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Religion
& Mythology
Subject
Guide to Library Resources
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Religion
is a reverence for a supernatural power that is accompanied
by a set of beliefs, values, and rituals or practices based
on one's conviction that the supernatural power has a direct
affect on the life and destiny of the individual.
Mythology
is a collection of (usually) ancient stories belonging to
a people which explains their history, gods, origins, and
beliefs.
Spirituality
is a person's regard for the immaterial, sacred or incorporeal--
the things of the spirit. It is a quality that shows concern
and care for the health of one's soul or inner being.
Theology
is the study or school of thought about the nature of God
and man, practices to be upheld, and other religious topics
such as the concept of evil and the afterlife.
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Jerusalem's
Dome of the Rock & al-Aqsa Mosque with the
Western
Wall (Wailing Wall) of the Ancient Jewish Temple |
Books and articles on the subject of religion are found in the
humanities indexes, but as religion is also a subject studied
in the fields of sociology, anthropology and other social sciences,
that research will also be found in the social science indexes.
As you study, you will find that much of the great art and architecture
of the world has come from religious expression. On the other
hand, you will also find that much of the world's suffering
has come in the name of religion from wars, intolerance and
prejudice. |
St.
Jerome, Bible translator, ca. 340-420 A.D. |
A
good place to start a paper is to read a little general literature
about the topic (encyclopedia, internet article) and look up
basic terms that are unfamiliar to you. Dictionaries or encyclopedias
can be found in the reference area of the library which specifically
deal with the areas of religion or mythology.
The next
step would be to look for books which cover or touch upon
your specific topic. Search through the chapter headings and
indexes of books that seem relevant to zero in on information
relating to your specific topic.
Finally,
look for journal articles focused on your specific area of
inquiry for more in-depth and recent coverage.
When
unable to find answers to your questions in these resources,
the internet, bibliographies, and reference books will often
give you new leads to the answers. Finally, don't forget the
wealth of information contained in videos.
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FIND
REFERENCE TOOL
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Reference
tools are generally found in a reference area where many
people can refer to general information. Items found in
Reference Areas cannot be checked out of the library.
Occasionally older copies of Reference items, or similar
items can be found in the circulating collection.
To
find articles and books on religion, mythology and related
fields, the main printed indexes to use for extensive research
on a given topic are:
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Shinto
shrine in Japan where nature itself is a shrine
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Humanities
index.
Location: LAC Index Table (Reference
Room)
Call Number: AI3 .H85
Social sciences index.
Location: LAC Index Table (Reference
Room)
Call Number: AI3 .S62
(Previous volumes known as Social Sciences & Humanities
Index
Call Number: AI3 .R49)
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Other Reference Works to Consult
World
Religions
Koran.
Al-Qur`¯an : a contemporary translation. 1994
Location: LAC Reference Room Collection
Call Number: BP109 .A398 2001
Shorter encyclopaedia of Islam. [c1965]
Location: LAC Reference Room Collection
Call Number: DS37 .E52 1965
[Torah]
= The Torah : a modern commentary. c1981.
Location: LAC Reference Room Collection
Call Number: BS1225.3 .P55 1981
Encyclopaedia
Judaica. c1972.
Location: LAC Reference Room Collection
Call Number: DS102.8 .E5 (16 vols.)
A Dictionary
of comparative religion.1970]
Location: LAC Reference Room Collection
Call Number: BL31 .D54 1970
Location: PCC Reference Room Collection
Call Number: BL31 .D54 1970
Eerdmans'
handbook to the world's religions. 1982.
Location: LAC Reference Room Collection
Call Number: BL80.2 .E35 1982
The
Encyclopedia of religion. c1987.
Location: LAC Reference Room Collection
Call Number: BL31 .E46 1987
Location: PCC Reference Room Collection
Call Number: BL31 .E46 1987
The Oxford
dictionary of world religions. 1997.
Location: LAC Reference Room Collection
Call Number: BL31 .O84 1997
The encyclopedia
of Eastern philosophy and religion :
Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Zen. 1994, c1989.
Location: LAC Reference Room Collection
Call Number: BL1005 .L4813 1994
Dictionary
of philosophy and religion : Eastern and Western
thought. 1996.
