Information Services

Religious Studies

Useful resources for Religious Studies:

American Hebrew & Jewish Messenger

Access information. Access on and off campus. The Library's subscription to this resource expires 31 July 2024.
Description. Founded in New York City in 1857, The American Hebrew was established as the weekly source of news impacting international Jewish communities. Reports on the persecution of Jews in Romania and Russia, and the subsequent influx of Jewish immigrants to the U.S., were of intense interest to readers of the paper. In 1919, the publication featured an article called “The Crucifixion of Jews Must Stop!” by former New York governor Martin H. Glynn, where he cried out against the poor living conditions and treatment of Jews across Europe following World War I – a situation he discerned as a potential “holocaust.” The American Hebrew also spotlighted Jewish figures in arts and literature, such as Emma Lazarus, who gained posthumous fame when her sonnet “The New Colossus” was inscribed on the base of the Statue of Liberty in 1912. The poet published the first poem she translated from the original Hebrew in an 1883 issue of the newspaper, and she joined her voice with other writers to advocate for opportunities in industrial education for Russian refugees. A special issue commemorating the death of Lazarus in 1884 featured tributes from such literary luminaries as Robert Browning, Edgar Rice Burroughs and John Greenleaf Whittier. Upon merging with The Jewish Messenger in 1903, the newspaper was officially known as The American Hebrew and Jewish Messenger. For students and researchers from a variety of fields, including U.S. and world history, culture, and Jewish studies, the digitized pages of this historic publication (1857-1922) are an invaluable resource from a Jewish American perspective in a rapidly changing world.

 

The American Israelite  

Access information. Access on and off campus. The Library's subscription to this resource expires 31 July 2024.
Description. “Let there be light” has been the motto of The American Israelite since it was first published in 1854 with the intention to illuminate principles of Jewish faith and instill a sense of community among American Jews who often lived in geographically dispersed locations. Originally printed as The Israelite until 1874, this weekly is considered thelongest-running English-language Jewish newspaper available in the country Published in Cincinnati, OH, the paper was started by Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, best known as the founderof Reform Judaism in the U.S. The American Israelite published numerous editorial columns ardently in defense of the civil and religious rights of all Jews, writtenby Wise. These efforts eventually led to formation of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations which he initiated in Cincinnati. Wise also frequently penned columns calling for a Jewish educational institution, resulting in the establishment of the Hebrew Union College. Additionally, Wise also wrote several novels which were published as serials in his newspaper. For insight into the growth and development of Reform Judaism in the U.S., the digitized issues of The American Israelite (1854-2000) provide a valuable record of events and issues as they unfolded. Access to these primary source materials will be of benefit to students and researchers interested in culture and civil rights history, as well as national and world news presented from a Jewish American perspective.

 

Access information: Access on and off-campus. Not working? Try clearing your cookies. Alternatively, use the Alternative login (with the VPN service if off campus) and choose Web of Science Core Collection from "All Databases" drop down menu.
Description: Part of Web of Science Core Collection. A multidisciplinary index containing details of every substantive item in 1,200 arts and humanities journals, as well as references to books included in book reviews, and live performances, films, records, and television and radio broadcasts. Contains over 2 million references.
Coverage: 1906 - present.

 

Access information: Access on and off campus.
Description:

Indexing and abstracting tool covering health, social services, psychology, sociology, economics, politics, race relations and education. Updated monthly, ASSIA provides a comprehensive source of social science and health information for the practical and academic professional. It contains records from over 500 journals published in 16 different countries, including the UK and US.

Detailed information about ASSIA

Coverage: 1987-present.
NHS Staff and other authorised users:  The Knowledge Network

 

Key Resource

ATLA Religion Database with ATLA Serials

Access information: Access on and off-campus.
Description: Covers all aspects of religion. ATLA Serials include full text access to over 330 journals. Citation information will indicate where full text is available.
Coverage: Religion Index I: Periodicals 1949 to date, Religion Index II, Multi-author works 1960 to date, Index to Book Reviews in Religion 1949 to date, Research in Ministry 1981 to date.  More coverage info available from https://www.ebsco.com/products/research-databases/atla-religion-database-atlaserials

 

Christian-Muslim Relations Vol 1 and 2

 

Access information:

Access on and off campus.

Vol.1 Link

Vol. 2 Link

Description:

Christian-Muslim Relations, a Bibliographical History Online is a general history of relations between the two faiths as this is represented in works written by Christians and Muslims about the other and against the other.  

Vol.1 covers the period from 600 to 1500, when encounters took place through the extended Mediterranean basin and are recorded in Syriac, Arabic, Greek, Latin and other languages.  

