Reference Tools and Bibliographies

General

By subject area

Guides to religious reference materials

Guide Bibliographique des Sciences Religieuses (Moulinet, Daniel, Paris: Salvator, 2000.)
Divinity Library, Trowbridge Reference Room, Z7751 .M68 2000
The Guide Bibliographique is a bibliographic guide in French that is intended for students undertaking doctoral research. Section One presents general works on religion. The subsequent sections are devoted to different disciplines and present first manuals and guides for study, then dictionaries, works and bibliographies, collections, and principal periodicals. The guide is not limited to works in French. Some entries are annotated. The Guide provides an author name index, and periodical index, and very helpful topical index for periodicals.
Literature of Theology : a Guide for Students and Pastors, Rev. Ed  (David R. Stewart, Louisville, Ky. : Westminster John Knox Press, c2003.)
Divinity Library, Trowbridge Reference Room, eZ7751 .B67 2003
Most up-to-date work listing and evaluating reference tools in the field.
Reference Works for Theological Research (Robert J. Kepple,and John R. Muether. Lanham, Md.: University Press of America, 1991.)
Divinity Library, Trowbridge Reference Room, Z7751 K46 1992
An annotated, selective bibliographic guide.
Religious Information Sources: a worldwide guide (Melton, J. Gordon. New York : Garland Pub., 1992.)
Divinity Library, Trowbridge Reference Room, Z7751 M45 1992
Lists more than 2,500 reference sources.
Theological and Religious Reference Materials (G.E. Gorman, and Lyn Gorman with the assistance of Donald N. Matthews. Westport, Conn. : Greenwood Press, 1984.)
Divinity Library, Trowbridge Reference Room, Z7751 G66 1984
Sterling Memorial Library (L & B), Z7770 G56 1984
Three volumes. This work attempts to be international and interdenominational in scope. It gives an outline of all major reference works in theology as well as extensive evaluations and annotations.

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Encyclopedias and Dictionaries (a few selected general resources)

The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Modern Christian Thought (Ed. Alister E.McGrath. (Oxford, England; Cambridge, Mass. : Blackwell, 1993.)
Divinity Library, Trowbridge Reference Room, BR95 B58
Sterling Memorial Library, Stacks, BR95 B58
Articles on major themes, movements, and individuals in Christianity since 1700.
Brill Dictionary of Religion Rev. ed. (Leiden ; Boston : Brill, 2006.)
Online
DIVINITY, Trowbridge Reference Room (Non-Circulating), BL65.C8 M4813 2006
Sterling Memorial Library, Starr Main Reference Room (Non-Circulating), BL65.C8 M4813 2006 (LC)
A comprehensive, multi-media reference source which covers the many and various forms of religious commitment. It includes entries on the different theologies and doctrinal declarations of official institutionalized religions and gives equal consideration to other religious phenomena and practices as well.
New Catholic encyclopedia, 2nd edition (Detroit : Thomson/Gale ; Washington, D.C. : Catholic University of America, 2003)
Divinity Library, Trowbridge Reference Room, BX841 .N44 2003
Fifteen volumes. Prepared by an editorial staff at the Catholic University of America.
The Encyclopedia of Religion, 2nd edition (Ed. Lindsay Jones. New York, N.Y. : Macmillan, 2005.)
Divinity Library, Trowbridge Reference Room, BL31 .E46 2005
Sterling Memorial Library, Main Reference Room, BL31 .E46X 2005
Fifteen volumes. Includes extensive coverage of non-Western religions.
New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge (Ed. A. Hauck, New York: Funk and Wagnalls)
Divinity Library, Trowbridge Reference Room, BR94, S435
Sterling Memorial Library, Reference Room, BR95 +S32
Thirteen volumes. Covers biblical and historical theology, denominations, doctrines, controversies...
New Twentieth-Century Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge: an extension of the New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge (Ed. J.D. Douglas; consulting editors, Robert G. Clouse, et al., Grand Rapids, Mich. : Baker Book House, 1991)
Divinity Library, Trowbridge Reference Room, BR95 N395 1991
May be used as a supplement to Schaff-Herzog, or independently.
The Oxford Companion to Christian Thought (edited by Adrian Hastings, Alistair Mason and Hugh Pyper ; with Ingrid Lawrie and Cecily Bennett. Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2000)
Divinity Library, Trowbridge Reference Room, BR95 O77 2000
Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, 3rd edition (Ed. F. L. Cross, London; New York: Oxford University Press, 2005)
Divinity Library, Trowbridge Reference Room, BR95 .O8 2005
Sterling Memorial Library, Reference Room, BR95 .O8 2005
More than 6,000 articles. Broad coverage of historical and doctrinal development, biographies, and definitions of ecclesiastical terms and customs.
Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (Ed. Elizabeth A. Livingstone, Oxford; NewYork: Oxford University Press, 2000)
Divinity Library, Stacks, BR95 O82 2000

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Biographical information

Online Resources, General:

American National Biography
American National Biography offers portraits of more than 17,400 men and women -- from all eras and walks of life.
Biography Index a Cumulative Index to Biographical Material in Books and Magazines  (New York, H.W. Wilson Co.)
Online database covers period since 1984; print volumes cover period from 1946. English-language periodicals, books, and selected obituaries are cited. The index's coverage is not comprehensive, but it is a useful place to start.
Biography Resource Center
The Biography Resource Center (BioRC) is a comprehensive database of biographical information throughout history, around the world, and across all disciplines and subject areas.
World Biographical Index
The World Biographical Index includes basic information about people from North and South America, Western and Central Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Oceania, through the beginning of the 20th century. It indexes over 3000 biographical reference works and contains over one million entries.