Location: LAC Reference Room Collection
Call Number: B41 .R43 1996
Dictionary
of beliefs and religions. 1994.
Location: LAC Reference Room Collection
Call Number: BL31 .D53 1994
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Muqarnas--
Cave-Like Islamic Design in
Entrance to Imam Mosque, Isfahan, Iran click here
to enlarge
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Myths
& Magic
Putnam's
concise mythological dictionary. [1963]
Location: LAC Reference Room Collection
Call Number: BL31 .K3
Dictionary
of mysticism. [1953]
Location: LAC Reference Room Collection
Call Number: BL31 .G32
Larousse
world mythology. [1965]
Location: LAC Reference Room Collection
Call Number: BL311 .G683
Mythology
: an illustrated encyclopedia. c1980.
Location: LAC Reference Room Collection
Call Number: BL311 .M95
The
Macmillan illustrated encyclopedia of myths & legend.
c1989.
Location: LAC Reference Room Collection
Call Number: BL303 .C67 1989
Man,
myth & magic : the illustrated encyclopedia of
mythology, religion and the unknown. 1995.
Location: LAC Reference Room Collection
Call Number: BF1407 .M34 1995
The
golden bough; a study in magic and religion. [1911-15]
Location: LAC Reference Room Collection
Call
Number: BL310 .F7 1911
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Shamans
in Ancient Rock Art
Tuva
Shamans in Siberia |
| The
Bible
The new
Oxford annotated Bible with the Apocrypha. 1973.
Location: LAC Reference Room Collection
Call Number: BS191.A1 1973 .N43
Location: PCC Reference Room Collection
Call Number: BS191.A1 1973 .N43
The
Interpreter's dictionary of the Bible; an illustrated
encyclopedia identifying and explaining all proper names
and significant terms and subjects in the Holy
Scriptures, including the Aprocrypha, with attention to
archaeological discoveries and researches into the life
and faith of ancient times. [1962]
Location: LAC Reference Room Collection
Call Number: BS440 .I63
Harper's
topical concordance. [1962]
Location: LAC Reference Room Collection
Call Number: BS432 .J63 1962
The Zondervan
pictorial encyclopedia of the Bible. [1975]
Location: LAC Reference Room Collection
Call Number: BS440 .Z63
Harper's
Bible dictionary. c1985.
Location: LAC Reference Room Collection
Call Number: BS440 .H237 1985
Atlas
of the Bible. c1985.
Location: LAC Reference Room Collection
Call Number: BS630 .R6 1985
The Westminster
historical atlas to the Bible. 1945.
Location: LAC Atlases
Call Number: BS630 .W7
The Illustrated
Bible dictionary. 1980.
Location: LAC Reference Room Collection
Call Number: BS440 .I4
The Oxford
companion to the Bible. 1993.
Location: LAC Reference Room Collection
Call Number: BS440 .O94 1993
Location: PCC Reference Room Collection
Call Number: BS440 .O94 1993
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Notre
Dame Gothic Catholic Cathedral, Paris
click
here
to enlarge
George
Washington in prayer at Valley Forge
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FIND
BOOKS IN THE CATALOG
Sri-Srinivasa-Perumal
Hindu Temple in Singapore Click here
to enlarge
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Books
can be located by using a subject or keyword search in Voyager,
the Library's online catalog. Use the terms religion or
mythology, or the name for the religious group, or other
religious topic. Also use your keywords to search the table
of contents and index of general texts on religion or mythology.
