This research guide relays some basic information on library and information resources pertaining to the concerns of this department, as provided by University Libraries and/or sites on the World Wide Web.

1. To Shelf-Browse for Books (using main Library of Congress Subject Divisions)

Books on subjects associated with this field are shelved under the call number ranges listed below. Use TOPCAT to search for specific items in the collection, or more narrowly-defined subjects.

Books on Religion are found under the Call Number B. Bibles are under BS, and the Q'aran is at BP109. Other religion materials are scattered throughout history, sociology, law, and anthropology.

LC Subjects, & Ranges:  Ethics (BJ1 - BJ1800) ------- Humanism (B778, B821) ------- Truth (BD150 - BD171, BT50) ------- God ------- Religion ------- Religion--Philosophy (BL57 - BL185) ------- Christianity (BR - BX) ------- Judaism (BM) ------- Islam (BP20 - BP233) ------- Bahaism (BP300 - BP392) ------- Hinduism (BL1005 - BL1289) ------- Buddhism (BL 1400 - 1495, BQ) ------- Sikhism (BL2017 - BL2018) ------- Devil (BT981, BF1434 - BF1555) ------- Heaven (BT901) ------- Future Life (BT901 - BT921) ------- Witchcraft (BF 1434, BF1555 - BF1598) ------- Demonology (BF1434 - BF1555) ------- Cults (BP585 - BP605) ------- Religion and science (BL200 - BL290) ------- Creation (BL200 - BL290) ------- Mythology (BL300 - BL390, BL660 - BL980) ------- Mysticism (BL625) ------- Jainism (BL1311 - BL1376)

2. To Find Journal and Magazine Articles (using indexing/abstracting/full-text services)

The following services are recommended for use by first-year students and nonmajors:

• Philosopher's Index (EBSCOhost): The basic tool for finding articles about philosophy and ethics.
• Philosopher's Index: A Retrospective Index to U.S. Publications from 1940 (REF Z 7127 .P474): This material is not duplicated in the Philosopher's Index.
• Humanities Index (REF PER/IND AI 3 .H85). This title had several previous titles, including:
  • Continuation of the Social Sciences and Humanities Index.
  • International Index : A Guide to Periodical Literature in the Social Sciences and Humanities
  • International Index to Periodicals.
• Religion Index One (REF PER/IND BL 1 .R4x)
• Academic Search Premier and MasterFILE Premier: These two all-subject WWW-based services (they are part of the EBSCOhost system) feature indexing and abstracting of many journals and magazines WKU Libraries receives in hardcopy, plus a large selection of articles in full-text.
• Google Scholar: A free Web-based Google service that restricts searches to the scholarly literature. Now features linking to full-text of articles held by WKU.

The following services are recommended for use by advanced students and researchers:

• America: History and Life (EBSCOhost): Since 1964, the premiere database covering the history of the United States and Canada. Database indexes 2,000 journals published worldwide. In addition to articles, the database provides citations of book and media reviews annually as well as abstracts of dissertations.
• Art and Humanities Citation Index (AHSearch): FirstSearch database available to faculty and graduate students (and to undergraduate students by special permission). Indexes over 1,300 of the world's leading arts and humanities journals, 1980 to present.
• Alt-Press Watch has full text of over 170 alternative and independent newspapers, magazines and journals.
• Alt-Press Index: FirstSearch database available to faculty and graduate students (and to undergraduate students by special permission). Indexes journals covering cultural, economic, political & social change.
• ArticleFirst: FirstSearch database available to faculty and graduate students (and to undergraduate students by special permission). Indexes almost 13,000 journals and magazines from 1990 onward, including some ninety percent of the ones University Libraries carries in hardcopy.
• Historical Abstracts (EBSCOhost): Since 1954, the premiere database covering history since 1450 (excluding Canada and the United States). In addition to articles includes 3,000 citations annually to useful historical books reviewed by leading historical journals and citations to abstracts of dissertations.
• JSTOR: Provides the full text/full image web access of the complete archival collections of a large number of journals, up to the most recent three to five years.
• Project Muse: "Provides online, worldwide, institutional subscription access to the full text of over 100 scholarly journals in the arts and humanities, social sciences and mathematics."
• PerAbs: Periodical abstracts from general and academic journals (FirstSearch database accessible to graduate students and faculty, and to undergraduates by special permission).
• PsycINFO (EBSCOhost): Provides indexing and abstracts for over one million articles in 1,500 journals, plus dissertations, books and book chapters, from 1887 to the present.
• Sociological Abstracts (CSA): Provides abstracting of the sociological and anthropological literature from 1963 onward. Contains articles that are related to sociology of religion.
• WilsonSelectPlus: Full-text articles in science, humanities, education and business (FirstSearch database accessible to graduate students and faculty, and to undergraduates by special permission).