Online Resources, Religious:

Biographical sketches of memorable Christians of the past (Sponsored by the Society of Archbishop Justus)
Anglican resource for finding biographies on saints; can be searched alphabetically, chronologically, or by calender observance.
Société des Bollandistes
The Société des Bollandistes has been one of the foremost societies devoted to hagiographical research for over 350 years.
Biographical Dictionary of Christian Theologians
E-brary electronic book; also available hardcopy: Divinity Library Trowbridge Reading Room & SML Reference: BR95 .B575X 2002

Print Resources, General:

American National Biography (New York : Oxford University Press, 1999)
Divinity Library, Trowbridge Reference Room, CT213 A68 1999 (LC) - 24 volumes
National Faculty Directory (Gale Research Co. Gale Research Inc., Detroit, MI, 1970.)
Divinity Library, Trowbridge Reference Room, L901 N34
Sterling Memorial Library, Reference, L901 +N368
Lists name, address, and department for about 650,000 faculty members in higher education in the U.S.

Print Resources, Religious:

Blackwell Dictionary of Evangelical Biography : 1730-1860 (Ed. Donald M. Lewis. Oxford; Cambridge, Mass.: Blackwell Publishers, 1995.)
Divinity Library, Trowbridge Reference Room BR1643 A1 B65 1995
International biographical dictionary of religion. (Ed. Jon C. Jenkins ; assisted by Cecile Vanden Bloock. Union of International Associations, Brussels; Munchen : Saur, 1994.)
Divinity Library, Trowbridge Reference Room, BL72 I58 1994
Sterling Memorial Library, Main Reference Room, BL72 +I58
An encyclopedia of more than 4,000 leading personalities
Who's Who in Theology: From the First Century to the Present. (John Bowden. NY: Crossroad, 1992.)
Divinity Library, Trowbridge Reference Room, BR95 B65
The aim is to introduce anyone who is interested to the main figures relevant to Christian thought from the end of the New Testament period to the present day. Each entry provides names, dates, and a certain amount of biographical information. An appendix provides a listing and description of the popes.
A Dictionary of Christian biography, literature, sects, and doctrines. (New York : AMS Press, 1984.)
Divinity Library, Trowbridge Reference Room, BR95 S65
Four volumes. Provides information about persons connected with the Christian church down to the age of Charlemagne.
Twentieth Century Dictionary of Christian Biography (Ed. J.D. Douglas.Cumbria, England : Paternoster Press; Grand Rapids, Mich.:Baker Books, 1995.)
Divinity Library, Trowbridge Reference Room, BR1700.2 T9
Dictionary of American Religious Biography (Henry Warner Bowden; Edwin S.Gaustad, advisory editor. Westport, Conn. : Greenwood Press, 1977.)
Divinity Library, Trowbridge Reference Room, BL72 B68
Sterling Memorial Library, Main Reference Room, BL72 B68X
Biographical sketches of 550 deceased persons, "American religious figures from all chronological periods and most denominational or theological affiliations."
Biographical dictionary of Christian missions (Ed. by Gerald H. Anderson. Grand Rapids, Mich. : W.B. Eerdmans Pub., 1999)
Divinity Library, Trowbridge Reference Room, BV3700 B56 1999
The Book of Saints : a Comprehensive Biographical Dictionary (Dom Basil Watkins, OSB on behalf of the Benedictine monks of St. Augustine's Abbey, Ramsgate. New York: Continuum, 2002)
Divinity Library, Trowbridge Reference Room, BX4655.3 .B66X 2002
The Oxford Dictionary of Saints (David Hugh Farmer. Oxford; New York : Oxford University Press, 1992.)
Divinity Library, Trowbridge Reference Room, BX4655.2 A8
Penguin Dictionary of Saints (Donald Attwater with Catherine Rachel John. London; New York : Penguin Books, 1995.)
Divinity Library, Trowbridge Reference Room, BX4655.2 A8 1995
Lives of the Saints (Butler's Lives of the Saints) (general consultant editor, David Hugh Farmer ; managing editor, Paul Burns ; general introduction by David Hugh Farmer. Tunbridge Wells, Kent : Burns & Oates ; Collegeville, Minn. : Liturgical Press, 1995-<1997>)
Divinity Library, Stacks, BX4654 B8 1995 - 12 volumes
A New Dictionary of Saints (compiled by Donald Attwater ; edited and revised by John Cumming. Collegeville, MN : Liturgical Press, 1994, c1993.)
Divinity Library, Trowbridge Reference Room, BX4655.2 A8 1994

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Book Reviews

N.B.: Though notices or summaries of books will appear fairly quickly, scholarly book reviews usually don't appear in journals until a year or two after the book itself is published.

Print Resources:

Theological book review. (Guildford, Surrey : Feed the Minds, 1988- )
Divinity Library, Trowbridge Reference Room, Z7751 T435

Online Resources:

ATLA/ATLAS Religion Database
Users can restrict their search to book reviews by selecting Review from the dropdown box for Publication Type in the Refine Search area. Coverage of book reviews goes back to 1949.
America: History & Life
In the main search area, check the box next to Reviews to search for book reviews.
Book Index with Reviews
Trial database.
Book Review Digest Plus
Book Review Index Online Plus
Reviews date from 1965 to the present.
Catholic Periodical & Literature Index Online
Book reviews can be searched from the Advanced Search page by selecting Book Review from the dropdown box for Publication Type in the Refine Search area.
IBR International Bibliography of Book Reviews
IBR contains over 1,086,940 entries about book reviews from 1985 onwards.
Review of Biblical Literature
The RBL database, expanded weekly, contains over 1843 published reviews.

See also Indexes and Abstracts: many of the electronic indexes include book reviews.
See also under Selected Journals: Review journals

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Last modified: 8/3/07