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PHL 230 - Religions of the World

This guide will provide links to library resources, services, and databases that support COCE students' research for this course.

Library Databases


The Shapiro Library subscribes to many databases filled with scholarly articles, book chapters, research reports, statistics, and more. These are some of the recommended databases for doing research on the subjects of the world's religions. For tips on searching within a database, see Search Tips. You can see a complete list of all the databases the library subscribes to on our A - Z Database List.

World History in Context

The World History In Context database reaches back to the ancient world — and forward to today's headlines — to deliver a chronicle of the great cultures and societies that have formed the history of the human race. World History In Context can be found on the A - Z Database List from our library homepage

World History In Context also has a good selection of resources on several major world religions. Click on the "Browse Issues" link in the upper left corner of the page to see a list of their Topic Pages. From the "Choose a Category" drop-down menu, choose "Religions." This will bring up a list of Topic Pages on a variety of world religions, including a selection of Abrahamic and Eastern religions. You can browse through the content of the Topic Page, or use the "Search within page" search box on the right side of the page to find resources on a specific belief or existential question within that religion.

Credo

Credo is an extensive database of academic reference materials. Credo can be found on the A - Z Database List from our library homepage

Searching this resource for the name of the religion, or for a belief or existential question within a religion, will lead you to short reference entries that provide introductory information. These entries are a good way to familiarize yourself with the key terms and concepts related to a particular topic. Some entries also feature bibliographies listing major book and article resources that you can search for in the Shapiro Library or request through Interlibrary Loan.  

Useful Databases