Religion and World Religions Books Select Annotated Bibliography

This Bibliography’s purpose is to provide the college student with a list of solid religious studies’ books in the areas of: world religions, religion in America, philosophy of religion and contemporary religious thought, psychology and sociology of religion. It is limited in scope and, to a lesser extent, in depth. However, many of the books cited contain further, and sometimes substantial, additional bibliographies. None of the entries require any foreign language(s) competencies. Finally, it also includes brief appendices: on worldviews and apologetics, on religious periodical resources, and on some articles defining religion, and defining worldviews.

Rick Allbee, HCC, 2005

World Religions

General Sources

A Very Short Introduction to … (series). Oxford University Press, 1990’s-2000’s. Series is somewhat mixed in quality, but generally very high. Introduces the subject presupposing no background. Also, contains useful “further reading” chapter bibliographies. Particularly noteworthy volumes will be listed in their relevant sections below.

A Short Introduction to…(series). OneWorld Publications, 1990’s-2000’s. Series is somewhat mixed in quality, but generally high. Introduces the subject presupposing no background. Most volumes also give brief bibliographies. Particularly noteworthy volumes will be listed in their relevant sections below.

Bowker, John. Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. Oxford, 1997. Standard religion dictionary with up-to-date bibliography appended to the entries.

Breuilly, Elizabet; et. al. Eds. Religions of the World: The Illustrated Guide to Origins, Beliefs, Traditions, and Festivals. Facts on File, 1997. Very basic information, but good illustrations and charts of the various temples and religious holidays respectively.

Diener, M.; Friedrichs, K.; Ehrhard, F.; and Fischer-Schreiber, I. Encyclopedia of Eastern Philosophy and Religion. Verlag, 1989; B & N, 1999. Excellent, albeit brief, topical one volume encyclopedia. Unfortunately, the only bibliographic contribution is a brief general one at the end.

Eliade, Mircea. Ed. The Encyclopedia of Religion. 16 vols in 8 books. N.Y.: Simon & Schuster Macmillan, 1986, 1995.

Melton, J. Gordon; and Martin Baumann. Eds. Encyclopedia of World Religions. 2002. Current.

Noss, John B. A History of the World's Religions. 11th Rev. Ed. N.Y.: MacMillian, 2003. Outstanding Text-book history of the major traditions.

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Smart, Ninian, ed. Atlas of the World’s Religions. Oxford, 1999.

Van Voorst, Robert E. Anthology of World Scripture. 4th ed. Wadsworth, 2003. Besides giving topically arranged primary source readings for the major religions, this work also lists and discusses their respective bodies of scriptural writings.

Preliterate Religions

Arlene B. Hirschberger & Paulette Fairbanks Molin. Eds. The Encyclopedia of Native American Religions. 1999. Limited.

Beckwith, Carol, Angela Fisher, Malidoma Patrice Some. African Ceremonies. Abrams: Harry N Inc, 2000. Photographic book depicting a wide range of African ceremonies.

Gill, Sam D. Dictionary of Native American Mythology. Oxford, 1994. Brief but good representative entries. Contains bibliography at the end as well.

Gill, Sam. Native American Religions: An Introduction. Rev ed. Wadsworth, 2004. Brief, but good examples of various Native American beliefs and practices.

Gill, Jerry H. Native American Worldviews: An Introduction. Prometheus Books, 2002.

Glazier, Stephen D. Encyclopedia of African and African-American Religions. Routledge, 2001. Limited.

Lyon, William S. Encyclopedia of Native American Healing. 1998. Over 1200 entries addressing Native American culture, customs, and rituals associated with health and healing. Extensive bibliography.

Lyon, William S. Encyclopedia of Native American Shamanism. 1998. A companion to above, this volume continues the study of shamanism. Extensive bibliography.

Mbiti, John S. African Religions and Philosophy. 2nd ed 1990. Very good overview.

Olupona, Jacob K, ed. African Spirituality: Forms, Meanings, and Expressions. Crossroad, 2001. Good set of articles which seek to provide a comprehensive analysis of African spirituality. Covers cosmologies and sacred knowledge, authority, agencies, and performance, Africans’ encounters with other religions, and African spirituality in the Americas.

Ray, Benjamin C. African Religions: Symbol, Ritual and Community. 2nd ed. Prentice Hall, 1999. Text-book presentation of African Religions.

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Vecsey, Christopher. Ed. Handbook of American Indian Religious Freedom. 1991. Good discussion of contemporary legal issues (sacred artifacts, land use, freedom of worship, etc) with respects to Native American Religions.

Western World Religion (Christianity, Islam, Judaism)

Christianity

Arnold, Clinton. Powers of Darkness: Principalities and Powers in Paul's Letters. 1992. Discusses the spiritual and magical backgrounds presupposed in Paul’s letters.

Aune, David. The N.T. in Its Literary Environment. 1987. Detailed discussion of the various genres of the New Testament in their historical settings.

Bailey, James and Lyle Vander Broek. Literary Forms in the New Testament: A Handbook. Philadelphia: Westminster, 1992. Brief taxonomy of N.T. literary forms. Also gives further reading bibliographies.

Bahnsen, Greg L.; Moo, Douglas J.; Kaiser, Walter C.; Strickland, Wayne G; and Willem A. VanGemeren. Five Views on Law and Gospel. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996. Moo’s and Strickland’s contributions are especially excellent.

Berman, Harold J. Faith and Order: The Reconciliation of law and Religion. Emory University Studies in Law and Religion. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1993. Outstanding survey of the relationship between Western law and the Judaeo/Christian heritage.

Black and Dockery. N.T. Criticism and Interpretation. 1991. Scholarly critical presentation and discussions of the “Criticisms” (Sociological criticism, Redaction Criticism, etc) approach to N.T. interpretation.

Blomberg, Craig. Jesus and the Gospels: An Introduction and Survey. 1997. Excellent introduction to Gospel backgrounds, critical study, and the life, ministry, and teaching of Jesus.

