Hewes Library: Philosophy & Religious Studies: Background Information

Reference Sources for Background Information

Philosophy Reference Sources

In addition to using the GENERAL reference resources (see tab above), these resources are specific to PHILOSOPHY.
Search for background information, definitions and context

Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy
"Covers 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."
Oxford Companion to Philosophy
"Covers all areas of philosophy from antiquity to the present day, including current topics, such as animal consciousness, cloning, corporate responsibility, the family, globalization, and terrorism."
Oxford Reference (Search multiple philosophy reference titles)
Digital reference sources on the topic of philosophy via Oxford University Press. Search all of the philosophy resources at once (see "Refine Terms" on the left side).
CREDO Reference (Search multiple philosophy reference titles)
Digital reference sources. Browse titles for topical inspiration. Select a title to search inside, OR conduct a search for keywords across the entire CREDO platform (800+ resources).

BROWSE these call number areas of the Reference Collection (main level) to locate even more resources:

Philosophy, Psychology, Religion = browse Reference call numbers B - BZ

B = Philosophy
BJ = Ethics
BL = Mythology
BM = Judaism
BP = Islam
BQ = Buddhism
BR = Christianity
BS = The Bible

Classical History = browse Reference call numbers DE, DF, DG

The Oxford classical dictionary (Reference DE5 .O9 2012)
The Oxford encyclopedia of ancient Greece and Rome (Reference DE5 .O95 2010)
The Classical tradition (Reference DE60 .C55 2010)

Learn more about Library of Congress Classification system detail in Philosophy and Religious Studies

Religious Studies Reference Sources

In addition to using the GENERAL reference resources (see tab above), these resources are specific to RELIGION.
Search for background information, definitions and context

Oxford Reference (Religion)
Digital reference books on the topic of religion via Oxford University Press. Search all of the religious resources at once (see "Refine Terms" on the left side).
CREDO Reference (Religion)
Digital reference sources. Browse titles for topical inspiration. Select a title to search inside, OR conduct a search for keywords across the entire CREDO platform (800+ resources).

BROWSE these call number areas of the Reference Collection (main level) to locate even more resources:

Philosophy, Psychology, Religion = browse Reference call numbers B - BZ

B = Philosophy
BJ = Ethics
BL = Mythology
BM = Judaism
BP = Islam
BQ = Buddhism
BR = Christianity
BS = The Bible

Learn more about Library of Congress Classification system detail in Philosophy and Religious Studies

General Reference Sources

Search for background information, definitions and context

Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
Online collection of over 800 reference titles, providing useful definitions, background information, quotations, images, and biographical information.
Encyclopaedia Britannica Online This link opens in a new window
The online version of Britannica's encyclopedia, plus thousands of unique online articles, Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (10th ed.), the Britannica Book of the Year, and more. Updated daily.
Gale Ebooks This link opens in a new window
Collection of reference ebooks from Gale covering general reference, biographical sources, and all major disciplines.
Oxford Reference Online This link opens in a new window
In-depth, specialized titles from Oxford University Press’s award-winning Encyclopedias and Companions series, and a selection of partner publishers’ scholarly works.
Sage E-Reference This link opens in a new window
Reference titles covering a wide variety of subjects, including the humanities and social sciences.

Background Information

Reference materials are helpful starting places :