Call Numbers for Religion Books
Most books relating to religion will be located on the second floor of the library. If you like browsing, try these call number areas:
BL - Religions, Mythology, Rationalism
BM - Judaism
BP - Islam, Bahaism, Theosophy, etc.
BQ - Buddhism
BR - Christianity
BS - The Bible
BT - Doctrinal Theology
BV - Practical Theology
BX - Christian Denominations
For more detailed descriptions, check out the Library of Congress Classification Outline.
Below are some examples of books that you will find in the stacks of Beeghly Library. If there's something specific you're looking for, ask your librarian!
General Religion
A Little History of Religion by
For curious readers young and old, a rich and colorful history of religion from humanity's earliest days to our own contentious times In an era of hardening religious attitudes and explosive religious violence, this book offers a welcome antidote. Richard Holloway retells the entire history of religion--from the dawn of religious belief to the twenty-first century--with deepest respect and a keen commitment to accuracy. Writing for those with faith and those without, and especially for young readers, he encourages curiosity and tolerance, accentuates nuance and mystery, and calmly restores a sense of the value of faith. Ranging far beyond the major world religions of Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, and Hinduism, Holloway also examines where religious belief comes from, the search for meaning throughout history, today's fascinations with Scientology and creationism, religiously motivated violence, hostilities between religious people and secularists, and more. Holloway proves an empathic yet discerning guide to the enduring significance of faith and its power from ancient times to our own.
Call Number: OWU Beeghly Stacks BL80.3 .H65 2016ISBN: 9780300208832Publication Date: 2016-09-27
Religion among People by
""At the deepest level religious traditions determine what goes on between one human being and another, between one community and another, and between human beings and whoever holds power over them."" Kees Bolle's original, passionate scholarship veered away from things handed down and standard in our thought about religions. In this his final book, he explores how religious paradigms have given rise to particular structures of power, and how religious myths compel particular human actions: the possibility of interpretation, the necessity for recognizing religious forms where they appear, the relationship of secularization and sacredness. And at every turn, Bolle examines the notion that Western intellectuals are nonreligious. He confronts the responsibility ""mere"" scholarship bears for events--sometimes terrible events--in the real world. We move from David and Nathan to Antigone, from Brahmanism and Buddhism to the familial struggle between Christianity and Islam. The book concludes with Bolle's striking reflections on how ""modern man"" has become inherently religious in concurrence with modern manifestations of power. Bolle is a fascinating figure. He loved the immediacy of lessons found in Hasidic stories, and his own thought may be said to approach the wholeness, the immediacy, of religion. ""Religion among People is the culmination of a life-long career devoted to the understanding of religion written in a clear style devoid of fashionable jargon. Always an opponent of reductionist theories and of religion as personal inner experience, Kees Bolle's project has been the study of religion that sees individuals as inextricably rooted in their respective cultural-historic circumstances. Throughout the book he follows his dictum: to know just one religion is to know none at all."" --William Malandra, University of Minnesota ""Kees Bolle's posthumous work, Religion among People, is a most appropriate summary of his thoughts regarding the theory and practice of the study of religion. In his clear, precise, and dispassionate writing style, he has taken on a variety of topics in the study of religion. Following the title of the text, Kees has emphasized the public or communal aspect of religion; he has thus paid special attention to ritual, cult, institutions, etc. This has enabled him to properly situate the role and nature of the 'inward' aspects and dimensions of religion . . . Given the topics dealt with and the order and tone of presentation, I would recommend this work as one of the best texts for introducing the study of religion to the college student. It is a fitting tribute to Kees Bolle's life and work."" --Charles H. Long, author of Significations: Signs, Symbols, and Images in the Study of Religion ""Sharp and never satisfied with the obvious, Kees Bolle handles key subjects like secularization, fundamentalism, and the religious structure of modern man. Listening to him when he is speaking in-depth about politics and religion that are inevitably intertwined, whether in Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism or Christianity, opens our eyes to all those easy statements of today that commonly spring from what the author