Bradley, James. Church History: An Introduction to Research, Reference Works, and Methods. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995.

Brown, Colin. New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology. 4 vols. Harper Collins Publishers, Incorporated, 1997. Indispensable resource for discussions of N.T. theological doctrines, topics, and themes.

Bruce, F.F. New Testament Development of Old Testament Themes. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1969. Good presentation especially on the relationship between the Testaments.

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Bruce, F.F. New Testament History. Doubleday, 1972. Good readable history of the New Testament period.

Bruce, F.F. Paul: Apostle of the Heart Set Free. 1977. An excellent exposition of all the primary themes in Paul's thought as they developed in the historical context of his life and travels.

Bruner, Frederick Dale. A Theology of the Holy Spirit (1970). A good discussion of the Holy

Spirit in the New Testament. Max Turner’s The Holy Spirit in the New Testament Church and Today (1997) includes the O.T in his thorough discussion. However, Anthony C. Thiselton’s remarks in his The First Epistle to the Corinthians (NIGTC, Eerdmans, 2000) should be read as a partial correction to Turner. Turner, also, and unlike Bruner, is open to a non-cessationist view of the special gifts of the Spirit.

Carson, D.A. New Testament Commentary Survey. 5th ed. 2001. Outstanding presentation and critical evaluation of the major and, to a lesser extent, minor plethora of N.T. commentaries.

Carson, Donald and John Woodbridge. Eds. Hermeneutics, Authority, and Cannon. 1986. A companion volume to the following, this is a crucial and excellent set of essays on the nature of the Bible. See also Radmacher below.

Carson, Donald and Woodbridge Scripture and Truth. 1983. Excellent set of essays on these crucial issues.

Cerfaux, Lucien. Christ in the Theology of St. Paul. Herder and Herder, 1953. Outstanding synthesis by a foremost Catholic scholar.

Clark, David K. Ed. Readings in Christian Ethics, Vol 2: Issues and Applications. Baker, 1996. Discusses contemporary ethical issues: abortion, reproductive technologies, euthanasia, marriage, race, gender, wealth and economics, the environment, war and peace, etc.

Clark, David K. To Know and Love God: Method for Theology. Foundations of Evangelical Theology Series. Crossway Books, 2003. Outstanding critical presentation and dialogue with the scope of theological issues for modern Theological method.

Clark, David K. and Robert Rakestraw. Eds. Readings in Christian Ethics, Vol. 1: Theory and Method. Baker, 1994. Discusses the nature of ethics, moral norms, moral development (virtue ethics), decision making, use of the Bible for ethics, etc.

Cottrell, Jack. His Truth: Scriptural Truths about Basic Doctrines. 1981 (Wipf & Stock reprint, 2001). Very brief, but still a good introduction to some basic Christian doctrines. See also his more recent and much more substantial work The Faith Once for All: Bible Doctrine for Today. College Press, 2002.

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Cullmann, Oscar. The Christology of the New Testament. Rev ed. Westminster, 1963. Good presentation by a first rate scholar.

Dieter, Melvin; J. Robertson McQuilkin; et. al. Five Views on Sanctification. Counterpoints Series. Zondervan, 1996. Useful discussion of the major views.

Douglas, James Dixon; and Earle E. Cairns. Eds. New International Dictionary of the Christian Church. Rev ed. Zondervan, 2001.

Dulles, Avery. Models of Revelation. 1985. Excellent critical survey of the various possibilities and major historical proposals for the nature of divine revelation.

Edersheim, Alfred. The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah. Rev ed. Hendrickson Publishers, 1997. An older but still magnificent reference to the historical and cultural setting of the Gospels. One notable feature of the book is an appendix listing over 400 Old Testament passages tagged by the ancient rabbis as messianic.

Erickson, Millard. Christian Theology. 2nd ed. Baker, 1998. Solid systematic theology.

Erickson, Millard, and Paul Helseth. Eds. Reclaiming the Center: Confronting Evangelical Accommodation in Postmodern Times. Crossway, 2004. Essential reading for those interested in the future of Evangelicalism.

Evans, Craig and Porter, S. Eds. Dictionary of New Testament Background. IVP, 2000. Topical discussions of N.T. backgrounds with up-to-date bibliographies.

Fahlbusch, Erwin; Vische; Pelikan; Bromiley; et. al. Eds. The Encyclopedia of Christianity. 5 vols. Eerdmans, 1999-2004.

Fee, Gordon. New Testament Exegesis: A Handbook for Students and Pastors. 3rd ed. 2002. A step by step presentation by a recognized N.T. scholar. Also includes a helpful resource bibliography covering backgrounds, etc.

Ferguson, Everett. Backgrounds of Early Christianity. 3rd ed. Eerdmans, 2003. Outstanding topical presentation of the religious, philosophical, political, and social-economic backgrounds of early Christianity. Also, each section gives a selective bibliography.

Furguson, Everett; et al. Eds. Encyclopedia of Early Christianity.2nd Rev ed. Taylor & Francis, Inc., 1998.

Ford, David. Ed. Modern Theologians. 2nd ed. CUP, 1997. Good survey.

Gorman, Michael J. Apostle of the Crucified Lord: A Theological Introduction to Paul & His Letters. Eerdmans, 2004. Excellent discussion of Paul’s letters, background, and theology.

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Grant, Robert. A Short History of the Interpretation of the Bible. 2nd rev ed. 1984. Too brief, but useful survey especially of the pre-modern periods.

Green, Joel B., Scot McKnight, and I. Howard Marshall. Eds. Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels. IVP, 1990, 2000. Topical synthetic discussions of Jesus and the Gospels with up-to-date bibliographies.

Green, Michael. I Believe in the Holy Spirit. 2nd rev ed. 1989. Basic, but relatively thorough overview of the Holy Spirit in the Bible.

Grenz, Stanley J., and Roger Olson. 20th Century Theology. 1993. Good critical discussion.

