General books of interest

Cults, conspiracies, and secret societies : the straight scoop on Freemasons, the Illuminati, Skull and Bones, black helicopters, the New World Order, and many, many more , by Arthur Goldwag. (2009)
As with any overview, the strength of this book is the ground it covers rather than its in-depth analysis. The author's aim appears to be as much to entertain as to inform. Some topics are familiar - the Kennedy assassinations, the Illuminati, the People's Temple and Heaven's Gate - but the coverage from Area 51 to the Yakuza, passing through intriguing examples such as Oulipo, (intellectuals who created literary masterpieces) will be sure to whet your appetite to do your own research.

God is back : how the global rise of faith is changing the world, by John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge. (2009)
The book's main point is that religion and modernity are not at odds, that, they can function together to create prosperity and individual freedom. Historians have been making similar arguments for several decades. But "God Is Back" moves beyond the standard analysis to argue that religion offers people a wide range of additional social rewards beyond economic ones, including comfort, community and meaning. Because modern life tends to cut people off from tradition, it creates a longing to reconnect that religion can satisfy... (Drawn from Washington Post book review by Diana Butler Bass)

The evolution of God, by Robert Wright. (2009)
Making the best recent scholarship accessible to the general reader, Wright follows the historical trajectory from polytheism through monolatry (worship of one god among many) to monotheism, focusing primarily on the evolving vision of God in the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, and the Qur'an, and ending with a discussion of religion's place in human evolution. In his focus on scriptures, Wright avoids the philosophical terrain covered more intently in Karen Armstrong's The History of God and The Great Transformation. (drawn from Library Journal, courtesy of Syndetics)

Wrestling with our inner angels : faith, mental illness, and the journey to wholeness, by Nancy Kehoe. (2009)
Because she is both a nun and a clinician, author Kehoe can draw on both her psychological and religious training to approach with insight and sensitivity the role of belief and motivation in the lives of people troubled by mental illness. Neither illusion nor panacea, religious belief helps people organize their lives and make decisions. Kehoe has listened for years to people with illness, and she shares their compelling stories. (drawn from Publishers' Weekly, courtesy of Syndetics)

Religions, by Philip Wilkinson. (2008) (DK Eyewitness Companion) From Hinduism to Zoroastrianism, this takes an in-depth look at all the major global religions, past and present. Discover how each religion started, exploring their origins and history, from the moment of its founding to its spread across the world today. Find out all about the gods and prophets from a comprehensive who's who profiling deities and holy figures of each faith. Plus learn about the religious practices and traditions of each belief system, from day-to-day devotions to key events in the religious calendar. (Drawn from www.dorlingkindersley-uk.co.uk)

Religious tolerance in world religions, ed. by Jacob Neusner and Bruce Chilton. (2008)
Numerous scholars offer perspectives on the "what" and "why" traditions of tolerance in world religions beginning with the pre-Christian West, Greco-Roman paganism, and ancient Israelite Monotheism and moving into modern religions such as Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism. By tolerance the authors mean "the capacity to live with religious difference, and by toleration, the theory that permits a majority religion to accommodate the presence of a minority religion." (drawn from the publisher's website)

The psychology of religion : an empirical approach, by Bernard Spilka...[et al.] (2003)
Although not a newly published book, this recent arrival fills an important gap in the library's collection. The authors allude directly to classic and contemporary research on belief, and behavior across the lifespan and the forms and meaning of religious experience.
Chapters include Religion and biology, Religion in childhood, Religion and death, Mysticism, Conversion, Helping behavior and prejudice, Religion, coping, and adjustment, and Religion and mental disorder.

Philosophy of religion : classic and contemporary issues, edited by Paul Copan and Chad Meister. (2008)
"Featuring eighteen original essays from leading scholars, this collection offers a wide variety of viewpoints for a well balanced perspective on both traditional and cutting-edge topics in philosophy of religion.
Philosophy of Religion: Classic and Contemporary Issues offers a comprehensive and authoritative overview of the most important ideas and arguments in this resurgent field. The text moves beyond the borders of Western theism to more accurately reflect the nature of the twenty-first-century world." (book jacket)

The atlas of sacred and mystical sites : discover places of mystical power from around the world, by David Douglas. (2007)
This is a survey of 63 sites of religious and spiritual significance divided into six topics: "Places of Worship;" "Sites of Pilgrimage;" "Kings, Saints and Sages;" "Places of Isolation and Meditation;" "Sacred Stones: Stone Circles and Megaliths;" and "Sacred Land and Water." Although any selection like this will be subjective, nearly a quarter ...are in the British Isles while all ancient Egyptian and Mexican sites are ignored. If you're wanting an atlas type of book Colin Wilson's Atlas of Holy Places & Sacred Sites is a suggestion. But this is beautifully illustrated, and definitely worth a browse. (drawn from Library Journal review)