aptly calls 'knowledge-cum-ignorance.' This book will last, and encourage us for a long time."" --Karel R. van Kooij, Professor Emeritus, University of Leiden, The Netherlands ""This book, like Kees' other ones, compels us to confront the role of religion in the lives of both individual and social bodies. By exploring the religion of ancient cities (Egyptian and Greek), Near Eastern high god traditions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), and Indian and Buddhist traditions, he is actually inviting us to better understand ourselves."" --Jennifer Reid, from the foreword Kees W. Bolle (1927-2012), a native of the Netherlands, studied at the University of Leiden and the University of Chicago. He taught at Brown University, UCLA, Reed College, and the University of New England. He is the author of The Persis
Call Number: OWU Beeghly Stacks BL65.P7 B65 2017ISBN: 9781532604522Publication Date: 2017-10-23
The Routledge Handbook of Research Methods in the Study of Religion by
This is the first comprehensive survey in English of research methods in the field of religious studies. It is designed to enable non-specialists and students at upper undergraduate and graduate levels to understand the variety of research methods used in the field. The aim is to create awareness of the relevant methods currently available and to stimulate an active interest in exploring unfamiliar methods, encouraging their use in research and enabling students and scholars to evaluate academic work with reference to methodological issues. A distinguished team of contributors cover a broad spectrum of topics, from research ethics, hermeneutics and interviewing, to Internet research and video-analysis. Each chapter covers practical issues and challenges, the theoretical basis of the respective method, and the way it has been used in religious studies, illustrated by case studies.
Call Number: OWU Beeghly Stacks BL41 .R686 2011ISBN: 9780415559201Publication Date: 2011-11-16
Buddhism
Buddhisms by
"Exemplary for its organization and writing, this work is likely to become the standard single-volume text on Buddhism for the student, whether within the walls of the academy or without." --Starred Review, Library Journal Buddhisms: An Introduction represents a novel way of presenting the whole of the Buddhist tradition in its unity and multiplicity. Clear in its explanations, replete with tables and suggestions for further reading, it should appeal to students, yet also be of interest to scholars for some of its ways of viewing the Buddha, his teachings, and the Buddhist community through the ages.
Call Number: OWU Beeghly Stacks BQ4034 .S87 2015ISBN: 9781780745053Publication Date: 2015-08-11
The Different Paths of Buddhism by
For centuries, Buddhist teachers and laypeople have used stories, symbols, cultural metaphors, and anecdotes to teach and express their religious views. In this introductory textbook, Carl Olson draws on these narrative traditions to detail the development of Buddhism from the life of the historical Buddha to the present. By organizing the text according to the structure of Buddhist thought and teaching, Olson avoids imposing a Western perspective that traditional texts commonly bring to the subject. The book offers a comprehensive introduction to the main branches of the Buddhist tradition in both the Mahayana and Theravada schools, including the Madhyamika school, the Yogacara school, Pure Land devotionalism, Tibetan Tantric Buddhism, Zen Buddhism, and village folk Buddhist traditions. Chapters explore the life and teachings of the Buddha in historical context, the early development and institutionalization of Buddhism, its geographic spread across Asia and eventually to the United States, philosophy and ethics, the relationship between monks and laity, political and ethical implications, the role of women in the Buddhist tradition, and contemporary reinterpretations of Buddhism. Drawn from decades of classroom experience, this creative and ambitious text combines expert scholarship and engaging stories that offer a much-needed perspective to the existing literature on the topic.
Call Number: OWU Beeghly Stacks BQ4022 .O57 2005ISBN: 0813535611Publication Date: 2005-01-06
Essential Buddhism by
An engaging, clear-sighted book that covers all aspects of this rich, peaceful, and insightful tradition. * A brief survey of the impact of Buddhism around the world today * Numerous stories and examples illuminate Buddhism's history and practice * A glossary * A bibliography for those interested in learning more
Call Number: OWU Beeghly Stacks BQ4022 .M67 2010ISBN: 9780313384523Publication Date: 2010-09-07
Christianity
Reading and Understanding the Bible by
This comprehensive introduction guides students through how to read and understand the Bible in the context of the ancient world that produced it. The text explains how ancient societies worked, how documents were created, who preserved them and why, the patriarchal nature of all ancientcultures, and, most importantly, how these cultural characteristics ought to affect our reading of the Bible.