Guthrie, Donald. New Testament Introduction. 3rd ed. 1970. Solid introduction to N.T. critical issues (date, authorship, themes, etc.).

Jones, Cheslyn; Yarnold, Edward S.; Wainwright, Geoffrey; and Paul Bradshaw. Eds. The Study of Liturgy. Rev ed. Oxford, 1992. Excellent depiction of the historical development of the Christian liturgy.

Kaiser, Walter C. Toward an Old Testament Theology. Zondervan, 1991. Solid presentation of “Promise Theology”-- the Promise of the Messiah as the hermeneutical, literary, and theological theme of the Biblical corpus.

Kelly, J.N.D. Early Christian Doctrines. Rev ed. 1978. Outstanding discussion and synthesis of the doctrines developed in the first five centuries of Christianity.

Klein, William and Craig Blomberg. Introduction To Biblical Interpretation: Revised and Expanded. Thomas Nelson, 2004. Excellent. Covers the history of interpretation, philosophical hermeneutics, appropriate interpretive methods for the various Biblical literary genres, etc.

Krentz, Edgar. The Historical-Critical Method. 1975. Excellent presentation, history, and critical discussion and evaluation of the historical-critical method.

Latourette, Kenneth. A History of Christianity. Rev ed. 2 vols. Harper and Row, 1975. Standard and respected history.

Leland Ryken; James C. Wilhoit; and Tremper Longman III. Eds. Dictionary of Biblical Imagery: An Encyclopedia Exploration of the Images, Symbols, Motifs, Metaphors, Figures of Speech, Literary Patterns, etc Used in the Bible. InterVarsity Press, 1999.

Lippy, Charles H. and P.W. Williams. Encyclopedia of the American Religious Experience. 3 Vols N.Y.: Scribners, 1988. Excellent Survey.

Livingstone, E.A.; Cross, F.L.; and Elizabeth A. Livingstone. Eds. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 3rd ed. Oxford, 1997. Standard.

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Lonergan, Bernard. Method in Theology. 1976. As important for what it indicates is required to be an authentic follower of the Christian faith from an epistemological and moral point of view as it is for its discussion of method. Advanced.

Long, P.; Silva, M.; and Poythress, V. Eds. Foundations of Contemporary Interpretation. 6 vols in one. 1996. Noteworthy volumes include Philips on the genre of Biblical history, Poythress on Science and Theology, and Muller on the discipline of Christian Theology.

Longenecker, Richard. Ed. Into God’s Presence: Prayer in the N.T. Eerdmans, 2001. Good set of essays covering prayer in the N.T. books, as well as prayer in the Jewish and Hellenistic world.

Longman, Tremper III. Old Testament Commentary Survey. 3rd ed. Baker Academic, 2003. Good presentation and critical evaluation of the major and, to a lesser extent, minor plethora of O.T. commentaries.

Macaulay, Ranald and J. Barrs. Being Human: the Nature of Spiritual Experience. 1978.

Marthaler, Berard. Ed. New Catholic Encyclopedia. 15 vols. Gale Group, 2002.

Martin, Ralph P, and Peter Davids. Eds. Dictionary of Later New Testament and Its Development. IVP, 1999. Topical discussions with up-to-date bibliographies.

Martin, Ralph P, and Daniel G. Reid. Eds. Dictionary of Paul and His Letter. IVP, 1993. Topical synthetic discussions of Paul and his letters with up-to-date bibliographies.

McBrien, Richard P. The Harper Collins Encyclopedia of Catholicism. Harper Collins, 1995. Standard.

McGrath, Alister E. Historical Theology. Blackwell 1998. Good survey and introduction.

Mcgrath, Alister E. A Scientific Theology: Vol 1, Nature; Vol 2, Reality; Vol 3, Theory. Eerdmans, 2003. Advanced.

McGrath, Alister; and Duncan Forrester. Eds. Blackwell Encyclopedia of Modern Christian Thought. Oxford, 1995. Includes substantial review essays dealing with the central themes of Christian thought, major schools of thought, aesthetics, Biblical interpretation, economic thought, ethics, political theory, the physical sciences, music, philosophy, etc. Also surveys the development of Christian thought in other countries.

Meyers, Carol. Women in Scripture: A Dictionary of Named and Unnamed Women in the Hebrew Bible, the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books, and the New Testament. Eerdmans, 2001.

Moberg, David. The Church as a Social Institution. 2nd ed. 1984. Standard.

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Newbingin, Lesslie. Foolishness to The Greeks: The Gospel and Western Culture. 1986. Important critique of the modern mind set functioning to limit the Gospel.

Noll, Mark. A History of Christianity in the United States and Canada. Eerdmans, 1992. Standard.

Oehler, Gustav F. Theology of the Old Testament. 5th ed. Tr. by George Day. 1883. Older, but still an outstanding O.T. theology.

Osborne, Grant. The Hermeneutical Spiral. IVP, 1999. Excellent presentation of what is required, and how to do it, in order to accomplish good Biblical exegesis (historical, grammatical, etc), and also how to translate exegesis into theology.

Patrick, Dale. Old Testament Law. 1985. Excellent presentation.

Pelikan, Jarsolov. Jesus Through the Centuries. 1975. Cultural study of how different centuries viewed Jesus in accordance with their own emphasis.

Petry, Ray C. and Manschreck, Clyde L., eds. A History of Christianity: Documents of the Christian Church. 2 vols. N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1964.

Pinnock, Clark H. Ed. Grace Unlimited. Bethany House, 1975. Excellent set of essays. See also Clark H. Pinnock (ed) The Grace of God and the Will of Man. Bethany House, 1995. 

Powell, M.A. What is Narrative Criticism? 1990. Brief, but good presentation.

Queen, Edward L.; Martin Marty; et al. The Encyclopedia of American Religious History. Rev ed. Facts on File, 2001.

