictionar* OR encycloped*)
- (counsel* OR psycholog* OR care OR ministry OR "church work with") AND (dictionar* OR encycloped* )
- (Pentecostal* OR charisma* OR renewal) AND (dictionar* OR encycloped*)
- (church) and (histor* OR fathers OR patrist*) and (encycloped* OR dictionar*)
Selected Theology & Ministry eReference Works
- A to Z of AnglicanismeBook Collection (EBSCOhost)
- All Things in the Bible: An Encyclopedia of the Biblical WorldeBook Collection (EBSCOhost)
- The Blackwell Companion to Postmodern TheologyEbook Central
- The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Modern Christian ThoughteBook Collection (EBSCOhost)
- Brill Dictionary of Gregory of NyssaeBook Collection (EBSCOhost)
- Britannica Encyclopedia of World ReligionsEbook Central
- Christian Philosophy A-ZeBook Collection (EBSCOhost)
- Concise Routledge Encyclopedia of PhilosophyEbook Central
- Contemporary American ReligionGale eBooks
- Critical Companion to the Bible: A Literary ReferenceeBook Collection (EBSCOhost)
- Dictionary of Bible ThemesEdited by Martin H. Manser, 2009. Based on the NIV Thematic Reference Bible. Open access.
- Dictionary of Biblical Criticism and InterpretationeBook Collection (EBSCOhost)
- The Encyclopedia of Eastern Orthodox ChristianityEbook Central
- Dictionary of Feminist TheologieseBook Collection (EBSCOhost)
- Dictionary of Jesus and the GospelsEbook Central
- Dictionary of Jewish-Christian RelationsGale eBooks
- Dictionary of New Testament BackgroundEbook Central
- Dictionary of the Old Testament: Historical BooksEbook Central
- Dictionary of the Old Testament: PentateuchEbook Central
- Dictionary of the Old Testament: ProphetsEbook Central
- Encyclopaedia JudaicaGale eBooks
opens new windowPrint version: DS102.8.E496 2007 LRC-Ref (22 vols.) - Encyclopedia of AngelseBook Collection (EBSCOhost)
- Encylopedia of BuddhismGale eBooks
- Encyclopedia of CatholicismeBook Collection (EBSCOhost)
- Encyclopedia of Christian LiteratureeBook Collection (EBSCOhost)
2 vols. - Encyclopedia of CounselingEbook Central
- Encyclopedia of Eastern Orthodox ChristianityEbook Central
- Encyclopedia of EvangelicalismeBook Collection (EBSCOhost)
- Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim WorldGale eBooks
- Encyclopedia of PhilosophyGale eBooks
- Encyclopedia of ProtestantismeBook Collection (EBSCOhost)
- Encyclopedia of Religion in AmericaGale eBooks
- Fast Facts: Religion and MedicineEbook Central
- Global Dictionary of TheologyCredo Reference
- Historical Dictionary of AnglicanismeBook Collection (EBSCOhost)
- Historical Dictionary of JesusEbook Central
- Historical Dictionary of Radical ChristianityEbook Central
- Historical Dictionary of the BaptistseBook Collection (EBSCOhost)
- Historical Dictionary of the Holiness MovementeBook Collection (EBSCOhost)
- Historical Dictionary of the Orthodox ChurcheBook Collection (EBSCOhost)
- Historical Dictionary of the PuritanseBook Collection (EBSCOhost)
- Historical Dictionary of the ShakerseBook Collection (EBSCOhost)
- Holy Scripture: A Dogmatic SketcheBook Collection (EBSCOhost)
- The International Standard Bible EncyclopediaOpen access at StudyLight.org
- Jewish Religion: A CompanioneBook Collection (EBSCOhost)
- Jewish Traditions: A JPS GuideEbook Central
- Modern Catholic EncyclopediaOpen access. Select the desired term and click the "Definition" button.
- New Catholic Encyclopedia, 2nd ed.See also the supplements: opens new window2001, opens new window2009. opens new window2010. opens new window2011. Click information icon for more.
- New Dictionary of the History of IdeasGale eBooks
- One Scripture or Many?: Canon from Biblical, Theological, and Philosophical PerspectiveseBook Collection (EBSCOhost)
- Oxford Companion to PhilosophyeBook Collection (EBSCOhost)
- Oxford Dictionary of SaintseBook Collection (EBSCOhost)
- Oxford Handbook of Biblical StudiesEbook Central
- Philosopher's DictionaryeBook Collection (EBSCOhost)
- The Use and Abuse of the Bible: A Brief History of Biblical InterpretationeBook Collection (EBSCOhost)
- Westminster Dictionary of Theological TermseBook Collection (EBSCOhost)
Bible Commentaries
To identify the more scholarly Bible commentaries, use the Bible commentaries series chart in the Bible Commentaries Plus guide.
See also David Bauer's opens new windowEssential Bible Study Tools for Ministry, especially the "Highly Recommended" sections of his selected lists of commentaries for each book of the Bible. Ask for this at the Library Services Desk.
Statistics & Demographics
Statistics related to religion: opens new window
- opens new windowAdherents.com
- opens new windowAmerican Religion Data Archive (ARDA)
- opens new windowAmerican Religious Identification Survey
- opens new windowBarna Research Online
- opens new windowBerman Jewish Databank
- Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate
- opens new windowFaith Communities Today
- Hartford Institute for Religion Research
- opens new windowICPSR Religious Data
- opens new windowNationMaster.com Statistics: Religion
- opens new windowOperation World
- Pluralism Project (Harvard University)
- Religious Congregations and Membership Study 2010
- opens new windowReligion and Society (Pew Research Center)
- opens new windowUS Office of International Religious Freedom
- Religious Landscape Study (Pew Research Center)
- U.S. Congregational Life Survey (USCLS)
Statistical databases
Other sources of statistical information
- opens new windowAmerican FactFinder
- American National Election Studies (ANES)
- opens new windowBritannica® Online Academic Edition
- opens new windowCIA World Factbook
- opens new windowopens new windowCredo Reference
- opens new windowopens new windowFedStats
- opens new windowopens new windowGallup
- opens new windowStatistical Abstract of the United States
- US Census Bureau's International Programs
- opens new windowWorld Values Survey