Call Number: OWU Beeghly Stacks BS476 .W588 2015ISBN: 9780199340576Publication Date: 2014-11-07
Christian Beginnings by
The creation of the Christian Church is one of the most important stories in the development of the world's history, but also one of the most enigmatic and little understood, shrouded in mystery and misunderstanding. Through a forensic, brilliant reexamination of all the key surviving texts of early Christianity, Geza Vermes illuminates the origins of a faith and traces the evolution of the figure of Jesus from the man he was--a prophet recognizable as the successor to other Jewish holy men of the Old Testament--to what he came to represent: a mysterious, otherworldly being at the heart of a major new religion. As Jesus's teachings spread across the eastern Mediterranean, hammered into place by Paul, John, and their successors, they were transformed in the space of three centuries into a centralized, state-backed creed worlds away from its humble origins. Christian Beginnings tells the captivating story of how a man came to be hailed as the Son consubstantial with God, and of how a revolutionary, anticonformist Jewish subsect became the official state religion of the Roman Empire.
Call Number: OWU Beeghly Stacks BR165 .V47 2013ISBN: 9780300191608Publication Date: 2013-03-26
The Christian World by
In this cogent volume, renowned Christian historian Martin Marty delivers a brief yet sweeping account of Christianity and how it spread from a few believers two thousand years ago to become the world’s largest religion. Comprising nearly one third of the world’s population–more than two billion followers–Christianity is distinctive among major faiths in that it derives both its character and its authority from the divinity of its central figure, Jesus Christ. Examining this facet of Christianity from historical and sociological viewpoints, Marty lays bare the roots of this faith, in turn chronicling its success throughout the world. Writing with great style, and providing impeccable interpretations of historical, canonical, and liturgical documents, Marty gives readers of all faiths and levels of familiarity with Christian practices and history a highly useful and supremely accessible primer. He depicts the life of Christ and his teachings and explains how the apostles set out to spread the Gospel. With a special emphasis on global Christianity, he shows how the religion emerged from its ancestral homelands in Africa, the Levant, and Asia Minor, was imported to Europe, and then spread from there to the rest of the world, most often via trade and conquest. While giving a broad overview, Marty also focuses on specific issues, such as how Christianity struggles with the polar tensions inherent to many of the faith’s denominations, and how it attempts to reconcile some of its stances on armed conflict, justice, and dominion with the teachings of Christ. The Christian Worldis a chronicle of one of the great belief systems and its many followers. It’s a magnificent story of emperors and kings, war and geography, theology and politics, saints and sinners, and the earthly battle to save souls. Above all, it’s a remarkable testament to the teachings of Christ and how his message spreads around the globe to touch human experience everywhere.
Call Number: OWU Beeghly Stacks BR145.3 .M375 2007ISBN: 9780679643494Publication Date: 2008-01-08
Eastern Religions
The Singing Guru by
Part fiction, history, and mythology, this unconventional retelling of the life of divine spiritual master Guru Nanak, founder of the Sikh religion and revered by Muslims and Hindus alike, provides an intimate look at the enlightened Guru while bringing his ancient wisdom to a modern audience. From the best-selling author of Ganesha Goes to Lunch and Rumi's Tales from the Silk Road comes an original novel about the life and travels of Guru Nanak, a musician, enlightened thinker, and one of the most beloved figures in Eastern spirituality. In this fascinating book, Kamla K. Kapur weaves together facts, legends, folktales, myths, and over forty of Guru Nanak's poems--preserved in the Sikh holy book, the Granth Sahib--to form this captivating depiction of the leader's life. From being seduced by deadly women to almost getting eaten by cannibals, the exciting account presented in The Singing Guruincludes moral tales without being proselytizing. Factual details are intermingled with fantasy to produce a symbolic portrait in which humor and imagination combine to convey a profound and entertaining spiritual narrative.
