Typical questions

• • Where can I search for literature on the position of women in the Church?

• • How many Muslims are there in France?

Starting points

• • Religion can be a contentious subject. Students should be encouraged to evaluate sites carefully. Material may be produced by religious organisations or anti-faith groups and this can influence content.

• • The resources listed below are recommended for academic use. They are sub-divided into general and then more specific faith-based resources. Explore them to find more in-depth material.

• • Students of theology may also find the Philosophy chapter useful. Those researching Islam and Asian religions might also refer to the Asian Studies and Middle East Studies chapters. The Human Rights chapter has materials on civil liberties and faith.

Recommended resources

Key organisations – general and comparative religion

American Academy of Religion (AAR)

www.aarweb.org

Large scholarly society fostering the teaching and public understanding of religion. Website includes teaching materials and an extensive online video library of conference materials.

AULRE: The network for learning, teaching and research in religion and education

www.aulre.org.uk

Supports UK-based academic staff. Get news and updates on UK educational policy, curriculum content and course delivery.

British Association for the Study of Religions (BASR)

www.basr.ac.uk

Promotes the academic study of all religions. Its website provides free access to articles from its journals, plus conference news and a large collection of teaching and curriculum resources.

European Association of the Study of Religions

ww.easr.eu

Supports research in Europe. Website has a useful directory of national member organisations and religious studies journals.

International Association for the History of Religions (IAHR)

www.iahrweb.org

Key international body. Links to all major regional and national associations covering religion.

Libraries

Association of British Theological and Philosophical Libraries (ABTAPL)

abtapl.org.uk

Provides an informal network for specialist library staff. Useful features of its website include a directory of member libraries and a union list of journal holdings. These can be used to identify major collections.

BETH

theo.kuleuven.be/apps/press/beth

Organisation of national theological library associations in Europe. Its website provides links to specialist library websites and catalogues.

Study guides

Overview of World Religions [Basic]

www.philtar.ac.uk/encyclopedia

Digital encyclopedia of the world's faiths created by an international academic board. Includes articles, definitions and charts showing the evolution of various religions and sects.