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Browse & Search for Resources
To browse for information about religion overall and comparative religions, browse the BL area in the Reference Collection (2nd floor) and Circulating Collection (3rd floor). Books in the Reference Collection (REF) can be used for in-library-use only. Books in the third floor Circulating Collection may be checked out with an SF ID card.
To get the best results when searching for materials in the library catalog, use the subject heading Religions. Make sure to choose the Subject option on the search screen.
Sacred Texts
Sacred texts are texts that religions consider central to their practice or beliefs. These resources provide information on a wide variety of sacred texts throughout the world's religious traditions.
To locate books, use the listed call number within the Library or access online. Books on the third floor may be checked out. Books on the second floor should be used within the Library. To log in to eBooks, use your Office 365 account.
Four Testaments: Tao Te Ching, Analects, Dhammapada, Bhagavad Gita: Sacred Scriptures of Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Hinduism by Call Number: BL70 .F67 2016 (3rd floor)
The Message and the Book: Sacred Texts of the World's Religions by Call Number: BL71 .B69 2012 (3rd floor) & eBook (click title)
The Voice, the Word, the Books: The Sacred Scripture of the Jews, Christians, and Muslims by Call Number: BL221 .P395 2007 (3rd floor)
These links are external sites. As such, content may change frequently and they may contain ads. Per policy, the Library does not review links suggested via email.
- Internet Sacred Text ArchiveThe best site for sacred texts throughout most of the major world religious traditions.
General Comparative Religion Resources
To locate books, use the listed call number within the Library or access online. Books on the third floor may be checked out. Books on the second floor should be used within the Library. To log in to eBooks, use your Office 365 account.
Art and Architecture of the World's ReligionsCall Number: eBook (click title)Covering prehistoric belief systems, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Shinto.
A to Z World ReligionCall Number: eBook (click title)Information about the religion and religious practices of 175 countries.
Beliefs That Changed the World by Call Number: BL80.2 .B79 2007 (3rd floor)Covering many major religions, with information about the central tenets of each religion, key quotations from its core beliefs, and a historical depiction of each faith, from its earliest beginnings to its latest incarnations and impact on the modern world.
Compact Guide to the World's Religions by Call Number: BL80.3 .O35 2010 (3rd floor)A tour of the world's biggest religions, providing detailed insight into their origins, beliefs and practices.
Encyclopedia of Global ReligionCall Number: REF BL80.3 .E52 2012 (2nd floor)The multi-volume Encyclopedia of Global Religion provides a comprehensive overview of the globalization of religious culture and society around the world in both its historical and contemporary aspects.
God Is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions That Run the World--and Why Their Differences Matter by Call Number: BL80.3 .P76 2010 (3rd floor)Delving into the different problems and solutions that Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, Confucianism, Yoruba Religion, Daoism and Atheism strive to combat.
Hidden Religion: The Greatest Mysteries and Symbols of the World's Religious Beliefs by Call Number: BL610 .I87 2014 (3rd floor)Covering secret societies, mysterious ancient traditions, and the often-mistaken history of the world's religious symbols, this book takes readers on a tour through the fascinating world of religious symbolism and reveals the most mysterious and misunderstood facets of religion.
Introduction to World Religions by Call Number: BL80.3 .I58 2013 (3rd floor)An overview of the major world religions and religious traditions.
..Isms: Understanding Religion by Call Number: BL48 .G337 2007 (3rd floor)A visual guide that offers synopses of the religions of the world and highlights their artistic and architectural manifestations.
The Penguin Handbook of the World's Living Religions by Call Number: BL80.2 .H275 2010 (3rd floor)This in-depth survey of active religions explains the sources and history of the world's religions, includes material on the phenomenon of Black African and Asian diaspora religions around the world and explores the role of gender in modern religion.
12 Major World Religions: The Beliefs, Rituals, and Traditions of Humanity's Most Influential Faiths by Call Number: BL80.3 .B694 2016 (3rd floor)A comprehensive, easy-to-understand exploration of the twelve major world religions through a meticulous, yet unbiased lens.
Understanding World Religions in 15 Minutes a Day by Call Number: BL80.3 .M67 2012 (3rd floor)A professor of intercultural studies explores major world religions in 40 short chapters.
The World's Religions in Figures: An Introduction to International Religious Demography by Call Number: eBook (click title)Offers the first comprehensive overview of the field of international religious demography, detailing what we know about religious adherents around the world, and how we know it.
Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious PracticesCall Number: REF BL80.3 .W67 2014 & eBook (click title)A four-volume set translating religion into everyday life. Volume 1 has information on major religious groups, while volumes 2-4 give country breakdowns.
To locate films, use the listed call number to find it within the 2nd floor Media Collection or access online. Videos in the Media Collection may be checked out. To log in to streaming videos, use your Office 365 account.
Films on Demand: World ReligionsCall Number: streaming video (click title)More than 600 streaming videos about world religions.
The Long SearchCall Number: MEDIA BL80.2 .L64 2001 (2nd floor)Describes the basic beliefs and practices of major world religions.
Religions of the WorldCall Number: Classroom Collection (1st floor, ask at Circulation Desk)Provides insights into the striking similarities and vast differences among the world's major religions as well as the unique perspective on religion's many individual cultures. Each episode presents a look at history through the eyes of religion and provides an in-depth look at religion's role in creating cultural diversity.- Religion, a World HistoryCall Number: MEDIA BL48 .R45 2004 (2nd floor)Examines religion from spiritual, historical, social, and political viewpoints. From the roots of various belief systems to New Age religious practices, each program outlines a particular aspect of humankind's quest for spiritual fulfillment.
These links are external sites. As such, content may change frequently and they may contain ads. Per policy, the Library does not review links suggested via email.
- BBC: ReligionsThis page is archived but still contains a good overview of many world religions.
- BeliefNet: Faiths & PrayersA more casual and less scholarly site that focuses on personal religious beliefs, but still gives some great information about some of the major faiths in the world.
- Overview of World Religions ProjectFrom the University of Cumbria. Browse by religion or region.
- PatheosNews, resources, and research portals on many of the major religions of the world; also has the Side by Side Comparison Lens to compare beliefs and facts between up to three religions/denominations.
- World Religions & Spirituality ProjectProvides objective, reliable and comprehensive information about the world’s diverse array of religious and spiritual groups