Radmacher, Earl and Preus. Eds. Hermeneutics, Inerrancy, and the Bible. 1984. Thorough set of essays on the nature of the Bible. See also Carson and Woodbridge above.

Ridderbos, Herman. Paul: An Outline of His Theology. 1975. Excellent. Advanced.

Rosner, Brian; T. Desmond Alexander; Carson Goldsworthy; eds. New Dictionary of Biblical Theology: Exploring the Unity & Diversity of Scripture. IVP, 2000. Discusses the discipline of Biblical theology, traces themes through the Bible, then discusses the theology of various sections of scripture (e.g. Prophets, Gospels, Paul, etc).

Ryken, Leland. How to Read the Bible as Literature: and Get More Out of It. 1984. Good presentation by a leader in the field. Does not try to reduce the Bible to mere literature.

Schmidt, Alvin. Under the Influence: How Christianity Transformed Civilization. Zondervan, 2001. Good general survey.

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Schultz, Samuel. The Old Testament Speaks. 5th ed. 2000. Excellent O.T. history.

Schnackenburg, Rudolph. The Moral Teaching of the New Testament. Herder & Herder, 1964. A classic by an outstanding Catholic scholar.

Scobie, Charles H. The Ways of Our God: An Approach to Biblical Theology. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2003. Excellent defense of Biblical theology, and an equally excellent articulation of it. Takes a thematic approach articulating various Biblical themes through a proclamation/promise/fulfillment/consummation framework.

Shults, F. Leron. The Post-Foundationalist Task of Theology: Pannenberg and the New Theological Rationality. Eerdmans, 2000. First half of the book is an excellent presentation and discussion of post-foundationalist hermeneutics, epistemology, and rationality. Advanced.

Skarsaune, Oskar. In the Shadow of the Temple: Jewish Influences on Early Christianity. Intervarsity Press, 2002. Begins by tracing the story of second temple Judaism from the crisis of the Jewish encounter with Hellenism in the second century B.C. through the diverse Judaisms of the first century A.D. Then it traces from the time of Jesus and the origins of the church up to the Constantinian revolution of the early fourth century A.D. Strong emphasis on the Jewish influence upon Christianity throughout these centuries.

Smith, Christian. The Emergence of Liberation Theology. Radical Religion and Social Movement Theory. University of Chicago Press, 1991. Good historical overview.

Stevenson, J. Ed. A New Eusebius: Primary Source Documents Illustrating the Early Church. Abingdon, 1988.

Stevenson, J. Ed. Creeds, Councils, and Controversies: Documents Illustrating the History of the Church, A.D. 337-461. Abingdon, 1990.

Stambaugh, John and David Balch. The New Testament in its Social Environment. 1995. Excellent presentation of the major social issues and institutions of the N.T. period.

Swartley, Willard. Slavery, Sabbath, War, and Women. 1982. A good critical discussion of these issues framed in the form of case studies in hermeneutics.

Thesilton, Anthony. New Horizons in Hermeneutics. 1993. Excellent and near exhaustive survey and critical discussion of critical and philosophical hermeneutics. Advanced.

Tristano, Richard. The Origins of the Restoration Movement. Glenmary Research Center, 1988. Perhaps the best on the topic.

VanGemeren, Wilem A. Ed. New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis. 5 Vols. 1997. Topical presentations of O.T. theological topics and themes.

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Van Gemeren, Willem A. Interpreting the Prophetic Word. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Academia Press, 1990. Excellent survey of the content and literary style of the Prophetic writings. Includes a substantial bibliography.

Vanhoozer, Kevin J. Is There a Meaning in This Text? Zondervan, 1998. Excellent critical study and response to postmodern hermeneutics.

Van Voorst, Robert. Readings in Christianity. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publ Co., 1996. Good topical anthology.

deVaux, Roland. Ancient Israel. 2 vols. 1965. Excellent presentation of the social and religious organization of ancient Israel.

Walton, John H. Ancient Israelite Literature in its Cultural Context: A Survey of Parallels Between Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Texts. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1989. Illuminating presentation and discussion of the similarities and differences between the Biblical writings and their ANE counterparts.

Walton, Robert C. Chronological and Background Charts of Church History. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1986. Useful set of charts.

Walton, Robert C. Chronological Charts of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Academia Press, 1978. Useful set of charts.

Ware, Timothy. The Orthodox Church. 2nd ed. Penguin, 1993. Good survey.

Westerholm, Stephen. Israel’s Law and the Church’s Faith. 1988. Excellent discussion of some major interpreters of Paul with respects to the issue of law Gospel. Westerholm’s own understanding of the issue, the second half of the book, is excellent.

Wilkins, Michael. Following the Master. 1992. Outstanding presentation of N.T. discipleship.

Woodbridge and McComsikey. Eds. Doing Theology in Today’s World. Zondervan, 1991. Contrasting the theological grids of different Christian traditions, this set of essays presents different approaches to the study of theology and reviews the present status of theological reflection in various Protestant, Orthodox, and Roman Catholic traditions.

Wright, N.T. The New Testament and the People of God. Christian Origins and the Question of God, Vol. 1. Augsburg Fortress, Publishers, 1994. Outstanding presentation of the N.T. context, first century Palestine, by weaving together the people of God’s world views, stories and traditions, symbols, events, hopes and meanings.

Zondervan. New American Standard Bible: Study Bible Edition. Zondervan, 1999. Reliable translation with useful supplementary notes, introductions, and other material.

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Islam

Arberry, Arthur J. Sufism: An Account of the Mystics of Islam. 2001. Good, albeit brief, introduction by a recognized authority. Focuses on the philosophy, and poetry of Sufism.

Choueiri, Youseef M. Islamic Fundamentalism. 2nd rev ed. 1997. Good discussion.

Davidson, Lawrence. Islamic Fundamentalism. Greenwood Publishing Group Inc, 1998. Good presentation and discussion.

Esposito, John L. Islam: The Straight Path. 3rd ed. Oxford, 1998. Outstanding overview.

