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World Religions

A guide to help students explore the religions of the world.

Useful Subject Terms

Religions

Religion - Dictionaries

Judaism

Christianity ​

Catholicism

​Baptists

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Jehovah's Witnesses

Other specific denominations can also be searched

Islam

Hinduism

Buddhism

Confucianism

Taiosm

Shinto

Sikhism

Neopaganism

Start With Background Reading

Choosing Your Religion

If you are not sure what religion you want to research, you can start by using a religion encyclopedia or dictionary to get ideas. You can just read the introduction of the encyclopedia or look through the table to contents to get some ideas.
 

Use Gale eBooks to Launch Your Research

The specialized encyclopedias available on the Gale eBook are a perfect place to launch your research. You'll find overviews of the beliefs and practices of the world's many religions, as well as historical information and membership statistics.

Access Gale eBooks through the MJC Library's Articles & Databases page.

All of these resources are free for you and available whether or not you are on or off campus. If you are off campus, you will login to databases just like you do for Canvas or your school email.


Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World, 2004Encyclopedia of Religion, 2005Contemporary American Religion, 2000Encyclopedia of Buddhism, 2004Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices, 2006Encyclopedia of American Religions, 2003Religion and American Cultures, 2014Encyclopaedia Judaica, 2007New Catholic Encyclopedia, 2003Religious Celebrations, 2011Historical Dictionary of Islamic Fundamentalism, 2012Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2006

Using & Finding Books

Why Use Books:

Use books to read broad overviews and detailed discussions of your topic. You can also use books to find primary sources, which are often published together in collections.
 

Where Do I Find Books?

You'll use the library catalog to search for books, ebooks, articles, and more.

What if MJC Doesn't Have What I Need?

If you need materials (books, articles, recordings, videos, etc.) that you cannot find in the library catalog, use our interlibrary loan service.