Vol.2 covers all parts of the world in the period 1500-1914.

 

Dead Sea Scrolls Electronic Library

Access information:

Access on and off campus.

Description:

Together with the Dead Sea Scrolls Electronic Library Non-Biblical Texts, the Dead Sea Scrolls Electronic Library Biblical Texts form the Dead Sea Scrolls Electronic Library. This library contains the entire corpus of Dead Sea Scrolls texts. This online version presents a complete Hebrew transcription and English translation of the Biblical and Non-Biblical texts in the Dead Sea Scrolls corpus, together with high-resolution images.

 

Digital Dictionary of Buddhism

Access information: Access on and off campus
Description: The Digital Dictionary of Buddhism [DDB] is a compilation of Chinese terms, texts, temple, schools, persons, etc. found in Buddhist canonical sources. Entries range from short glossary entries, to full-length encyclopaedic articles.

 

Encyclopedia of Hinduism

Access information: Access on and off campus. Access via Brill Reference Online.
Description:

Brill's Encyclopedia of Hinduism presents the latest research on all the main aspects of the Hindu traditions in essays written by the world's foremost scholars on Hinduism. The encyclopedia encompasses a variety of regional traditions as well as the global world religion.

Including all essays from the heralded printed edition, Brill’s Encyclopedia of Hinduism is now to be regularly updated with new articles and available in a fully searchable, dynamic digital format.

 

Encyclopedia of Women & Islamic Cultures Online

Access information: Access on and off campus.
Description:

The Encyclopedia of Women and Islamic Cultures Online is an interdisciplinary, trans-historical, and global project embracing women and Islamic cultures in every region where there have been significant Muslim populations. It aims to cover every topic for which there is significant research, examining these regions from the period just before the rise of Islam to the present.

The Encyclopedia of Women and Islamic Cultures Online crosses history, geographic borders and disciplines to create a groundbreaking reference work reflecting the very latest research on gender studies and the Islamic world.

 

Encyclopaedia Judaica

Access information: Access on and off-campus.
Description: Second edition is a comprehensive reference work on the culture, history and religion of the Jewish people. The 22,000 articles include coverage of gender issues, the Bible, Jewish Law, community life, popular culture and the Holocaust.

 

Encyclopaedia of Islam THREE

Encyclopaedia of Islam, 1st Edition

Encyclopaedia of Islam, 2nd Edition

Encyclopaedia of Islam, 2nd Edition Glossary and Index of Terms

Historical Atlas of Islam

Access information: Access on and off-campus. Choose one of the above links to access this database. 
Description:

Comprehensive reference works on the Islamic World. Widely recognised as hugely important in its field, it is a unique and invaluable reference tool not only on the religion, but also on the believers and the countries in which they live.

Articles cover distinguished Muslims of every era and origin, tribes and dynasties, crafts and sciences, political and religious institutions, the geography, ethnography, flora and fauna of the various countries and on the history, topography and monuments of the major towns and cities.

In its geographical and historical scope it encompasses the old Arabo-Islamic empire, the Islamic countries of Iran, Central Asia, the Indian sub-continent and Indonesia, as well as the Ottoman Empire and all other Islamic countries.

 

Encyclopaedia of the Qu'rān

Access information: Access on and off-campus.
Description: Encyclopaedic dictionary of qur'ānic terms, concepts, personalities, place names, cultural history and exegesis extended with essays on the most important themes and subjects within qur'ānic studies.
  With nearly 1000 entries in 5 volumes, the Encyclopaedia of the Qu'rān is the first comprehensive, multi-volume reference work on the Qu'rān to appear in a Western language.

 

Access information: Access on and off campus.
Description: Fordham Scholarship Online is available alongside the Oxford Scholarship Online platform. The launch collection of titles from the Religion collection is available.

 

Access information. Available on or off campus.  The Library's subscription to this resource expires 31 July 2024.
Description. The Jewish Advocate was first printed in Boston, 1909, by Jacob deHass, executive secretary to the founder of modern political Zionism. With the intention to serve and unite the booming Jewish community throughout New England, The Jewish Advocate was formed to instruct on matters of the Jewish faith and to champion the establishment of a Jewish state. Briefly, the newspaper was also published as The Jewish Home Journal and The Boston Advocate. The pages of The Jewish Advocate gave voice to the publication’s staunch support for the appointment of Louis Brandeis as the first Jewish Supreme Court Justice in the U.S, and nearly thirty years later for the foundation of Brandeis University in Waltham, MA. In the years leading up to the World War II, the newspaper was also a rare voice in the media to warn of Hitler’s rise to power in Europe, and the threat it posed for Jewish people. Following the war, organizations formed to rebuild the lives of Jewish refugees found support and a forum for discussion and debate in the weekly publication. The Jewish Advocate continues to be a primary source of regional, national and international news and information for subscribers in New England and across the U.S., as well around the world. This digital newspaper archive (1905-1990) provides an in-depth historical perspective on issues and events pertaining to the rise of Zionism and the development of Jewish-American culture.

