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.
Search the library catalog for biographies. Try searching by:
- Personal names as subjects or keywords
- Classes of people as subjects or keywords
- Other keyword searches
- Brill's Encyclopedia of Global Pentecostalism byCall Number: EbookISBN: 9789004297449Publication Date: 2021-09-22
- Multicultural Ministry Handbook byCall Number: EbookISBN: 9780830838448Publication Date: 2010-07-292011 Outreach Magazine Book Award winner!The world is becoming increasingly diverse. More and more of our neighbors are from a variety of cultures, ethnicities and cultural backgrounds. But most churches are still culturally homogenous and do not represent every tribe and tongue. What can we do to minister more effectively to our multicultural society?David Anderson and Margarita Cabellon bring together an experienced team of practitioners to share best practices for multicultural ministry. First they lay out the biblical rationale for multicultural community as God's vision for his people. Then key leaders share personal journeys and practical ideas for multicultural leadership development, worship, children's ministry, outreach and much more. Drawing on the pioneering expertise of Bridgeway Community Church and BridgeLeader Network, the contributors present a holistic and multifaceted portrait of what a dynamic, grace-filled and diverse ministry can look like.Our tribalized world is crying out for healing. Discover how you can minister to others as agents of God's reconciliation and hope.
- The Study of Ministry byCall Number: EbookISBN: 9780281081363Publication Date: 2019-02-28The Study of Ministry is a comprehensive guide to the theory and practice of ministry that attends to historical sources, the social sciences, pastoral theology, ecclesiology and cultural studies. The book argues for the study of ministry to be taken seriously as an aspect of ecclesiology and pastoral theology, providing a stimulating resource both for practising ministers and for all those training for ministry in a range of denominations.
- Models and Methods for Youth and Young Adult Ministry byCall Number: EbookISBN: 9781532630217Publication Date: 2018-05-25Models and Methods for Youth and Young Adult Ministry is a rare book on young adult and youth ministry in that it weaves sound theology and solid pastoral practice. It invites pastoral practitioners, scholars in the field, and university-ministry students to envision various models and methods for doing youth and young adult ministry in a collaborative and ecumenical way. Through rich, concrete examples and strategies, the reader will grasp the significance of each model and the various methods to integrate and implement these robust approaches. The result is this book will empower readers toward a more meaningful understanding of youth and young adult ministry, which will in turn engage the young church of Christ.
- The Oxford Handbook of Ecclesiology byCall Number: EbookISBN: 9780199645831Publication Date: 2018-08-28The Oxford Handbook of Ecclesiology is a unique scholarly resource for the study of the Christian Church as we find it in the Bible, in history and today. As the scholarly study of how we understand the Christian Church's identity and mission, ecclesiology is at the centre of today'stheological research, reflection, and debate. Ecclesiology is the theological driver of the ecumenical movement. The main focus of the intense ecumenical engagement and dialogue of the past half-century has been ecclesiological and this is the area where the most intractable differences remain to betackled Ecclesiology investigates the Church's manifold self-understanding in relation to a number of areas: the origins, structures, authority, doctrine, ministry, sacraments, unity, diversity, and mission of the Church, including its relation to the state and to society and culture. The sources ofecclesiological reflection are the Bible (interpreted in the light of scholarly research), Church history and the wealth of the Christian theological tradition, together with the information and insights that emerge from other relevant academic disciplines. This Handbook considers the biblicalresources, historical development, and contemporary initiatives in ecclesiology. It offers invaluable and comprehensive guide to understanding the Church.
- Fieldwork in Theology byCall Number: EbookISBN: 9780801049309Publication Date: 2015-08-18In this addition to the acclaimed The Church and Postmodern Culture series, leading practical theologian Christian Scharen examines the relationship between theology and its social context. He engages with social theorist Pierre Bourdieu to offer helpful theoretical and theological grounding to those who want to reflect critically on the faith and practice of the church, particularly for those undertaking ministry internships or fieldwork assignments. As Scharen helps a wide array of readers to understand the social context of doing theology, he articulates a vision for the church's involvement with what God is doing in the world and provides concrete examples of churches living out God's mission.
- Practical Theology and Qualitative Research byCall Number: BV3 .S82 2011ISBN: 9780334029809Publication Date: 2006-01-01Practical Theology used to be a subject where students were left to fend for themselves, using what they had learnt from their scholarly studies in history, biblical and systematic theology and applying it where they could. Things have moved on however and practical theology is a growing discipline in its own right, and the latest thinking in practical theology; of how to use theological learning in practical situations, is fully explored in this textbook. This text examines methodologies of the social sciences and questions how they can enable the task of theological reflection. They begin by tracing the development of practical theology as a discipline and comment on current methodological practices, and trace the movement from practical theology as applied theology, ie a discipline which simply takes data from the other theological disciplines (historical, systematic and biblical theology) towards a model which understands the practical theological task in terms of the theology of practice. The authors examine the relationship between qualitative and quantitative methods and highlight the significance of both for the task of practical theology. They also take the reader through the actual process of developing and carrying out a research project using the author's own research as case study examples. Case studies include: the rise in spirituality; the decline in church attendance, evidence-based medicine compared to needs-led assessments, the growth in chaplaincy and how it is understood as separate from parish ministry.
