Research Guides: Philosophy of Religion: Reference

Reference Databases

Credo Reference
Provides access to hundreds of reference resources covering every major subject.
Gale eBooks
Contains topic overview pages, subject encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks, and other reference resources.

Reference Books/eBooks

Concise Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy by Routledge Staff
Publication date: 2000
Includes more than 2000 alphabetically arranged, accessible entries contributed by more than 1200 of the world's leading thinkers; comprehensive coverage of the classic philosophical themes; up-to-date coverage of contemporary philosophers, ideas, schools and recent developments; unrivaled international and multicultural scope.
Encyclopedia of Philosophers on Religion by Bernard J. Verkamp
Publication date: 2008
Presents the religious affiliations and beliefs of 152 prominent philosophers, in A-Z entries. Biographical information is given about each with a special focus on his or her religious upbringing, practice, and beliefs (or lack thereof).
New Catholic Encyclopedia (2nd edition) by Catholic University of America Staff (Contribution by)
Publication date: 2003
This edition includes 12,000 entries covering theology, philosophy, history, literary figures, saints, musicians and much more.

Atlas of American Religion: The Denominational Era, 1776-1990 by William M. Newman; Peter L. Halvorson
Location: Oversize Books (2nd Floor) | Call Number: BR515 .N49 2000
Through both words and maps, this atlas brings coherence to the shifting picture of 200 years of American religious history. From independence to the present, it charts the evolution of the 39 major denominations and sects in the U.S.
Atlas of the World's Religions by Ninian Smart (Editor)
Location: Atlases (Second Floor) (circulating) | Call Number: G1046.E4 A7 1999
This superbly illustrated and organized reference source is the first comprehensive visual guide to the world's religious traditions. With text by leading experts, and lavishly illustrated with photographs, thematic maps, site reconstructions, and tables and charts, many in full color, the Atlas charts the origin, growth, and spread of all major faiths.
New Historical Atlas of Religion in America by Edwin Scott Gaustad; Philip L. Barlow; Richard W. Dishno (As told to)
Location: Atlases (Second Floor) (circulating) | Call Number: G1201.E4 G3 2001
A visual and narrative portrait of the growth, development, and diversity of America's communities of faith across nearly 400 years.
The Routledge Historical Atlas of Religion in America by Bret Carroll
Location: Second Floor Stacks | Call Number: G1201.E4 C3 2000
Charting the history and geographic development of American religions, this atlas displays in vibrant visual and textual detail the intimate relationship between American spiritual belief and the events that formed the nation.

The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy (3rd edition) by Simon Blackburn
Location: Second Floor Stacks | Call Number: B41 .B53 2016
Comprehensive and authoritative, this dictionary t covers every aspect of philosophy from Aristotle to Zen. With clear and concise definitions, it provides lively and accessible coverage of not only Western philosophical traditions, but also themes from Chinese, Indian, Islamic, and Jewish philosophy.

The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy and Literature by Richard Eldridge (Editor)
Location: Second Floor Stacks | Call Number: PN45 .O84 2009
Contains twenty-three articles by major philosophers and literary scholars that investigate literature as a form of attention to human life.
The Oxford Handbook of Transcendentalism by Sandra Harbert Petrulionis (Editor); Laura Dassow Walls (Editor); Joel Myerson (Editor)
Location: Second Floor Stacks | Call Number: PS217.T7 O94 2010
Offers an interdisciplinary approach to the cultural impact of this movement. The volume contains over fifty chapters that cover Transcendentalism's relationship not only to literature, but also to religion, politics, music, science, and the visual arts.
The Penguin Handbook of the World's Living Religions by John R. Hinnells (Editor)
Location: Second Floor Stacks | Call Number: BL82 .P46 2010
Comprehensive, informative and authoritative, compiled by a team of leading international scholars, it is the definitive guide to the religious belief systems and practices of the world today.
The Practice of Philosophy: A Handbook for Beginners (3rd edition) by Jay F. Rosenberg
Location: Second Floor Stacks | Call Number: BD21 .R644 1996
This compact “primer” gives readers the basic tools they need to explore philosophical reading and writing for the first time. Provides insights and strategies for helping readers get started with reading, thinking about, and discussing philosophical concepts and writing short philosophical essays about what they've been reading and thinking.

Ask a Librarian

Need research assistance? One-on-one help is available via the Library’s Virtual Reference Room in Blackboard or phone (325-486-6534) during the following hours:

Monday-Thursday: 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Friday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday: 2 – 6 p.m.
Sunday: 1 – 5 p.m.

You can also contact us via

email or by posting on the Ask a Librarian Discussion Board in Blackboard.
Messages sent outside of normal service hours will be answered the next day the library is open (check Library Hours of Operation for current schedule).