Esposito, John L. Ed. The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World. 4 vols. Oxford University Press, 2001. Good articles; often includes historical perspective.

Esposito, John L. Ed. The Oxford History of Islam. Oxford University Press, 2000. Several good articles on Islamic art, philosophy, science, etc.

Ernst, Carl W. The Shambhala Guide to Sufism. 1997. Good general survey.

Fakhry, Majid. Islamic Philosophy, Theology and Mysticism: A Short Introduction. Oneworld, 2001. Good introduction by a recognized expert. Good bibliography.

Glasse, Cyril. Ed. New Encyclopedia of Islam: A Revised Edition of the Concise Encyclopedia of Islam. AltaMira Press, 2001. Good resource.

Hoque, Zohurul. Translation and Commentary on the Holy Qur-an. Holy Quran Publishing Project, 2000. Excellent literal translation with explanatory notes. Also, includes a substantial topical index.

Malise Ruthven. Islam: A Very Short Introduction. OUP, 2000. Good overview with good further reading bibliography.

Momen, Moojan. An Introduction to Shi’i Islam. Yale, 1987. Excellent introduction.

Rahman, Fazlur. Islam. University of Chicago, 1976. Good overview. Includes cultural aspects.

Sahih al-Bukhari: The Translation of the Meanings 9 Vol. Set. Tr. by Muhammed Ibn Ismaiel Al-Bukhari, and Muhammad M. Kahn. Darussalam, 1997. A Standard Hadith.

Schacht, Joseph. An Introduction to Islamic Law. Oxford, 1964, 1990. Classic introduction.

Watt, William Montgomery. Muhammad: Prophet and Statesman. 1974. Excellent discussion of Muhammad and his context.

Watt, William Montgomery. The Formative Years of Islamic Thought. 1998. Advanced.

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Judaism

Baker, David; T. Desmond Alexander; eds. Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch. IVP, 2002. Up to date articles.

Charlesworth, James H. Ed. The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. 2 vols. 1985. Excellent critical edition of these Intertestamental Writings.

Cohn-Sherbok, Dan. A Short Introduction to Judaism. Oneworld, 1999. Good overview of contemporary Judaism.

Heaton, E.W. A Short Introduction to the Old Testament Prophets. Oneworld, 2001. Good introductory overview with bibliography by an author well versed in the subject.

Longman, Tremper III. Old Testament Commentary Survey. 3rd ed. Baker Academic, 2003. Good presentation and critical evaluation of the major and, to a lesser extent, minor plethora of Hebrew Bible commentaries

Metzger, Bruce. Ed. The Oxford Annotated Apocrypha. Rev ed. 1977. Excellent edition.

Neusner, Jacob. Introduction to Rabbinic Literature. Double Day, 1999. Scholarly survey that focus in on the style and hermeneutics of the writings as well.

Neusner, Jacob. The Mishnah: A New Translation. Yale, 1991.

Patrick, Dale. Old Testament Law. 1985. Excellent presentation.

Rosner, Brian; T. Desmond Alexander; Carson Goldsworthy; eds. New Dictionary of Biblical Theology: Exploring the Unity & Diversity of Scripture. IVP, 2000. Discusses the discipline of Biblical theology, traces themes through the Bible, then discusses the theology of various sections of scripture (e.g. Prophets, Gospels, Paul, etc).

Roth, Cecil. and G. Wigoder. Eds. Encyclopedia Judaica. 18 vols. 1972. Standard.

Schultz, Samuel. The Old Testament Speaks. 5th ed. 2000. Excellent O.T. history.

Strack, Hermann, and G. Stemberger. Introduction to the Talmud and Midrash. Fortress, 1994. Excellent.

Van Gemeren, Willem. Interpreting the Prophetic Word. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Academia Press, 1990. Excellent survey of the content and literary style of the Prophetic writings. Includes a substantial bibliography as well.

deVaux, Roland. Ancient Israel. 2 vols. 1965. Excellent presentation of the social and religious organization of ancient Israel.

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Walton, John H. Ancient Israelite Literature in its Cultural Context: A Survey of Parallels Between Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Texts. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1989. Illuminating discussion of the similarities and differences between the Biblical writings and their ANE counterparts.

Werblowsky, R; and Geoffrey Wigoder. Eds. The Oxford Dictionary of the Jewish Religion. Oxford, 1997.

Eastern World Religions (Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, Hinduism)

Buddhism

Conze, Edward. Buddhist Scriptures. Penguin, 1976. Good anthology with introductions.

Getty, Allice. The Gods of Northern Buddhism: Their History and Iconography. 1988. Iconography of the various Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of Mahayana Buddhism.

Hamilton, Sue. Indian Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction. OUP, 2001. Excellent introduction explaining the various philosophies and showing the development of and interaction between them as well. Also gives good further reading bibliography.

Harvey, Peter. An Introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, History & Practices. Cambridge University Press, 1990. Excellent survey of the four major divisions of Buddhism (Theravada, Mahayana, Tibetan, and Zen). Also gives chapter and topic bibliographies.

Keown, Damien. Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction. OUP, 2000. Good introduction with good bibliography. Presented from a predominately Mahayana perspective.

Klostermaier, Klaus. Buddhism: A Short Introduction. Oneworld, 1999. Very good overview with good bibliography.

Koller, John M. Asian Philosophies. 3rd ed. 1997. Good overview.

Koller, John M., and Patricia Koller, eds. A Source Book of Asian Philosophy. 1991. Good anthology with introductions.

Rahula, Sri Walpola. What the Buddah Taught. 1972. Standard introduction to Theravada Buddhism.

Snelling, John. A Buddhist Handbook. B & N, 1999. Good presentation of some basic information.

Suzuki, D.T. Zen Buddhism and Japanese Culture. 1957. Discusses the Japanese context and culture (Samurais, Haiku poetry, etc.) associated with Zen.

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Confucianism and Daoism

Chan, Wing-Tsit, ed. A Source Book of Chinese Philosophy. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1963. Good anthology with introductions and notes.

