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 often 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:
Search the library opens new windowcatalog for biographies. Try searching by:
- Personal names as subjects or keywords
- Classes of people as subjects or keywords
- Other keyword searches
Statistics & Demographics
Major statistical & demographic databases
- eHRAF World Cultures This link opens in a new window
Statistics related to religion:
- opens new windowAdherents.com
- opens new windowAmerican Religion Data Archive (ARDA)
- opens new windowAmerican Religious Identification Survey
- opens new windowBarna Research Online
- opens new windowCenter for Applied Research in the Apostolate
- opens new windowFaith Communities Today
- opens new windowHartford Institute for Religion Research
- opens new windowOperation World
- opens new windowPluralism Project (Harvard University)
- opens new windowReligious Congregations and Membership Study 2010 (Glenmary Home Missioners)
- opens new windowReligious Landscape Study (Pew Research Center)
- opens new windowU.S. Congregational Life Survey (USCLS)
Other sources of statistical information
- opens new windowAmerican FactFinder
- opens new windowBritannica® Online Academic Edition
- opens new windowCredo Reference
- opens new windowFedStats
- opens new windowFunk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia
- opens new windowGallup
- opens new windowMental Measurements Yearbook with Tests in Print
- opens new windowStatistical Abstract of the United States
- US Census Bureau's opens new window International Programs
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:
- opens new window (Bible OR biblical) AND (dictionar* or encycloped*)
- opens new windowtheolog* AND (dictionar* OR encycloped*)
- opens new window (counsel* OR psycholog* OR care OR ministry OR "church work with") AND (dictionar* OR encycloped* )
- opens new window (Pentecostal* OR charisma* OR renewal) AND (dictionar* OR encycloped*)
- opens new window (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)
- Dictionary 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 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
- Encyclopedia of Religion in AmericaGale eBooks
- Fast Facts: Religion and MedicineEbook Central
- Global Dictionary of TheologyCredo Reference
- Handbook of Patristic Exegesis: The Bible in Ancient ChristianityEbook Central (vol. 1)
- 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)
- Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyOpen access
- 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 opens new windowchart in the opens new windowBible Commentaries Plus guide. The chart categorizes the commentaries as devotional, pastoral, or academic, with the academic category generally being the most scholarly and therefore the most desirable for use in college papers.
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. The book is kept at the Library Services Desk on the "Quick Reference" shelf.
Handbooks & Directories
To find a denominational or church-related directory or handbook, do a search for:
opens new window ((denomination* OR church*) OR ("Christian sects")) AND (handbook * OR director*)
Maps & Atlases
- Oxford Bible AtlaseBook Collection (EBSCOhost)