The following printed journal indexing services are recommended for use by advanced students and researchers. These items are located in the Reference Periodical Index portion of the Reference Room (first floor of Helm):

• Humanities Index: As described above.
• Index Islamicus (REF PER/IND Z 7835 .M6 L65x) A bibliography of books, articles, and reviews on Islam and the Muslim world.
• International Bibliography series
  • International bibliography of anthropology
  • International bibliography of economics
  • International bibliography of political science
  • International bibliography of social and cultural anthropology
  • International bibliography of sociology
  • International bibliography of the social sciences
• Index to Legal Periodicals (REF PER/IND K9 .N32): Use the Index to Legal Periodicals for aticles related to law and religion, freedom of religion, or separation of church and state.
• International Political Science Abstracts (REF PER/IND JA 36 .I5): Contains articles about the concepts of church and state, liberty, and political philosophy.
• Journal of Economic Literature (REF PER/IND HB 1 .J6)
• L'annee Pilologique (REF PER/INDZ 7016 .M35A) Published in France, this annual abstracting guide contains materials on Philosophy of Religion. Some are in French and some are in English.
• Old Testament Abstracts (REF PER/IND BS 410. O42).
• New Testament Abstracts (REF PER/IND BS 410 .N35).
• Philosopher's Index: As described above.
• Philosopher's Index—A Retrospective Index to U.S. Publications from 1940: As described above.
• Elenchus of Biblica (BS 1171.2 .E4x). Index of Biblical literature, mostly in German.
• Religion Index One: As described above.
• Religious and Theological Abstracts (REF PER/IND BR 1 .R286) This set provides abstracts of articles in religion and theology.

Special resource:  TDNet Electronic Journal Finder [use to access Libraries' electronic journals, magazines, and newspapers, as well as some indexes and databases containing full-text articles; includes a comprehensive A-Z listing of titles]
Special resource:  KenCat [A searchable catalog of the collections at the Kentucky Library & Museum. KenCat includes manuscripts, letters, sheet music, photographs, museum exhibits, images, journals, and books.]

3. Monographic Reference Works in Helm Library

• Anchor Bible Dictionary (REF BS 440 .A54 1992)
• Broadman Bible Commentary (REF BS 491.2 .B67)
• Butler's Lives of the Saints (REF BX 4654 .B84 1961x)
• Coptic Encyclopedia (REF BX 130.5 .C66 1991)
• Dictionary of the History of Ideas (REF CB 5 .D52)
• Encyclopedia of American Religions (REF BL 2530 .U6 M443)
• Encyclopedia of the American Religious Experience (REF BL 2525 .E53 1987)
• Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics (REF BJ 63 .E45 1992)
• Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics (REF BL 31 .E5 1955x)
• Encyclopedia of Religion (REF BL 31 .E46 1997)
• Encyclopedia of Islam (REF DS 37 .E523)
• Encyclopedia of Mormonism (BX 8605.5 .E62 1992)
• Encyclopedia of Unbelief (REF BL 2705 .E53 1985)
• Encyclopedia Judaica (REF DS 102.8 .E496)
• The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion (Main Library BL310 .F7 1951x)
• Historical Dictionary of the Shakers (REF BX 9765 .D84 2000)
• Jewish Encyclopedia (REF DS 102.8 .J6)
• Interpreter's Bible (REF BS 491.2 .I55)
• King James Bible (REF BS 185 1945 .P5x)
• Holy Qur'an: Text, Translation and Commentary (REF BP 100 1946bx)
• Mennonite Encyclopedia (BX 8106 .M37)
• Mythology of all Races (REF BL 25 .M8 1964)
• New Catholic Encyclopedia (REF BX 891 .N44 1967)
• New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge (REF BR 95 .S43)
• Oxford Encyclopedia of the Reformation (REF BR 302.8 .093 1996)
• Papal Encyclicals (REF BX 860 .C37 1981) Contains Encyclicals from 1740 - 1981.
• Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Networked CD-ROM and REF B51 .R68 1998)
• Encyclopedia of Philosophy (REF B 41 .E5)
• Shaker Experience in America: A History of the United Society of Believers (KyLib BX 9766 .S74 1992)
• Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament (REF BS 440 .B5713)
• Yearbook of the Reformation (REF BR 302.8 .093 1996)