 

Access information. Available on or off campus.  The Library's subscription to this resource expires 31 July 2024.
Description. The Jewish Exponent first hit the presses in 1887, founded by a group of 43 prominent Philadelphia businessmen. This stock ownership was meant to ensure the newspaper represented the entire community while serving in its coverage of local, national and international news. Charles Hoffman, a native Philadelphian lawyer and rabbi, as well as an ardent Zionist, served as the publication’s first editor and publisher. He penned a weekly column, “Men and Things” as a platform to explore issues of conservative Judaism. From the early days of the worldwide Zionist movement, The Jewish Exponent staunchly supported the establishment of a Jewish homeland and carried news of developments in Israel. Other topics the publication championed and brought to the attention of readers in the early and mid-20th century included Jewish immigration and the expanding influence in American public life. Over the decades The Jewish Exponent has not only been a primary source of news and information, but also a forum for stimulating discussion and debate. The publication has received annual awards from the American Jewish Press Association for excellence in Jewish Journalism.
 

Key Resource

Access information: Access on and off campus.
Description: Full-text journal archive service providing access to complete back runs of all the scholarly journals currently available in JSTOR. Recent volumes are excluded, usually the last 3-5 years, but each year a further year is added to the archive. Each title is listed in DiscoverEd. About 4-5% of Artstor images migrated into Jstor are not accessible outside the United States.
Coverage:

The collections currently available are:

  • Arts & Sciences 1-15
  • Biological Sciences
  • Business I-IV Collection
  • Business & Economics
  • Ecology & Botany II
  • Global Plants
  • Health & General Sciences
  • Hebrew Journals
  • Ireland
  • Jewish Studies Collection
  • JSTOR Essential Collection
  • Language & Literature
  • Lives of Literature
  • Life Sciences
  • Mathematics & Statistics
  • Music
  • Religion and Theology
  • Security Studies
  • Sustainability
  • World Heritage Sites: Africa

The 19th Century British Pamphlets Collections is also available via JSTOR.  Userguides to the various collections can be found at https://guides.jstor.org

 

Access information: On campus or off campus.
Description: Missionary Studies is a global resource for the study of missionary work, educational work, medical work, evangelism, political conflict, and the emergence of indigenous churches. Formed from archival collections relating to Africa, East and South Asia, Australasia and the Pacific, and the Americas, it includes records of female missionaries and women’s missionary organisations.

 

Access information: Access on and off-campus
Description: OHO brings together the world’s leading scholars to discuss research and the latest thinking on a range of major topics. Each Handbook offers thorough introductions to topics and a critical survey of the current state of scholarship in a particular field of study, creating an original conception of the field and setting the agenda for new research. The articles review the key issues and major debates, and provide an original argument for how those debates might evolve.
Coverage:

The following subject collections are available to the University of Edinburgh - Archaeology, Business & Management, Classical Studies, Criminology & Criminal Justice, Economics & Finance (up to 2020), History, Law, Linguistics, Literature, Music, Philosophy, Politics, Psychology, Religion and Sociology up to the end of 2021 copyright year.  If the chapters in these books have 2022 onwards updates, these will not be accessible. 

 

Oxford Islamic Studies Online

Access: Oxford Islamic Studies Online product site has been retired. 13/07/2022
Description: Oxford Islamic Studies Online features reference content and commentary by renowned scholars in the field and covers areas such as global Islamic history, the faith and concepts of Islam, the people, tenets and practices, politics, culture, and more.
  It includes 3,000 A-Z reference entries, chapters from scholarly and introductory works, Qur'anic study materials (with two widely respected English interpretations of the Qur'an and the Concordance of the Qur'an), primary source documents with editorial introductions, timelines for milestone events affecting the Islamic world, links to Internet resources, as well as photographs and maps.

 

Access Information: Access on and off campus
Description: The Miras Maktoob Persian e-book collection consists of 249 volumes (189 works) originally published by the Written Heritage Research Institute (Miras Maktoob), a non-governmental organisation in Tehran. These e-books include works in both Persian and Arabic on Islamic history and culture. 

 

Prosecuting the Holocaust: British investigations into Nazi war crimes, 1944-1949

Access information:

Access on and off campus.

