LibGuides: World Religions: Background Information

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Background Information

In every country in the world there is some practice of spirituality, religion and faith in a deity or higher power. Often this deity is a God that the people worship and pray to while following the word of written text (i.e. Bible). Due to the expansion of the human civilization and the spread of these beliefs through the conquest of land, religions have spread out of their original territory of origin. Some popular religions include Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism. The United States is a good representation of all of these religions given the large immigrant population that built this country but it also have its own minor religions that small groups have created to fit their belief systems.

Reference Books

World Scripture by Andrew Wilson (Editor) "A gigantic contribution towards better understanding and inter-religious co-operation". -- Wahiduddin Khan "Most needful, and very beautiful". -- Rabbi Joseph Gelberman
Call Number: REF BL29 .W63 1991
ISBN: 0892261293
Publication Date: 1998-09-22
Britannica Encyclopedia of World Religions by Encyclopaedia Britannica Publishers Religious faith takes many forms. Throughout the centuries and around the globe, the human response to the divine has given rise to a large number of important religions. This encyclopedia provides an authoritative and comprehensive guide to the religions of the world and to the concepts, people and events that shaped them.
Call Number: REF BL31 .B75 2006
ISBN: 9781593392666
Publication Date: 2006-05-01
Encyclopedia of Religion by Jones, Lindsay, 1954- 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.
Call Number: REF BL31 .E46 2005
ISBN: 0028657330
Publication Date: 2005
The HarperCollins Dictionary of Religion by Jonathan Smith; William S. Green (Editor); American Academy of Religion Staff Designed for the general reader, this highly accessible resource addresses everything from the great living traditions such as Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and Judaism to the very latest new religions. Diverse topics -- from the experience of women in Islam to the troublesome realities of religion and violence -- are covered with compelling facts and figures, eloquent prose, and riveting accuracy. Have You Ever Wondered What draws a person to alternative religious traditions? And what exactly is a "cult"? What are the branches on the Jewish Chanukah menorah symbolize? And why bitter herbs are eaten at Passover? Why children color eggs at Easter time? What a tree has to do with Christmas? Why is there such a debate over the ordination of women in the Catholic Church? If organized religion is necessary for a fulfilled humankind? How it all began, anyway? All these questions and much, much more are answered in this essential and powerful new tool: The HarperCollins Dictionary of Religion -- the definitive guide to understanding religion today.
Call Number: REF BL31 .H37 1995
ISBN: 0060675152
Publication Date: 1995-10-27
African American Religious Cultures by Anthony B. Pinn (Editor); Stephen C. Finley; Torin Alexander This encyclopedia offers the most comprehensive presentation available on the diversity and richness of religious practices among African Americans, from traditions predating the era of the transatlantic slave trade to contemporary religious movements. Like no previous reference, African American Religious Cultures captures the full scope of African American religious identity, tracing the long history of African American engagement with spiritual practice while exploring the origins and complexities of current religious traditions. This breakthrough encyclopedia offers alphabetically organized entries on every major spiritual belief system as it has evolved among African American communities, covering its beginnings, development, major doctrinal points, rituals, important figures, and defining moments. In addition, the work illustrates how the social and economic realities of life for African Americans have shaped beliefs across the spectrum of religious cultures.
Call Number: REF BL2500 .A37 2009
ISBN: 9781576074701
Publication Date: 2009-09-10
Encyclopedia of American Religious History by Edward L. Queen; Stephen R. Prothero; Gardiner H. Shattuck; Martin E. Marty (Foreword by) In two comprehensive volumes, a team of American religious history scholars outlines the varied and numerous philosophies, personalities, social issues, and cultural history of religious practices in America. Recognizing its debt to the past and drawing on current scholarship, this timely sourcebook reflects the significant issues and the present state of the field of American religious history. More than 700 alphabetically arranged entries make it easy for readers to explore the complex tapestry of America's religious heritage.
Call Number: REF BL2525 .Q44 1996
ISBN: 0816024065
Publication Date: 1995-12-01
Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World by Richard C. Martin This title looks at Islam's role in the modern world, doing so in the context of the religion's history and development over the last 13 centuries. Containing thematic articles, biographies of key figures, definitions, illustrations, maps and more, this new encyclopedia fills a need in this key area of religious studies.
Call Number: REF BP40 .E525 2004
ISBN: 0028656032
Publication Date: 2003-12-02