4. Department of Philosophy & Religion Faculty

Dept. of Philosophy & Religion Faculty:  http://www.wku.edu/Dept/Academic/AHSS/Philosophy/

5. Related Professional Societies (for professional news, careers/jobs, memberships, etc.)

• American Academy of Religion http://www.aarweb.org/default.asp
• American Theological Library Association (ATLA) http://www.atla.com/
• The Council of Societies for the Study of Religion http://www.cssr.org/
• Society of Christian Ethics http://www.scethics.org/
• Society of Christian Philosophers http://www.siu.edu/~scp/
• The Templeton Foundation (Science & Religion) http://www.templeton.org/

6. Web Sites Recommended by Department of Philosophy & Religion Faculty 

• Academic InfoReligion Gateway http://www.academicinfo.net/religindex.html
• New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge http://www.ccel.org/s/schaff/encyc/home.html
• Refdesk.com World Religion Resources http://www.refdesk.com/factrel.html
• Virtual Religion Index (Rutgers University) http://virtualreligion.net/vri/

• AdHoc Image and Text Database on the History of Christianity http://research.yale.edu:8084/divdl/adhoc/subjects.jsp
• Catholic Encyclopedia 1913 Edition http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/
• Christian Classics Ethereal Library http://www.ccel.org/
• Congregation Am Shalom--The Jewish Congregation of Bowling Green http://www.amshalom.urj.net/
• Islam 101 http://islam101.com/index.htm
• Islamic Center of Bowling Green http://geocities.com/icbgky/
• Jewish Encyclopedia (published 1901-1906) http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/
• Judaism & Jewish Resources http://www.shamash.org/trb/judaism.html
• Judaism on the Web http://www.wku.edu/library/dlps/guides/judaism.htm
• Yale Divinity School Library Free Online Resources for the Study of Christianity http://www.library.yale.edu/div/forfree.html

• Al-Islam--Ahlul Bayt Digital Islamic Library http://www.al-islam.org/
• American Religious Experience (West Virginia Univ.) http://are.as.wvu.edu/
• City of Bowling Green--Local Religious Organizations http://www.bgky.org/religiousorganizations.php
• Divining America: Religion and the National Culture http://www.nhc.rtp.nc.us/tserve/divam.htm
• Early Church On-Line Encyclopedia (Ecole) http://www2.evansville.edu/ecoleweb/about.html
• Encyclopedia Mythica http://www.pantheon.org/
• Encyclopedia of World History http://www.bartleby.com/67/
• Greek Grammar on the Web [Greek language resources] http://perswww.kuleuven.ac.be/~u0013314/greekg.htm
• Internet Archeology Electronic Journal http://intarch.york.ac.uk/
• Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy http://www.utm.edu/research/iep/
• Internet Sacred Text Archive http://www.sacred-texts.com/index.htm
• Method & Theory in the Study of Religion Bibliography http://eir.library.utoronto.ca/MandT/index.cfm
• Myths and Legends http://home.comcast.net/~chris.s/myth.html
• Michael Nielsen's Psychology of Religion Pages http://www.psychwww.com/psyrelig/index.htm
• Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies (ORB) http://www.the-orb.net/
• Perseus Digital Library [includes classic e-texts on religious subjects] http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/
• PHILTAR--Philosophy, Theology, and Religion http://philtar.ucsm.ac.uk/relindex.html
• Religion Online [texts by religious scholars] http://www.religion-online.org/
• Religious Movements Homepage http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/
• Religious Tolerance http://www.religioustolerance.org/
• Scrolls from the Dead Sea http://lcweb.loc.gov/exhibits/scrolls/toc.html
• Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy http://plato.stanford.edu/