Description:

Drawn from The National Archives (UK) and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, this collection contains a wealth of digitised documents regarding the British government's efforts to investigate and prosecute Nazi crimes during the period 1944-1949. The evidence gathered sheds light on almost every aspect of the Holocaust and includes victim testimonies.

 

Access information: Access on and off campus
Description: Religion Past and Present (RPP) Online is the online version of the updated English translation of the 4th edition of Religion in Geschichte und Gegenwart (RGG) which aims to be the definitive encyclopedia of subjects connected with religion.

 

Access information: Access on and off campus. The Library's subscription to this resource expires 31 July 2024.
Description:

The full digital backfiles of 18 religious magazines :

  • Advent [Hinduism] 1944 - 2015
  • America [Catholicism] 1909 - 2015
  • Bible Review [Judaism, Protestantism, Catholicism] 1985 - 2015
  • Catholic World [Catholicism] 1865 - 1996 • Islamic Horizons [Islam] 1963 - 2015
  • Islamica [Islam] 1993 - 2015
  • National Catholic Reporter [Catholicism] 1964 - 2015
  • Plain Truth [Protestantism] 1934 - 1996
  • The Pope Speaks [Catholicism] 1954 - 2015
  • Presbyterian Outlook [Presbyterianism] 1944 - 2015
  • Protestant Truth [Protestantism] 1845 - 2015
  • Quest [Theosophy] 1913 - 2015
  • Sikh Courier International [Sikhism] 1961 - 2015
  • Sikh Messenger [Sikhism] 1984 - 2015
  • Sojourners Magazine [Christianity] 1971 - 2015
  • Spiritual Life [Spirituality] 1955 - 2015
  • U.S. Catholic [Catholicism] 1968 - 2015
  • UU World [Unitarianism] 1987 - 2015
Coverage: 1845-2015.

 

Access information: Access on and off campus.
  Not working? Try clearing your cookies.
  Or, use Alternative login (with the VPN service if off campus) and choose Web of Science Core Collection from "All Databases" drop down menu.
Description: Part of Web of Science Core Collection. Indexes 2,100 core journals in all areas of the social sciences, plus relevant items from 3,500 scientific and technical journals. Contains over 2.3 million records.
Coverage: 1990 onwards.

 

Access information: Access on and off-campus.
Description:

Twentieth Century Religious Thought: Christianity is a multivolume, cross-searchable online collection that brings together the seminal works and archival materials related to key worldwide religious thinkers from the early 1900s until the turn of the 21st century.  150,000 pages of scholarship from influential theologians in the Christian tradition, including extensive representation of feminist theologians and other previously marginalized and lesser-known voices.

 

Access information: Access on and off-campus. 
Description:

Twentieth Century Religious Thought: Islam  provides an extensive research database focusing on modern Islamic theology and tradition. The online text resource will contain 100,000 pages at completion, detailing Islam’s evolution from the late 19th century by examining printed works, rare documents, and important articles by Muslim writers, both non-Western and Western voices.

 

Access information: Access on and off-campus. The Library's subscription to this resource expires 31 July 2024.
Description:

A digital collection of unpublished primary sources and difficult-to-find texts and authors to support of scholars and students of Judaism and Religious Studies. The content includes the themes of Jewish Mysticism, Rabbinic Judaism, Midrash, Talmud, Jewish Law and Ethics, Holocaust Studies, Jewish Identity and Zionism.

 

Access information: Access on and off-campus.  The Library's subscription to this resource expires 31 July 2024.
Description:

A digital collection of critical texts and primary sources that span the breadth of Eastern religious thought, from the 19th to 21st century  Explore the doctrines of Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, and Jainism, and the topics of the afterlife, dharma, incarnation, karma, Maya, meditation, mindfulness, reincarnation, sacred texts, and Zen.

 

Access information: Access on and off campus.
Description: The World Christian Database provides comprehensive statistical information on world religions, Christian denominations, and people groups.
  Extensive data are available on 9,000 Christian denominations, 13,000 ethnolinguistic peoples, as well as data on 5,000 cities, 3,000 provinces and 234 countries. Information is readily available on religious activities, growth rates, religious literature, worker activity, and demographic statistics.
  Additional secular data is incorporated on population, health, education, and communications.

 

Access information: Access on and off campus
Description:

The World Religion Database (WRD) contains detailed statistics on religious affiliation for every country of the world. It provides source material, including censuses and surveys, as well as best estimates for every religion to offer a definitive picture of international religious demography. 

It offers best estimates at multiple dates for each of the world's religions for the period 1900 to 2050.