Religious Studies: Encyclopedias

The Encyclopedia of Global Religion provides an overview of the globalization of religious culture and society around the world in both its historical and contemporary aspects. The encyclopedia includes topics related to the diaspora of cultures and dispersions of peoples; the transitional aspects of religious ideas and practices; the cultural diversity of religious traditions; and the responses of religion—both negative and positive—to multicultural society. It also includes essays on the contemporary religious society of every country in the world.

Christian-Muslim Relations, a Bibliographical History Online is a general online history of relations between the faiths. It 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. This resource comprises introductory essays on the treatment of Christians in the Qur’an, Qur’an commentaries, biographies of the Prophet, Hadith and Sunni law, and of Muslims in canon law, and the main body of more than two hundred detailed entries on all the works recorded, whether surviving or lost.

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. It covers all parts of the world in the period 1500-1914. This resource comprises thousands of comprehensive entries on individual works and their authors, together with introductory essays to the periods and areas covered.

The Brill Encyclopedia of Early Christianity focuses on the history of early Christian texts, authors, ideas. Its content is intended to bridge the gap between the fields of New Testament studies and patristics, covering the whole period of early Christianity up to 600 CE. This resource provides a critical review of the methods used in Early Christian Studies and updates the historiography.

The Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible Online contains academic articles on the named gods, angels, and demons in the books of the Hebrew Bible, Septuagint and Apocrypha, as well as the New Testament and patristic literature.

The Encyclopedia of African Religion explores such topics as deities and divinities, the nature of humanity, the end of life, the conquest of fear, and the quest for attainment of harmony with nature and other humans.

Available in print only. The Encyclopedia of African and African-American Religions explores religious movements, churches, and the place of religion in African and African American societies. Special attention is given African-derived religion in many other countries-- Brazil, Cuba, Jamaica, and other points in the Black Diaspora. Some ssays explore such topics as Black theology, Spiritualism, Storefront churches, and Women and religious movements in sub-Saharan Africa; while others, such as Abyssinian Baptist Church, Ethiopian Orthodox Church, and Rastafari, focus on specific religious groups. Information on beliefs, practices, and historical development is complemented by commentary on the political and social context of religious expression and institutions.