Fung, Yu-Lan. Short History of Chinese Philosophy. 1997. Standard.

Koller, John M. Asian Philosophies. 3rd ed. 1997. Good overview.

Koller, John M., and Patricia Koller, eds. A Source Book of Asian Philosophy. New York: McMillian, 1991. Good anthology with introductions.

Legge, James. Tr. Texts of Taoism. 2 vols. Dover, 1981. Older standard translation.

Lau, D.C. Tr. The Analects of Confucius. Penguin, 1979. Standard translation with notes.

Lau, D. C. Tr. The Mencius. Penguin, 1970. Standard translation with notes.

Miller, James. Daoism: A Short Introduction. Oneworld Press, 2003. Excellent overview especially of religious Daoism.

Pas, Julian F.; and Jon Woronoff. Eds. Historical Dictionary of Taoism. Scarecrow Press, Inc., 1998. Presents a historical overview in addition to providing topical entries.

Wilhelm, Richard. The I Ching. 3rd ed. Translated into English by C. Baynes. Bollingen series xix. Princeton, 1967. Standard translation with good introduction and notes.

Xinzhong Yao. An Introduction to Confucianism. Cambridge University Press, 2000. Good overview with bibliography.

Yao, Xinzhong. The Encyclopedia of Confucianism. Taylor & Francis Inc, 2003.

Hinduism

Buck, William. Mahabharata. Translated and Retold by William Buck. University of California Press, 2000. Excellent one volume literary rendition that captures the spirit of the original. However, does not include the Bhagavad-Gita (see Zaehner below for it).

Bunce, Fredrick W. Encyclopaedia of Hindu Deities, Demi-Gods, Godlings, Demons and Heroes: With Special Focus on Iconographic Attributes. 3 vols. 2000. Excellent.

Hamilton, Sue. Indian Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction. OUP, 2001. Excellent introduction explaining the various philosophies and showing the development of and interaction between them as well. Also gives good further reading bibliography.

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Huyler, Stephen. Meeting God: Elements of Hindu Devotion. Yale, 1999. Basic but good overview.

Koller, John M. Asian Philosophies. 3rd ed. 1997. Good overview.

Koller, John M., and Patricia Koller, eds. A Source Book of Asian Philosophy. New York: McMillian, 1991. Good anthology with introductions.

Klostermaier, Klaus K. A Survey of Hinduism. 2nd ed. State University of New York Press, 1994. Excellent overview with substantial bibliography.

Radhakrishnan, Sarvepalli and Charles A. Moore. Eds. A Source Book of Indian Philosophy. Princeton University Press, 1957. Good anthology with introductions and notes.

Valmiki. Ramayana. Trans. and Retold by William Buck. University of California Press, 2000. Excellent literary rendition that captures the spirit of the original.

Williams, George M. Handbook of Hindu Mythology. Handbooks of World Mythology Series. ABC-CLIO, 2001. Very good reference of the major Hindu deities, etc.

Zaehner, R.C. The Bhagavad-Gita. Oxford, 1999. Dr. Zaehner has is this translation and commentary sought to explain one of Hindu’s best know books, the Gita, from the Gita itself, and from the appropriate contextual texts. It includes: a factual introduction that also summarizing the main ideas, an accurate translation, and a topical discussion.

Religion in America

Albanese, Catherine. America: Religions and Religion. 3rd ed. Belmont California: Wadsworth Publishing Co., 1998. Good and often insightful overview of the various religions in America and their cultural interaction.

Anglim, Christopher Thomas. Religion and Law: A Dictionary. 1999.

Frazier, Franklin. The Negro Church in America; and Lincoln, Eric. The Black Church Since Frazier. Combined ed. 1989. Frazier's classic study of the black church in America, and an essay by Lincoln arguing that the civil rights movement saw the splintering of the traditional black church and the creation of new roles for religion.

Gaustad, Edwin S and P. Barlow. New Historical Atlas of Religion in America. Oxford, 2000.

Haynes, Charles C. Religious Freedom in America. 1986. Good overview of the rise of religious freedom in America, and of some First Amendment issues.

Hunter, J. D. Culture Wars. 1991. The single best presentation and discussion of America’s religious culture wars. William D. Watkins’ The New Absolutes (1997) is also good on

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the issues he addresses. Finally, see William Bennett’s The Index of Leading Cultural Indicators: American Society at the End of the Twentieth Century (2nd expanded ed, 1999) for statistical analysis of some of the culture war’s issues.

James, Janet Wilson, ed. Women and Religion in America. University of Pennsylvania, 1980. Good historical set of essays.

Jewish Historical Society. American Jewish Desk Reference. 1999. Gives general overviews, prominent Jewish biographies, statistics, etc of Judaism in America.

Lincoln, C. Eric. The Black Muslims in America. 3rd ed. Eerdmans, 1994. A classic study that details the formation and development of the Black Muslim movement.

Lincoln, Eric, and L. Mamiya. The Black Church in the African American Experience. 1990. Provides a historical overview, and an analysis of the Black church and Black culture.

Lippy, Charles H. and P.W. Williams. Encyclopedia of the American Religious Experience. 3 Vols N.Y.: Scribners, 1988. Outstanding introductory resource.

Marty, Martin E. Modern American Religion. 4 vols. University of Chicago, 1986-2000. Detailed Twentieth Century history of religion in America by a foremost historian.

Melton, J. Gordon and Jolen Marya Gedridge. Eds. The Encyclopedia of American Religions. Gale Research, 1998.

Melton, J. Gordon; et al. New Age Encyclopedia. 2nd ed. Detroit: Gale Research, 2002. Standard.

Neusner, Jacob. Ed. World Religions in America: An Introduction. Westminster, 1999.

Newport, John P. The New Age Movement and the Biblical World View: Conflict and Dialogue. 1998. Thorough and substantial survey of the New Age movement.

