Reading background information helps fill in knowledge gaps. Virtually everyone, even experts, can benefit from reading authoritative summaries of the historic background, current developments, major players, and primary issues of a chosen topic. These summaries often include basic bibliographies that help to jump start research projects.

Major sources of authoritative summaries are subject dictionaries and encyclopedias. Other background information may be obtained from biographical and statistical sources and other reference works such as handbooks and directories.

Search the library opens new windowcatalog for subject dictionaries and encyclopedias. Here are some sample searches to try:

• opens new window(Bible OR biblical) AND (dictionar* or encycloped*)
• opens new windowtheolog* AND (dictionar* OR encycloped*)
• opens new window(counsel*OR psycholog* OR care OR ministry OR "church work with") AND (dictionar* OR encycloped*)
• opens new window(Pentecostal* OR charisma* OR renewal) AND (dictionar* OR encycloped*)
• opens new window(church) and (histor* OR fathers OR patrist*) and (encycloped* OR dictionar*)

Search one or more databases for biographical information about a particular person. See especially:

Or, try one of these selected biographical theological dictionaries:

Search the library opens new windowcatalog for biographies. Try searching by:

• Personal names as subjects or keywords
  • opens new windowLewis, C. S.
  • opens new windowKuhlman, Kathryn
• Classes of people as subjects or keywords
  • opens new windowBible scholars -- Biography
  • opens new windowClergy -- Biography
  • opens new windowEvangelists -- Biography
  • opens new windowMissionaries -- Biography
  • opens new windowTheologians -- Biography
• Other keyword searches
  • opens new windowReligio* biography
  • opens new windowSpiritual biography
  • opens new windowChristian* biography
  • opens new windowEvangelical* biography
  • opens new windowPentecostal* biography

To identify the more scholarly Bible commentaries, use the Bible commentaries series opens new windowchart in the opens new windowBible Commentaries Plus guide. The chart categorizes the commentaries as devotional, pastoral, or academic, with the academic category generally being the most scholarly and therefore the most desirable for use in college papers.

See also David Bauer's opens new windowEssential Bible Study Tools for Ministry, especially the "Highly Recommended" sections of his selected lists of commentaries for each book of the Bible. The book is kept at the Library Services Desk on the "Quick Reference" shelf.

Religious statistics databases

Statistics related to religion:

Other sources of statistical information