Religious Studies Web Sites

This page is intended for the advanced study of Internet-based research materials, and is meant to supplement the basic information included in the University Libraries' Research QuickStart. There are no duplications between these two study lists. For that reason, you may want to peruse Research QuickStart before coming to this page.

Religion on the Web

Guides for researching religion on the web. Simply click on the title and you will be at the site.

• Academic Info Religion: A Directory of Internet Resources for the Study of Religion
  Academic Info Religion (formerly titled Comparative Religion) covers more religions of the world than any similar site. Besides the major religions of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, and Hinduism, the site provides links to Taoism, Jainism, Sikhism, and the religions of Native Americans.
  
  
• Religion- Religions - Religious Studies Page
  This guide by Gene R. Thursby leads to many other resources. Begins with general guides, followed by links to Asian, African, European, Christian, Interfaith resources, online journals, conceptual approaches including law and religion, new religions, religion and the media, etc.
  
  
• American Religious Experience
  The American Religious Experience site, primarily intended as a teaching resource. It is a collaborative project by Briane Turley from West Virginia University as well as scholars from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Louisiana State University.
  
  
• The APS Guide to Resources in Theology
  Maintained by theology faculty at the University of Toronto, the contents begins with a broad overview of 15 topical sections such as Anglican, Catholic, Ecumenical, Buddhism, Islam, and Textual. A resources index provides detailed descriptions of linked web sites within each section: for example, there are 19 Catholic and 19 Protestant sites, 13 textual sites, and 24 miscellaneous sites. Recommended for undergraduates, graduates, and scholars.
  
  
• The Catholic Encyclopedia This site, an online work in progress, open to the 1913 edition of The Catholic Encyclopedia. The home page bears indexed links corresponding to each of 26 volumes of this reference work, which in turn link to the full text of individual encyclopedia entries.
  
  
• Virtual Religion Index
  Designed by Mahlon H. Smith of the Religion faculty of Rutgers, this guide to religion aims to speed research by featuring a selective mix of links to home pages, indexes, and documents. Recommended for students at all levels and for faculty.
  
  
• Judaism and Jewish Resources
  This web site, the work of Andrew Tannenbaum, is one of the most complete directories of links to Jewish resources on the web, covering several hundred sites. The page is frequently updated. Related sites not found here can be found in one of the other catalogs to which this page offers easy access.
  
  
• The Hindu Universe
  The Hindu Universe is a well-conceived set of resources related to Hinduism produced by the Hindu Students Council. The site covers a wide variety of subjects and links to material on such diverse topics as dance, music, art and architecture, customs, worship, history, philosophy, Indic languages, scriptures, Hindu, science, gods, and gurus. This is a work-in-progress; many links do not yet work, but the ambitious nature of the site makes a search there fruitful.
  
  
• The Pluralism Project
  The Pluralism Project, initially funded by the Lilly Endowment, involved field research by students in congregations and worship center of US cities, most of which explored religious communities other than Jewish or Christian and sought to document the evolution of US religion since the 1965 Immigration Act.
  
  
• Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
  This is a site that gives tolerance in religious belief a fundamental voice.

Specific Faiths

• Judaism and Jewish Resources
  This web site, the work of Andrew Tannenbaum, is one of the most complete directories of links to Jewish resources on the web, covering several hundred sites. The page is frequently updated. Related sites not found here can be found in one of the other catalogs to which this page offers easy access.
  
  
• The Hindu Universe
  The Hindu Universe is a well-conceived set of resources related to Hinduism produced by the Hindu Students Council. The site covers a wide variety of subjects and links to material on such diverse topics as dance, music, art and architecture, customs, worship, history, philosophy, Indic languages, scriptures, Hindu, science, gods, and gurus. This is a work-in-progress; many links do not yet work, but the ambitious nature of the site makes a search there fruitful.
  
  
• Academic Info Religion: A Directory of Internet Resources for the Study of Religion
  Academic Info Religion (formerly titled Comparative Religion) covers more religions of the world than any similar site. Besides the major religions of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, and Hinduism, the site provides links to Taoism, Jainism, Sikhism, and the religions of Native Americans.
  