In
online library catalogs perform a keyword search under names
of countries, cities, etc., ethnic groups, types of institutions,
names of individual corporate bodies, and names of individual
persons along with the term religion. More keyword terms
you might use to search the online catalog or the Internet
for your research topic include the following:
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African Traditional Religion
Agnosticism
Ancestor Worship
Animism
Archaeology and religion
Architecture and religion
Art and religion
Atheism
Baha'ism
Belief
Bahaism
Baptism
Buddhism
Catholicism
Cao Dai
Ceremonial
Chanting
Christianity
Communism and religion
Confucianism
Conversion
Cults
Demons
Devil
Druids
Dualism
Eschatology
Evil
Faith
Folk Religion
God
Gods
Grace
Heaven
Hinduism
Holy
Idols and images
Islam
Jainism
Juche
Karma
Magic
Mana
Mandeism
Manichaeism
Mazdakism
Meditation
Messianism
Mithraism
Monotheism
Mysticism
Myth
Mythology
Native American Religion
Nativistic movements
Natural theology
Neo-Paganism
New Age Religion
Nirvana
Occult
Pantheism
Philosophy and religion
Polytheism
Positivism
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Purgatory
Prayer
Priests
Primal Indigenous Religions
Primitive Religion
Protestantism
Psychology and religion
Rastafarianism
Redemption
Reformation
Reincarnation
Religion
Religion and Civilization
Religion and Culture
Religion and Politics
Religious absolutism
Religious awakening
Religious fundamentalism
Religious life
Religious pluralism
Religious thought
Repentance
Resurrection
Revelation
Rites
Ritual
Sacrament
Sacred
Sacrifice
Salvation
Sanctification
Santeria
Scientology
Shamanism
Shinto
Shrines
Sikhism
Sin
Socialism and religion
Spiritism
Spirits
Spirituality
Supernatural
Superstition
Symbolism
Syncretism
Taboo
Taoism (also Daoism)
Temples
Tenrikyo
Theism
Theology
Totemism
Traditional Religion
Tribal Religion
Truth
Unitarianism--Universalism
Visions
Vodou (or Voodoo, Vodun)
Wicca
Witchcraft
Women and religion
Worship
Zoroastrianism
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You can also browse
the shelves for books to check out by the Library of Congress Classification
letters assigned to books in these subject areas:
Find
these call numbers on Stack Level 1,
Sub-Basement of LAC:
BL
Religions
BL 300-325 Mythology
BL 1100-1295 Hinduism
BM Judaism
BP Islam. Bahaism
BQ Buddhism
BR Christianity
BS The Bible
BT Doctrinal Theology
BV Practical Theology
BX Christian Denominations
BX 800-4795 Catholic Church
BX 4800-9999 Other Christian Denominations
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FIND
VIDEOS
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Some
videos may be found in the Library's collection on Voyager.
First select a Quick Limit of Videorecordings,
then do a keyword search on the the name of the topic,
religious group, or the terms religion or mythology.
You
may also view videos inhouse from the Instructional Media
Collection. Search Medianet
for the terms religion or mythology.
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Jain
Temple, Uttar Pradesh, India |
FIND
ARTICLES
Periodical
titles currently held in the LAC Library with articles on religion
or mythology include:
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America
* Catholic World
Christian Century
Christian Science Monitor
Christianity Today
Church & State
Commentary
Commonweal
* Freedom Write
Judaism
Modern Theology
The Muslim World
Theology Today
U.S. Catholic
* Subscription is no longer current |
The Library
has a subscription to several online
databases containing articles or information on religion and
mythology. These databases are particularly helpful in finding information
on a specific topic or social group as many journals can be searched
simultaneously by the subject words you select. Full-text of these
articles are then available for printing or sending to your email
account. Some of these databases include:
Biography
Country Watch
CQ Researcher
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Ethnic Newswatch
Facts.com
Facts on File On-Line
Matter of Fact |
Matter
of Fact
Newsbank
Opposing Viewpoints
Proquest
SIRS Government Reporter
SIRS Renaissance
SIRS Researcher
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Only
current faculty, students or staff may use these databases. Ask
for passwords at the Reference Desk at either Library. The Librarians
can instruct you on using these article databases. There is a free
workshop offered for learning the ins and outs of
online database searching.
FIND
INTERNET RESOURCES
WRITING/RESEARCH
ASSISTANCE
Jewish
Hanukkah Candle
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Finally,
while you are writing your paper, there is an online subject
guide on Writing
Tips with links to online help for organizing and formulating
your paper, finding online dictionaries and citation tools.
There is also a Writing Center at both campuses to help
you with the fundamentals of your paper, for information
call the Writing Center at LAC
(562) 938-4520 and at PCC:
(562) 938-3991.
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