Selected Reference Databases
- opens new windowCredo Reference Center
-opens new windowView Religion & Theology titles
- Use the Mind Map for a visual representation of related topics.
Examples: opens new windowNestorius, opens new windowChristianity, opens new windowChurch History
- Topic Pages provide a background article, related articles, images and related topics.
Examples: opens new windowReformation; opens new windowCounter-Reformation;opens new window Marcus Aurelius, Emperor of Rome, 121-180;opens new window Paul, the Apostle, Saint- - opens new windowGale eBooks (GVRL)
opens new windowView All Religion Titles
Use the Topic Finder (shown below) for a visual on broader, narrower, and related topics. In GVRL, click Advanced in the top menu bar) then choose Topic Finder tab.
- opens new windowOxford Handbooks Online: Religion- "...Essays on critical topics and emerging issues in the study of religion, complementing hundreds of essays on Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism and cross-cultural thematic studies."
- opens new windowWorld Christian Database - Extensive data on: Christian denominations, thousands of ethnolinguistic people, major world religions, chronology of world Christianity from 1st century to present, population and evangelism in cities throughout the world. "Extensive data on: Christian denominations, thousands of ethnolinguistic people, major world religions, chronology of world Christianity from 1st century to present, population and evangelism in cities throughout the world."
Church Fathers
The Early Church Fathers is a 38-volume collection of writings from the first 800 years of the Church. The collection is divided into three series, Ante-Nicene (ANF), Nicene and Post-Nicene Series I (NPNF1), and Nicene and Post-Nicene Series II (NPNF2).
opens new windowChristian Classics Ethereal Library: Church Fathers (CCEL)
Open Access, electronic edition of the Early Church Fathers series. Provides searchable full text.
In the Library Catalog or an ebook database, try a subject search for "Fathers of the Church" or an author search for a Church Father.
Examples:
• opens new window"Fathers of the Church" (Library catalog, subject search)
• opens new windowAugustine of Hippo (Library catalog, author search)
• opens new window"Fathers of the Church" (Ebook Central, LC Subject Heading search)
• opens new window"Fathers of the Church" (eBook Collections, EBSCO, Subject search)
• opens new window"Fathers of the Church" (Gale Virtual Reference, phrase search)
See: opens new window ORU Library--Fathers of the Church- Call number section opens new windowBR60...LRC-R
Browse the Reference Collection in the Library
Use the opens new window Library of Congress Classification Outline: opens new windowB--Philosophy, Psychology, Religion or the ORU Library Theology Bookmark that lists general theological and biblical call numbers to identify reference sections to browse. Books are shelved in Library of Congress (LC) call number order, so similar subjects will be shelved next to each other.
Reference books cannot be checked; however, some titles may have a duplicate in the main collection that is available for checkout. Search the title you need in the library catalog to see if the book is located elsewhere in the library or online. Assistance is available at the Library Services Desk.
Search the ORU Library Catalog
opens new window ORU Library Catalog;
Try a subject search for your topic. From the list of subjects, click a subject to view the book titles. Change "View Entire Collection" to "Reference Collection."
Try a keyword search using truncation:
-church* (searches church, churches)
-theolog* (searches theology, theologies, theological, theologian, -s)
-Christian* (searches Christian, Christians, Christianity)
For general information, use a subject encyclopedia or dictionary to look up a religion, movement, or country. Get background information on politics, cultural and social environment, education, religion, etc. Although you cannot include general encyclopedias in a bibliography, they may be helpful as a preliminary source.
-religio* AND encyclopedia
-bibl* AND dictionary
To get the citation for a book, go to the detailed record in the library catalog, click How do I Cite this?, and then select a citation style, such as Chicago/Turabian: Humanities. Copy/paste/edit the citation, as needed. Always check the citation references for accuracy with the opens new window ORU Research & Writing Manual and your professor's requirements.
Selected eReference Titles
- Contemporary American ReligionPublication Date: 1999-11-19
Daily Life in the New Testament
by Explore the social and material culture of ancient Palestine during the era of the biblical New Testament. Who was the messiah prophesied by the Jews? What were the rites of passage in pre-messianic Judiasm? How did the rituals, parables, holidays, and labor practices mentioned in the New Testament relate to the daily life of the average citizen of the day? This lively volume explores the social history of ancient Palestine at the crossroads of the Eastern Mediterranean world, and the emergence of major monotheistic faiths during the time of Christ and the early centuries of the Common era.Publication Date: 2008-04-30
Encyclopedia Judaica
by Providing an exhaustive and organized overview of Jewish life and knowledge from the Second Temple period to the contemporary State of Israel, from Rabbinic to modern Yiddish literature, from Kabbalah to "Americana" and from Zionism to the contribution of Jews to world cultures, Encyclopaedia Judaica, Second Edition is important to scholars, general readers and students. With more than 22,000 signed entries on Jewish life, culture, history and religion, this second edition incorporates more than three decades of changes and the latest scholarship-such as new archaeological sites, theories and analytical methodologies. Featuring original work by top scholars representing all major universities and centres of research in Jewish studies, this invaluable set expands the scope and relevance of the original with some 2,200 brand-new entries.Call Number: DS102.8 .E496Publication Date: 2006-12-12
Encyclopedia of American Religions
Presents coverage of more than 2,500 North American religious groups in the U.S. and Canada, from Adventists to Zen Buddhists. Entries contain essays and directory listings that describe the historical development of religious families and give factual information about each group within those families, including, where available, headquarter location, membership figures, a listing of educational facilities and information on periodicals published by the group.
Call Number: BL2525 .M449Publication Date: 2009-02-13
Encyclopedia of Religion
Among Library Journal's selections of the most important reference works of the millennium - with the Encyclopedia Judaica and the New Catholic Encyclopedia - Mircea Eliade's Encyclopedia of Religion won the American Library Associations' Dartmouth Medal in 1988 and is widely regarded as the standard reference work in the field. This second edition, which is intended to reflect both changes in academia and in the world since 1987, will include almost all of the 2750 original entries - many heavily updated - as well as approximately 600 (1.2M words) entirely new articles. Preserving the best of Eliade's cross-cultural approach while emphasizing religion's role within everyday life and as a unique experience from culture to culture, this new edition will be the definitive work in the field for the 21st century. An international team of scholars and contributors have reviewed, revised and added to every word of a classic work to make it relevant to the questions and interests of readers, whether students, specia lists, or laypersons. The result is an essential purchase for libraries of all kinds. Every article from the first edition was evaluated by our board of scholars. of study are given their own entries. New composite entries present overarching themes - for example, gender and religion, politics and religion - with each article within the composite covering a different religious tradition. Many of the reprinted articles from the first-edition have updated bibliographies. This is an indispensable resource for any school with a department or programme in religious studies. Additionally, articles support the curriculum and general research in history, gender studies, language and literature, music, the visual arts, history, politics, ecology, health and medicine, law, sociology and anthropology. Three Colour inserts serve as pictorial essays illumin ating themes such as pilgrimage, prayer, healing, and how these concepts are displayed in various religions throughout the world. Illustrations go beyond the typical stock imagery and present images of authentic value not readily available elsewhere.
Publication Date: 2004-12-17
