REL 123: Faith, Religion and Culture
finding books
MnPALS
Our library catalog. This link takes you into the "Basic Searches" screen where you can search by author, title, etc. The "Advanced Searches" option lets you limit by date, additional keywords, collection area, and so on. In your list of results, the Location column lists the call number--where the book is shelved. Once you've located a book that looks interesting, browse the shelves around it. The Library of Congress classification system used in this library puts books on the same subject together.
NOTE: A number of books have been put on reserve for this course. You'll see "reserves" in front of the call number when you look them up in the catalog. Ask for these at the main desk.
finding articles
Databases for articles and other materials offer references to publications that may or may not be in this library; some databases offer full text of articles and others simply citations. There are in-depth databases that cover publications in a particular field and others that are interdisciplinary. Databases can be accessed from a drop-down list on the library's main page; descriptions can be found here. Two that should be useful for this course are:
Academic Search Premier
Searches both general magazines and scholarly journals on a wide variety of topics. Some are full text; others are merely citations to things that have been published. One way to limit a search is to check the "scholarly (peer reviewed) journals box to exclude popular magazines from your search.
ATLA
The American Theological Library Association designed this database to support religious and theological scholarship. It contains citations to journal articles, essays in multi-author works, book reviews, and Doctor of Ministry projects. Some full-text articles, though most are not. Use the "Find it" button to see if it's available online or in print.
reference books
The reference collection includes specialized encyclopedias where you can find good, scholarly overviews of topics as well as handbooks and dictionaries in which you can verify specific facts. The following examples give you an idea of what's available; stop by the reference desk to see what we might have on a given topic.
about religion, ethics, and culture
Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics. 4 vols. San Diego, CA: Academic, 1998. (Ref BJ 63 .E44 1998) Offers excellent overviews of ways in which a wide variety of issues can be analyzed from an ethical standpoint. Includes articles on such topics as advertising, affirmative action, fetal research, religion in schools, and many other topics.
Encyclopedia of Protestantism. 4 vols. New York: Routledge, 2004. (Ref BX 4811 .E53 2004) Covers creeds, cultural and social issues, important people and institutions, theology, and the diverse traditions and faith groups that make up protestantism, both historically and in contemporary times.
Encyclopedia of Religion. 2nd ed.15 vols. Detroit: Macmillan Reference, 2005. (Ref BL 31 .E46 2005) Covers religions from around the world and through history as well as people and ideas related to religion. The articles are written by experts in their fields and include excellent bibliographies. This new edition includes hundreds of new articles, thoroughly revised coverage of all topics in religion, and a handful of "visual essays" that illustrate visual culture as a significant aspect of religion.
New Catholic Encyclopedia. 15 vols. Detroit: Gale, 2002. (Ref BX 841 .N44 2002) This recently-revised encyclopedia is dated and covers many general topics, but is particularly thorough in its coverage of Catholic doctrine, history, and traditional practice. Includes many illustrations.
about issues
Slavery in America : from colonial times to the Civil War. New York: Facts on File, 2002 (Ref E441 .S36 2000) Covers the slave trade, the live and work of slaves, abolitionist arguments, and more, offering analysis, chronologies, and primary sources.
Encyclopedia of Africa South of the Sahara. 4 vols. New York: Scribner's, 1997. (Ref DT351 .E53 1997) Covers the peoples, civilizations, and history of Africa. Articles cover countries, individuals, ethnic groups, and many topics such as African art, transportation, gender, ecosystems, symbolism, and religion.
Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture. 5 vols. New York: Scribner's, 1996 (Ref F 1406 .E53 1996) Covers a wide variety of topics in over 5,000 articles that together constitute an overview of current knowledge about the region. There are entries by country, by topic (such as slavery, art, Asians in Latin America), and biographical entries all in an alphabetical sequence. Articles are written by experts and are followed by current selective bibliographies.
last updated 10/07