Noll, Mark. A History of Christianity in the United States and Canada. Eerdmans, 1992. Standard.

Partridge, Christopher H.; et al. eds. Dictionary of Contemporary Religion in the Western World. InterVarsity Press, 1998.

Patrick, John J. and Gerald Long. Eds. Constitutional Debates on Freedom of Religion: A Documentary History. Greenwood Publishing, 1999.

Raboteau, Albert J. Slave Religion. Oxford, 1980. A classic in the field.

Tweed, Thomas A; ed. Asian Religions in America: A Documentary History. Oxford, 1998.

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Vecsey, Christopher. Ed. Handbook of American Indian Religious Freedom. 1991. Good discussion of contemporary legal issues (sacred artifacts, land use, freedom of worship, etc) respecting Native American Religions.

Witte, John. Religion and The American Constitutional Experiment: Essential Rights and Liberties. Westview Press, 2000. An excellent scholarly overview of the history and development of the experiment of the First Amendment from its codifying in 1789 to its recent Supreme Court’s interpretations.

Philosophy of Religion and Contemporary Religious Thought

Abdullahj Ahmed An-Na’im; J.D.Gort; H. Vroom; H. Jansen. Eds. Human Rights and Religious Values. Currents of Encounter Series, vol 8. Eerdmans, 1994.

Barbour, Ian. Myth, Models, and Paradigms. 1974. Excellent discussion of religion and sciences’ use of explanatory models, etc.

Berger, Peter L. The Sacred Canopy: Elements of A Sociological Theory of Religion. New York: Anchor Books, 1967, 1990. A seminal modern understanding of religion.

Cassirer, Ernst. An Essay on Man. Yale University Press, 1957. Includes a philosophical discussion of religion from one of the 20th century’s foremost philosophers of culture.

Clack, Brian. An Introduction to Wittgenstein’s Philosophy of Religion. Edinburg, 2000. Excellent presentation of a contemporary influential view of religion.

Dean, Thomas. Ed. Religious Pluralism and Truth: Essays on Cross-Cultural Philosophy of Religion. SUNY Studies in Religious Studies. N.Y. State University of New York Press, 1995. Good set of essays on this topic.

Davies, Brian. An Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion. Oxford, 1993. Good overview.

Davis, Caroline Franks. The Evidential Force of Religious Experience. Oxford, 1999.

Fenn, Richard K, ed. The Blackwell Companion to the Sociology of Religion. Oxford, 2003. Mixed quality of articles.

Jones, Richard H. Science and Mysticism: A Comparative Study of Western Natural Science, Theravada Buddhism, & Advaita Vedanta. Buchnell University, 1986. Excellent discussion delineating, amongst other things, the important differences between modern day understandings of physics and earlier Eastern religious ontologies that have been too hastily equated by some.

Jones, Cheslyn; Yarnold, Edward S.; and Wainwright, Geoffrey. Eds. The Study of Spirituality. Oxford, 1986. Excellent, but very brief set of articles, discussing religious spirituality.

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Mostly various historical Christian forms are discussed, but the other major world religions, including African and Native American religions, receive respective entries.

Karkkainen, Veli-Matti. An Introduction to the Theology of Religions: Biblical, Historical, and Contemporary Perspectives. Inter Varsity Press, 2003. Excellent Survey!

Macquarie, John. 20th Century Religious Thought. 5th ed. 2002. Excellent and near exhaustive overview of 20th Century Western religious thought.

McGrath, Alister. Science and Religion: An Introduction. Basil Blackwell, 1999. Excellent introductory overview with bibliography.

Momen, Moojan. The Phenomenon of Religion: A Thematic Approach. Oneworld, 1998. Very good survey with a wide scope.

Quinn, Philip L. and C Taliaferro. Eds. A Companion to the Philosophy of Religion. Blackwell Companions to Philosophy, 8. Blackwell, 1997. Covers the major issues.

Netland, Harold. “Evaluating Truth Claims Across Boundaries”, pp. 71-92 in Kennard, Douglas W. Ed. The Relationship Between Epistemology, Hermeneutics, Biblical Theology, and Contextualization: Understanding Truth. The Edwin Mellen Press, 1999.

Peterson, Hasker L; et al. Reason and Religious Belief: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion. 2nd ed. Oxford University Press. 1997. Good introduction.

Peterson, Michael, et al., eds. Philosophy of Religion: Selected Readings. Oxford, 1996. Accompaniment to the preceding.

Runzo, Joseph. Global Philosophy of Religion: A Short Introduction. Oneworld, 2000. Good introduction that includes the Eastern Religion’s questions, issues, and answers with respects to the philosophy of religion along with the West’s.

Runzo, Joseph; Nancy M. Martin and Arvind Sharma. Eds. Human Rights and Responsibilities in the World Religions. Oneworld, 2002.

Rouner, Leroy S. Ed. Human Rights and the World’s Religions. Boston University Studies in Philosophy and Religion, 9. Notre Dame Press, 1988.

Smart, Ninian; Clayton; Sherry; and Katz. Nineteenth Century Religious Thought in the West. 3 vols. 1985. Excellent set of essays covering the major thinkers and relevant areas of religious scholarship. Advanced.

Stiver, Dan R. The Philosophy of Religious Language: Sign, Symbol, and Story. Oxford: Blackwell, 1996. Up-to-date discussion of the philosophy of religious language.

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Thiselton, Anthony. A Concise Encyclopedia of the Philosophy of Religion. 2002. Good summary entries by a foremost scholar.

Vanhoozer, Kevin J. Ed. The Cambridge Companion to Postmodern Theology. Cambridge Companions to Religion. Cambridge, 2003. Vanhoozer’s introductions are good.

Psychology of Religion

Edward P. Shafranske, Edward P.; and John W. Jacobson. Eds. Religion and the Clinical Practice of Psychology. American Psychological Association, 1996. Good set of articles, including a noteworthy article tracing the historical interaction of religion and psychology in America.