Call Number: OWU Beeghly Stacks BL2017.85.N36 K36 2015ISBN: 9781608875030Publication Date: 2015-04-21
The Taoist Experience by
Containing sixty translations from a large variety of texts, this is an accessible yet thorough introduction to the major concepts, doctrines, and practices of Taoism. It presents the philosophy, rituals, and health techniques of the ancients as well as the practices and ideas of Taoists today. Divided into four sections, it follows the Taoist Path: The Tao, Long Life, Eternal Vision, and Immortality. It shows how the world of the Tao is perceived from within the tradition, what fervent Taoists did, and how practitioners saw their path and goals. The Taoist Experience is unique in that it presents the whole of Taoist tradition in the very words of its active practitioners. It conveys not only a sense of the depth of the Taoist religious experience but also of the underlying unity of the various schools and strands.
Call Number: OWU Beeghly Stacks BL1910 .K64 1993ISBN: 0791415805Publication Date: 1993-10-05
Confucianisms for a Changing World Cultural Order by
In a single generation, the rise of Asia has precipitated a dramatic sea change in the world's economic and political orders. This reconfiguration is taking place amidst a host of deepening global predicaments, including climate change, migration, increasing inequalities of wealth and opportunity, that cannot be resolved by purely technical means or by seeking recourse in a liberalism that has of late proven to be less than effective. The present work critically explores how the pan-Asian phenomenon of Confucianism offers alternative values and depths of ethical commitment that cross national and cultural boundaries to provide a new response to these challenges. When searching for resources to respond to the world's problems, we tend to look to those that are most familiar: Single actors pursuing their own self-interests in competition or collaboration with other players. As is now widely appreciated, Confucian culture celebrates the relational values of deference and interdependence--that is, relationally constituted persons are understood as embedded in and nurtured by unique, transactional patterns of relations. This is a concept of person that contrasts starkly with the discrete, self-determining individual, an artifact of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Western European approaches to modernization that has become closely associated with liberal democracy. Examining the meaning and value of Confucianism in the twenty-first century, the contributors--leading scholars from universities around the world--wrestle with several key questions: What are Confucian values within the context of the disparate cultures of China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam? What is their current significance? What are the limits and historical failings of Confucianism and how are these to be critically addressed? How must Confucian culture be reformed if it is to become relevant as an international resource for positive change? Their answers vary, but all agree that only a vital and critical Confucianism will have relevance for an emerging world cultural order.
Call Number: OWU Beeghly Stacks BL1853 .C75 2018ISBN: 9780824872588Publication Date: 2017-11-30
Hinduism
Contepmorary Hinduism by
Most overviews of Hindu belief and practice follow a history from the ancient Vedas to today. Such approaches privilege Brahmanical traditions and create a sense of Hinduism as a homogenous system and culture, and one which is largely unchanging and based solely on sacred texts. In reality, modern Hindu faith and culture present an extraordinary range of dynamic beliefs and practices. "Contemporary Hinduism" aims to capture the full breadth of the Hindu worldview as practised today, both in the sub-continent and the diaspora. Global and regional faith, ritualised and everyday practice, Brahmanical and non-Brahmanical belief, and ascetic and devotional traditions are all discussed. Throughout, the discussion is illustrated with detailed case material and images, whilst key terms are highlighted and explained in a glossary. "Contemporary Hinduism" presents students with a lively and engaging survey of Hinduism, offering an introduction to the oldest and one of the most complex of world religions.
Call Number: OWU Beeghly Stacks BL1202 .C668 2013ISBN: 9781844656905Publication Date: 2014-08-19
The Blackwell Companion to Hinduism by
An ideal resource for courses on Hinduism or world religions, this accessible volume spans the entire field of Hindu studies. It provides a forum for the best scholars in the world to make their views and research available to a wider audience. Comprehensively covers the textual traditions of Hinduism Features four coherent sections covering theoretical issues, textual traditions, science and philosophy, and Hindu society and politics Reflects the trend away from essentialist understandings of Hinduism towards tradition and regional-specific studies Includes material on Hindu folk religions and stresses the importance of region in analyzing Hinduism Ideal for use on university courses.