Statistics & Demographics
Statistics related to religion:
- opens new windowAdherents.com
- opens new windowAmerican Religion Data Archive (ARDA)
- opens new windowAmerican Religious Identification Survey
- opens new windowBarna Research Online
- Center for Applied Research in theApostolate
- opens new windowFaith Communities Today
- Hartford Institute for Religion Research
- opens new windowOperation World
- Pluralism Project (Harvard University)
- Religious Congregations and Membership Study 2010 (Glenmary Home Missioners)
- Religious Landscape Study (Pew Research Center)
- U.S. Congregational Life Survey (USCLS)
Other sources of statistical information
- opens new windowAmerican FactFinder
- opens new windowBritannica® OnlineAcademic Edition
- opens new windowCredo Reference
- opens new windowFedStats
- opens new windowFunk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia
- opens new windowGallup
- opens new windowMental Measurements Yearbook with Tests in Print
- opens new windowStatistical Abstract of the United States
- US Census Bureau's International Programs
Global Statistics
- World Christian Encyclopedia (ONLINE) byISBN: 9781474403238Publication Date: 2019-11-30This in the online version of the 3rd edition of the World Christian Encyclopedia, which documents the changing status of World Christianity over the past 120 years from historical and social scientific perspectives. It records the continued shift of Christianity to the Global South and contains estimates for religious and nonreligious affiliation in every country of the world, including detail on Christianity to the denominational level. This reference work features comprehensive descriptions of all Christian traditions, including current information on the uniqueness of Christian experiences around the world.
- World Christian Encyclopedia byCall Number: BR95 .W67 2020ISBN: 9781474403238Publication Date: 2019-11-30The World Christian Encyclopedia, now in its 3rd edition, documents the changing status of World Christianity over the past 120 years from historical and social scientific perspectives. It records the continued shift of Christianity to the Global South and contains estimates for religious and nonreligious affiliation in every country of the world, including detail on Christianity to the denominational level. This reference work features comprehensive descriptions of all Christian traditions, including current information on the uniqueness of Christian experiences around the world.
- The Pentecostal World byCall Number: EbookISBN: 9780367621803Publication Date: 2023-05-12The Pentecostal World provides a comprehensive and critical introduction to one of the most vibrant and diverse expressions of contemporary Christianity. Unlike many books on Pentecostalism, this collection of essays from all continents does not attempt to synthesize and simplify the movement's inherent diversity and fragmented dispersion. Instead, the global flows of Pentecostalism are firmly grounded in local histories and expressions, as well as the various modes of their worldwide reproduction. The book thus argues for a new understanding of Pentecostal and Charismatic movements that accounts for the simultaneous processes of pluralization and homogenization in contemporary World Christianity. Written by a distinguished team of international contributors across various disciplines, the volume is comprised of six parts, with each offering a critical perspective on classical themes in the study of Pentecostalism. Led by a programmatic introduction, the thirty-six chapters within these parts explore a variety of themes: history and historiography, conversion, spirit beliefs and exorcism, prosperity, politics, gender relations, sexual identities, racism, development, migration, pilgrimage, interreligious relations, media, ecumenism, and academic research. The Pentecostal World is essential reading for students and researchers in anthropology, history, political science, religious studies, sociology, and theology. The book will also be very useful for those in related fields, such as culture studies, black studies, ethnic studies, and gender studies.
- Center for Global Christianity - Gina Zerlo & Todd JohnsonThe Center for the Study of Global Christianity is an academic research center that monitors worldwide demographic trends in Christianity, including outreach and mission. We provide a comprehensive collection of information on the past, present, and future of Christianity in every country of the world. Our data and publications help churches, mission agencies, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to be more strategic, thoughtful, and sensitive to local contexts.
Annual data on Global Christianity is available online and through the World Christian Encyclopedia. - Atlas of Pentecostalism (opens new window)Atlas of Pentecostalism is a dynamic online database, which visually maps the stupendous growth of global Pentecostalism as a diverse and networked religion. The database uses global crowdsourcing, big data, cinematography, interviews and academic collaborations to provide an independent perspective on Pentecostalism as it evolves. The database expands with time and can also be ordered as an eBook or print-on-demand book, which freezes the dynamic data at that moment.
- eHRAF World Cultures This link opens in a new windoweHRAF World Cultures contains ethnographic collections covering all aspects of cultural and social life. eHRAF is unique in having subject indexing at the paragraph level. This allows detailed and precise searching for concepts not easily found with keywords.