Why Read Background Information?
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.
Biographical Information
Search one or more databases for biographical information about a particular person.
Or, try one of these selected biographical ebooks:
Biographical Dictionary of Christian Theologians by Call Number: EbookISBN: 9780313296499Publication Date: 2000
Twentieth-Century Theologians by Call Number: EbookISBN: 9781845119560Publication Date: 2010
- Catalog This link opens in a new window
Search the library catalog for biographies. Try searching by:
Personal names as subjects or keywords
- Lewis, C. S.subject search for Lewis, C. S. (Clive Staples), 1898-1963.
- Kuhlman, Kathrynkeyword search for d:(kuhlman kathryn)
Classes of people as subjects or keywords
- Bible scholars -- Biographyadvanced keyword search for (bible or testament) and scholars and biograph*
- Clergy -- Biographyadvanced keyword search for clergy and biograph*
- Evangelists -- Biographyadvanced keyword
- Missionaries -- Biographyadvanced keyword search for missionar* and biograph*
- Theologians -- Biography
Other keyword searches
- Religio* biographykeyword search for (relig* or christianity or theolog* or pentecost*) and (biograph*) and not (juven* or curric*)
- Spiritual biography
- Christian biographykeyword search
- Evangelical* biographykeyword search for (evangelical*) and (biograph*)
- Pentecostal* biographyadvanced keyword search for pentecostal* and biograph*
Statistics & Demographics
Major statistical & demographic databases
- eHRAF World Cultures This link opens in a new window
Statistics related to religion:
Other sources of statistical information
- Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
- Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia This link opens in a new window
- Statistical Abstract of the United States This link opens in a new window
- US Census Bureau: International Programs(U.S. Census Bureau) - Provides estimates and projections for 228 countries and areas which have populations of 5,000 or more and as recognized by the U.S. Department of State.
Dictionaries & Encyclopedias
- Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
- Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
- Catalog This link opens in a new window
Search the library catalog for subject dictionaries and encyclopedias. Here are some sample searches to try:
- (Bible OR biblical) AND (dictionar* or encycloped*)
- theolog* AND (dictionar* OR encycloped*)
- (counsel* OR psycholog* OR care OR ministry OR "church work with") AND (dictionar* OR encycloped* )
- (Pentecostal* OR charisma* OR renewal) AND (dictionar* OR encycloped*)
- (church) and (histor* OR fathers OR patrist*) and (encycloped* OR dictionar*)
Bible Commentaries
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.
Handbooks & Directories
To find a denominational or church-related directory or handbook, do a search for:
- ((denomination* OR church*) OR ("Christian sects")) AND (handbook * OR director*)
Maps & Atlases
Oxford Bible Atlas by Call Number: EbookISBN: 9780191001581Publication Date: 2007