Loewenthal, Kate M. The Psychology of Religion: A Short Introduction, Oxford, 2000. Good overview with bibliography.

Appendix I: World Views, and Apologetics

Beckwith, Francis J.; J.P. Moreland; and William Lane Craig. Eds. To Everyone an Answer: The Case for the Christian Worldview. Intervarsity Press, 2004. Excellent set of essays which includes the standard arguments (cosmological, miracles, etc) plus some additional responses to post-modernism, religious pluralism, etc. Very broad in scope.

Bradley, Walter; Reynolds, J.M.; and J.P. Moreland. Eds. Three Views on Creation and Evolution. Counterpoints Series. Zondervan, 1999. Good presentation of the options. 

Bube, Richard. Putting it All Together: Seven Patterns for Relating Science and the Christian Faith. 1995. Discusses fundamental relationships between Christianity and science.

Craig, William; and Steve Cowan. Eds. Five Views on Apologetics. Zondervan. 1996. Excellent.

Dembski, William A. Ed. Mere Creation: Science, Faith, and Intelligent Design. Advanced. For a less technical introduction see Dembski’s essay above in Beckwith, and the essays in Signs of Intelligence: Understanding Intelligent Design (Ed. by W. Dembski and J. Kushiner, Brazos Press, 2001). See also Kevin Kelly, “Deep Evolution: The Emergence of Post-Darwinism,” Whole Earth Review (Fall 1992): 4-20 for a presentation of a new paradigm, that is more consistent with intelligent design (Post-Darwinism), challenging the old paradigms of Darwinism and Neo-Darwinism.

Geisler, Norman. Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1999.

Heie, Harold and David Wolfe. Eds. The Reality of Christian Learning. 1987. Discusses faith and learning integration generally, and in the different disciplines.

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Hesselegrave, David. Communicating Christ Cross Culturally. 1978. Excellent. Broad in scope covering issues for missionary communication such as world views, linguistics and communication, behavioral issues, social institutions, etc.

Jaki, Stanely. The Savior of Science. Rev. ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000. Excellent apologetic arguing that it could have only been, and historically was, the Christian world view that created Western Science.

Kreeft, Peter; and R. Tacelli. Handbook of Christian Apologetics. IVP, 1994.

McGrath, Alister. Science and Religion: An Introduction. Basil Blackwell, 1999. Good introduction with good bibliography. Also, contains helpful short overview presentations of some important contributors to the area of science and religion integration.

Naugle, David K. Worldview: The History of a Concept. Eerdmans, 2002. Outstanding study.

Polkinghorne, John. Belief in God in an Age of Science. Yale, 1999. Discusses the harmonious relationship of religion and Science from an well informed critical realist perspective.

Sire, James. Naming the Elephant: The Concept of World View. IVP, 2004. Discusses the concept of world view itself.

Sire, James. The Universe Next Door: A Basic World View Catalogue. IVP, 1997. Good presentation and catalogue of the major world views and their concerns.

Vroom, Hendrik M. Religions and the Truth: Philosophical Reflections and Perspectives. Currents of Encounter Series. Eerdmans, 1994. Penetrating Analysis.

Walsh, Brian and J. Richard Middleton. “A Bibliography We Can’t Live Without,” pp. 219- 243 in Sire, James. The Discipleship of The Mind. Inter-Varsity Press, 1989. Bibliography covering world views, and books and articles presenting the Christian perspective in the various academic disciplines.

Wright, Richard T. Biology Through the Eyes of Faith. Rev and Expanded ed. 2003. Good overview of faith and biology as well as the relation of religion and science generally.

Appendix II: Brief Guide to Religious Journal Resources

Religious Periodical Abstracts, Guides, Indexes, and State of the Field Articles

American Theological Library Association (ATLA Database). Helpful database.

deV. Brunkow, Robert. Ed. Religion and Society in North America. Clio Bibliography Series, 12. California, 1982.

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New Testament Abstracts

Old Testament Abstracts

Overmyer, Daniel; et al. “Chinese Religions-The State of the Field, Part I Early Religious Traditions: The Neolithic Period through the Han Dynasty, (ca. 4000 B.C.E. to 220 C.E.).” The Journal of Asian Studies 54, no. 1 (February 1995):124-160.

Overmyer, Daniel; et al. “Chinese Religions: The State of the Field, Part 2, Living Religious Traditions: Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, Islam, and Popular Religions.” The Journal of Asian Studies 54, no.2 (May 1995): 314-395.

Philosopher’s Index (for the Philosophy of Religion)

Religious Index One

Select Articles for: The Fundamental Nature and Definition of Religion, and World Views

Berger, Peter L. “Some Second Thoughts on Substantive vs. Functional Definitions of Religion.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 13 (June 1974): 125-133.

Dobbelaere, Karel and Jan Lauwers. “Definition of Religion-- A Sociological Critique.” Social Compass 74 (1973): 535-551.

Geertz, Clifford. “Religion as a Cultural System”, pp. 87-125 in his The Interpretation of Cultures. Harper Torchbooks, 1973.

Heibert, Paul “The Flaw of the Excluded Middle.” Missiology 10 (1982): 35-47.

Heibert, Paul. “The Missiological Implications of an Epistemelogical Shift.” TSF Bulletin 8 no. 5 (1985): 12-18.

Jones, W.T. “World Views: Their Nature and Their Function.” Current Anthropology 13 (1972): 79-109.

Moen, Arthur J. “Paradigms, Language Games, and Religious Beliefs.” Christian Scholars Review 9 no. 1 (1979): 17-29.

Price, H.H. “Belief ‘in’ and Belief ‘That’.” Religious Studies 1 (1965): 1-27.

Sherkat, Darren E; and Christopher G. Ellison. “Recent Developments and Current Controversies in the Sociology of Religion.” Annual Review of Sociology 25 (1999): 363-394.

Olthuis, James H. “On World Views.” Christian Scholars Review 14 no. 2 (1985): 153-164.

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