Call Number: OWU Beeghly Stacks BL1202 .B72 2003ISBN: 0631215352Publication Date: 2003-02-07
Essential Hinduism by
As a world religion, Hinduism remains one of the most elusive for many. Its teachings, beliefs, practices, and history are reviewed here by an expert hoping to introduce readers to the world of Hinduism. While there are many forms of Hinduism, and offshoots as well, the complex nature of this faith makes it elusive to many. This straightforward overview, focusing on Vaishnavism-the most common form of Hinduism--is ideal for those who wish to learn more about this ancient tradition.. Beginning with chapters about the foundations of Hinduism, Rosen clearly lays out what is otherwise a complicated history. Providing Hindu terms alongside English translations, he is able to bring the faith alive for readers unacquainted with its varieties and its tenets. Moving on to chapters about practices, including festivals, teachings, chanting, eating habits and more, Rosen brings Hinduism to life in vivid detail.
Call Number: OWU Beeghly Stacks BL1202 .R55 2006ISBN: 9780275990060Publication Date: 2006-10-30
Islam
The Oxford History of Islam by
Lavishly illustrated with over 300 pictures, including more than 200 in full color, The Oxford History of Islam offers the most wide-ranging and authoritative account available of the second largest--and fastest growing--religion in the world. John L. Esposito, Editor-in-Chief of the four-volume Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World, has gathered together sixteen leading scholars, both Muslim and non-Muslim, to examine the origins and historical development of Islam--its faith, community, institutions, sciences, and arts.Beginning in the pre-Islamic Arab world, the chapters range from the story of Muhammad and his Companions, to the development of Islamic religion and culture and the empires that grew from it, to the influence that Islam has on today's world. The book covers a wide array of subjects, casting lighton topics such as the historical encounter of Islam and Christianity, the role of Islam in the Mughal and Ottoman empires, the growth of Islam in Southeast Asia, China, and Africa, the political, economic, and religious challenges of European imperialism in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries,and Islamic communities in the modern Western world. In addition, the book offers excellent articles on Islamic religion, art and architecture, and sciences as well as bibliographies. Events in the contemporary world have led to an explosion of interest and scholarly work on Islam. Written for the general reader but also appealing to specialists, The Oxford History of Islam offers the best of that recent scholarship, presented in a readable style and complemented by a richvariety of illustrations.
Call Number: OWU Beeghly Stacks BP50 .O95 1999ISBN: 0195107993Publication Date: 2000-04-06
What Is Islam? by
What is Islam? How do we grasp a human and historical phenomenon characterized by such variety and contradiction? What is "Islamic" about Islamic philosophy or Islamic art? Should we speak of Islam or of islams? Should we distinguish the Islamic (the religious) from the Islamicate (the cultural)? Or should we abandon "Islamic" altogether as an analytical term? In What Is Islam?, Shahab Ahmed presents a bold new conceptualization of Islam that challenges dominant understandings grounded in the categories of "religion" and "culture" or those that privilege law and scripture. He argues that these modes of thinking obstruct us from understanding Islam, distorting it, diminishing it, and rendering it incoherent. What Is Islam? formulates a new conceptual language for analyzing Islam. It presents a new paradigm of how Muslims have historically understood divine revelation--one that enables us to understand how and why Muslims through history have embraced values such as exploration, ambiguity, aestheticization, polyvalence, and relativism, as well as practices such as figural art, music, and even wine drinking as Islamic. It also puts forward a new understanding of the historical constitution of Islamic law and its relationship to philosophical ethics and political theory. A book that is certain to provoke debate and significantly alter our understanding of Islam, What Is Islam? reveals how Muslims have historically conceived of and lived with Islam as norms and truths that are at once contradictory yet coherent.