The atlas of religion , Joanne O'Brien and Martin Palmer ; consultant editor, David B. Barrett. (2007)
O'Brien and Palmer (International Consultancy on Religion, Education, and Culture, UK) offer a series of world maps that depict current popular religions, their history, new religious movements, the proportion of nonbelievers, state attitudes to religion, finance, religious education, and so-called fault lines, or areas of religious conflict. Unexpected gems are maps indicating religious involvement in social issues such as environmental protection and ethical investment, the status of women in religion, natural holy places, and predicted future trends. The book ends with extensive notes and tables delineating fundamentals of the various major religions and presenting demographic information on subjects such as life expectancy, poverty, literacy, and even Internet usage--all intended to place a country's religion in a social context. Summing Up: Highly recommended. (Choice magazine review, courtesy of Syndetics)

How to be a perfect stranger : the essential religious etiquette handbook, edited by Stuart M. Matlins & Arthur J. Magida. (2006)
"We... live in a remarkably diverse society, and it's increasingly common to be invited to a wedding, funeral, or other religious service of a friend, relative, or coworker whose faith is different from our own... This easy-to-read guidebook, with an 'Everything you need to know before you go' checklist, helps the well-meaning guest to feel comfortable, participate to the fullest extent possible and avoid violating anyone's religious principles - while enriching their own spiritual understanding" -- Book jacket.

Online databases

Oxford Reference Online

Access to Oxford Publishing's major reference book collection online.

You can either search across all titles, or just look in the volume you need. Remember you will need your library card number to access via Oxford Reference Online.

Titles include:

• Dictionary of the Bible
• The Oxford Companion to the Bible
• The Oxford Guide to People and Places of the Bible
• A Dictionary of Buddhism
• Oxford Dictionary of Islam
• A Concise Companion to the Jewish Religion
• The Oxford Companion to Philosophy
• The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy
• The Oxford Dictionary of Saints
• The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions

Useful websites

This is a starting list of general religion-based internet websites of interest. For websites on specific religions, please see the religion specific pages.

• Academic Info Religion Gateway
  Contains academic studies of the world's major religions.
• Adherents.com
  Holds statistics on world religious affiliation, including famous adherents, religious references in fiction, films, etc.
• BBC: Religion & Ethics
  Contains a number of general interest sections relating to various world religions and ethics. Listen to broadcasts of the BBC's many programs devoted to exploring various religions, such as Missionaries. Equally compelling are the fractious message boards. The site is rounded out by an interactive multi faith calendar, which shows the religious festivals and celebrations of eight world faiths.
• Beliefnet
  Contains a wide variety of discussion on spiritual matters, including quizzes, social and poltical issues, and reviews.
• Freedom From Religion Foundation
  Maintains the protection of the constitutional principle of separation of state from church.
• FutureChurch NZ
  A platform for emerging forms of spiritual community - building on the Christian story, but not limited by past traditions.
• Holidays and Observances
  Contains information about major religious holidays around the world.
• Index of faiths and practices
  
• Journal of religion and popular culture
  University of Saskatchewan web-based, peer-reviewed journal committed to analysis and interpretation of the interrelations between religion and religious expression and popular culture.
• New Zealand Religious History Bibliography
  Compiled by Peter Lineham. (Also contains chapters of his publications)
• Religion Online
  Holds full texts by recognized religious scholars - more than 1,800 articles and chapters. Topics include Old and New Testament, Theology, Ethics, History and Sociology of Religions, Comparative Religion, Religious Communication, Pastoral Care, Counselling, Homiletics, Worship, Missions and Religious Education
• Sacred Text Archive
  Includes texts of nearly a thousand of the core texts of religion, mythology, and folklore.
• The Revealer
  It can be difficult to sift and winnow through the myriad of material offered on the web. Jointly sponsored by the New York University Department of Journalism and New York University's Center for Religion and Media.
• Symbols
  The use of symbolism in the world's major religions.
• Virtual religion index
  Designed to advance research in matters of religion
• World's Major Religions and Belief Systems
  Short introductions to the world's religions.

Contact Us:

Interested in finding out more about what the library holds on beliefs? Found a topical online resource you'd like to share? Contact us at enquiries@wcl.govt.nz. We'd love to hear from you!