  
• Academic Jewish Studies Internet Directory
  This site justifiably bills itself as a prime gateway to online library catalogs, specialized databases, and other resources relating to Jewish studies. It has six categories ranging from associations to research at universities to archives to libraries, etc. Noteworthy among the databases is RAMBI - Index of Articles in Jewish Studies, available via Telnet connections from the website.
  
  
• Pentecostal-Charismatic Theological Inquiry International
  This excellent resource is for anyone interested in the academic study of the Pentecostal movement worldwide. It provides full-text access to current newsletters, converence papers, and journals of various Pentecostal societies.
  
  

Sacred Texts

Sacred texts can be located at many addresses on the web. Three of the most complete are the following:

• Virtual Christianity: Bibles
  This includes links to many versions and languages, including English, German, Swedish, Latin, French, Spanish, Tagalog, Danish, Korean, Swahili, plus several search engines.
  
  
• Gutenberg Digital
  Images of the Gutenberg Bible online.
  
  
• TorahNet
  This includes the Torah in English, French, and Hebrew. Includes a calendar, links, and a forum.
  
  
• The Koran
  An electronic version of The Holy Qur'an, translated by M.H. Shakir and published by Tahrike Tarsile Qur'an, Inc., in 1983.
  
  
• Christian Classics Ethereal Library
  There is no better place t look first, when in need of an online text from the Christian tradition.
  
  
• New Testament Gateway
  This site is current, includsive, well-organized, and comprehensive.
  
  

Comparative Religions

• Virtual Religion Index
  Designed by Mahlon H. Smith of the Religion faculty of Rutgers, this guide to religion aims to speed research by featuring a selective mix of links to home pages, indexes, and documents. Recommended for students at all levels and for faculty.
  
  
• Academic Info Religion: A Directory of Internet Resources for the Study of Religion
  Academic Info Religion (formerly titled Comparative Religion) covers more religions of the world than any similar site. Besides the major religions of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, and Hinduism, the site provides links to Taoism, Jainism, Sikhism, and the religions of Native Americans.
  
  
• Directory of Religious Centers
  This is a directory for non-Christian and non-Jewish religious centers in the United States.
  
  

Exploring Religions

• Religion-Online.org
  This site includes full texts by recognized religious scholars; there are more than 1100 articles and chapters.
  
  
• Finding God in Cyberspace
  This internet site is an avowedly selective but content-rich clearinghouse of religious studies resources. This site is a one-stop, no-nonsense, all-in-one "cybermall," especially suited for academic professionals and other serious students of religion.
  
  

Related Academic Fields

Related academic fields are covered as well:

• Perseus Project: An Evolving Digital Library on Ancient Greece and Rome
  Includes archaeological catalogs, encyclopedia, English index, English-Greek word search, and bibliography.
  
  
• Ethics Updates
  This page is intended for instructors and students of both theoretical and applied ethics courses. There appears to be a stronger inclination to cite electronic resources rather than materials available only in print. But both graduate students and faculty in ethics will find the site useful.
  
  
• The Wabash Center Guide to Internet Resources for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion
  This site is a selective, annotated guide to a wide variety of electronic resources of interest to those who are teaching or studying religion and theology at the undergraduate or graduate level. It is arranged in ways that would be helpful for classroom instruction.
  
  
• English Literature and Religion William S. Peterson of the University of Maryland offers a large, full-text database that studies the relationship between literature and religion.
  
  
• Philosophy in Cyberspace
  Designed by Dey Alexander, this site indexes more than 1,000 philosophy-related sites, 300 mailing lists, and 60 newsgroups in more than 50 subject-oriented categories divided into five subgroups: Branches of Philosophy and Cognate Disciplines; Journals and Text-Related Resources; Philosophy Departments, Centres, and Organizations; Mailing Lists and Newsgroups; and Other Resources.
  
  

Page comments: Celia Hales Mabry