Call Number: OWU Beeghly Stacks BP161.3 .A375 2016ISBN: 9780691164182Publication Date: 2015-11-17
The Blackwell Companion to the Qur'an by
The Blackwell Companion to the Qur'an is a reader's guide, a true companion for anyone who wishes to read and understand the Qur'an as a text and as a vital piece of Muslim life. Comprises over 30 original essays by leading scholars Provides exceptionally broad coverage - considering the structure, content and rhetoric of the Qur'an; how Muslims have interpreted the text and how they interact with it; and the Qur'an's place in Islam Features notes, an extensive bibliography, indexes of names, Qur'an citations, topics, and technical terms
Call Number: OWU Beeghly Stacks BP130.4 .B57 2006ISBN: 9781405117524Publication Date: 2006-07-12
Judaism
Early Judaism and Modern Culture by
Gerbern Oegema has long been drawn to the noncanonical literature of early Judaism -- literature written between 300 b.c.e. and 200 c.e. These works, many of which have been lost, forgotten, and rediscovered, are now being studied with ever-increasing enthusiasm by scholars and students alike. Although much recent attention has been given to the literary and historical merits of the Apocrypha, Pseudepigrapha, and other deutero- and extracanonical writings, Early Judaism and Modern Culture shows that it is also important to study these literary works from a theological perspective. To that end, Oegema considers the reception of early Jewish writings throughout history and identifies their theological contributions to many issues of perennial importance: ethics, politics, gender relations, interreligious dialogue, and more. Oegema demonstrates decisively that these books -- more than merely objects of academic curiosity -- have real theological and cultural relevance for churches, synagogues, and society at large today.
Call Number: OWU Beeghly Stacks BM176 .O38 2011ISBN: 9780802864444Publication Date: 2011-03-09
The Study of Judaism by
Considers Jewish studies as an academic discipline from its origins to the present.
Call Number: OWU Beeghly Stacks BM45 .H84 2013ISBN: 9781438448619Publication Date: 2013-10-01
The Future of Jewish Theology by
This engaging argument for the future of Jewish theology, written by a renowned Jewish scholar, provides a rounded introduction to the faith, its history, and its place in the modern world. Explores foundational Jewish structures and concepts through the discussion and interpretation of Jewish texts Argues that we must acknowledge holiness as a ritual and ethical reality in order to heal the rift between different forms of Jewish practice and theology Covers historical context as well as the relations between Judaism, Israel and the wider world today Speaks to both Jews and non-Jews and demonstrates through textual readings how Jews, Christians, and Muslims can understand and share their theological riches
Call Number: OWU Beeghly Stacks BM602 .K47 2013ISBN: 9780470659618Publication Date: 2013-01-22
New Religious Movements
The Cambridge Companion to New Religious Movements by
New religions emerge as distinct entities in the religious landscape when innovations are introduced by a charismatic leader or a schismatic group leaves its parent organization. New religious movements (NRMs) often present novel doctrines and advocate unfamiliar modes of behavior, and have therefore often been perceived as controversial. NRMs have, however, in recent years come to be treated in the same way as established religions, that is, as complex cultural phenomena involving myths, rituals and canonical texts. This Companion discusses key features of NRMs from a systematic, comparative perspective, summarizing results of forty years of research. The volume addresses NRMs that have caught media attention, including movements such as Scientology, New Age, the Neopagans, the Sai Baba movement and Jihadist movements active in a post-9/11 context. An essential resource for students of religious studies, the history of religion, sociology, anthropology and the psychology of religion.
Call Number: OWU Beeghly Stacks BP603 .C35 2012ISBN: 9780521196505Publication Date: 2012-08-30
The Oxford Handbook of New Religious Movements by
The study of New Religious Movements (NRMs) is one of the fastest-growing areas of religious studies. This Handbook covers the current state of the field and breaks new ground. Its contributors are drawn equally from sociology and religious studies and include both established scholars and"rising stars" in the field. The core chapters deal with such central issues as conversion, the brainwashing debate, millennialism, and modernization. Another section deals with NRM subfields such as neopaganism, satanism, and UFO religions. The final section considers NRMs in globalperspective.
Call Number: OWU Beeghly Stacks BP603 .H36 2004ISBN: 0195149866Publication Date: 2003-12-11
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