Religious Studies (General)

The academic study of religion is the careful investigation of religion as a human phenomenon. As such, it is distinct from, but not inherently incompatible with theological or devotional approaches to religion. The purpose of this guide is to furnish the researcher with resources useful for undertaking such a course of study.

The resources listed here are intended to support the academic study of religion and religious phenomena, and this guide is not meant to promote the practice of any particular religion or groups of religions. Certain religious traditions may receive more or less attention here based on the focus of the Department of Religious Studies and the interests and needs of other academic departments here at Brown University. 

This is by no means a comprehensive guide to all the resources available for the study of religion. However, this guide does contain many carefully curated resources that can serve as entry points to the study of religion. The menu on the left hand side of this guide can be used to navigate the resources available here. All these resources are grouped by the following:

• Reference Sources: Here you will find dictionaries, encyclopedias, bibliographies, and handbooks. These resources are excellent starting points as you begin your research. They can help you understand major topics in the study of religion, help you narrow your research question, and help you identify key words for searching library databases.
• Secondary Sources: Here you will find notable academic journals in the study of religion, databases for scholarly articles on religion, and guides to finding books on religion in the library.
• Primary Sources: Here you will find databases and other tools to help you locate primary sources related to the study of religion. Some of these may be edited volumes, digitized documents, or guides to physical archives all documenting aspects of religion.
• Select Religious Traditions: Here you will find reference sources, secondary sources, and primary sources grouped by religious traditions.
• Special Topics in Religious Studies: Here you will find scholarly resources on specific topics in religious studies such as Gender, Methodology, Politics, Science, and the Occult.