Library catalog Library databases
Session 8: Church & Society, and Christian Practices
Church and Society
Reference sources
- Dictionary of Ethics, Theology and Society, 1996 [Ref. BJ63 .D45]
- Mainline Christians and U.S. Public Policy, 2007 [Ref. BR515 .U88]
- Encyclopedia of Religion and Society, 1998 [Ref.BL60 .E53; and online]
- Encyclopedia of Religion, Communication and Media, 2006 (Ref. P94 .E48)
- New Blackwell Companion to the Sociology of Religion, 2010 (Ref. BL60 .B53)
Statistical sources
- ARDA
- Adherents.com
- American Religious Identification Survey
- Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches [BR13.Y4, Reference Counter]
- 2010 U.S. Religious Census [BL2525 .A15] [sample page]
- Other sources
Helpful websites
- Hartford Institute for Religion Research
- Faith, Ethics and Public Life
- Religion and Ethics Newsweekly
- Credo (a clergy health site)
A helpful publisher: Alban Books
Christian Practices
Preaching
- Reference source: New Interpreter's Handbook of Preaching, 2008 (Ref. BV4211.3 .N49)
- Bible commentary series helpful in preaching
- Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching (Westminster Press)
- Storyteller's Companion to the Bible (Abingdon Press)
- Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture (Intervarsity Press) (for patristic insights)
- Anchor Bible Commentary (Yale University Press) (for help with Hebrew and Greek)
- Commentaries for lectionary preaching
- Feasting on the Word (Westminster) (BV4235 .L43 F43 2008)
- Imaging the Word: An Arts and Lectionary Resource (United Church Press) (263.9 I31i)
- Hunger for the Word: Lectionary Reflections on Food and Justice (Liturgical Press) (261.8326 H936h)
- Search the catalog with the heading: Lectionary Preaching
- Helpful journals
- Living Pulpit (access with secret user name and password)
- Homiletic (free online journal)
- Websites
Liturgy
- General Reference sources
- New Westminster Dictionary of Liturgy and Worship [Ref BV173 .N49]
- Dictionary of Liturgical Terms [Ref. BV173 .P42; also online through Ministry Matters]
- Bibliography of Christian Worship, by Bard Thompson [Ref BV176 .T46]
Encyclopedia of Prayer and Praise [Ref BV210.5 .E52]
- Website: North American Academy of Liturgy
Reference sources in music
Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music [Ref ML102 .G6 E63]
Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music: Pop, Rock, and Worship [Ref. ML105 .E52]
Hymntune Index (Ref. ML3186 .W2 1998)
RILM Abstracts of Music Literature (see under R) (premier music index)
- Naxos Music Library
- Helpful website: Hymnsite
Reference sources in art
- Grove Art Online
- Oxford Companion to Christian Art and Architecture [Ref. N7830 .M87]
- Dictionary of Christian Art [Ref. BV150 .A66]
- Iconography of Christian Art [Ref. N7830 .S3513]
- Encyclopedia of the Bible and Its Reception (Ref. BS440 .E539 2009) (for the Bible in art)
- International Bibliography of Art (premier index)
- Artstor (for images that allow close-ups without loss of resolution)
- Great website: Museum of Biblical Art
- Reference sources in theater
- Oxford Encyclopedia of Theatre and Performance [Ref. PN2035 .O94 & online]
- World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theater (Ref. PN1861 .W67 1994)
- International Index to the Performing Arts
- Theater in Video
- Reference sources in dance
- Oxford Dictionary of Dance (Ref. GV1585 .C73 2000)
- International Encyclopedia of Dance (Ref. GV1585 .I586 1998)
- Sacred Dance Guild
Spirituality
- New Westminster Dictionary of Christian Spirituality [Ref BV4488 .N49]
- Christian Spirituality: Essential Guide to the Most Influential Spiritual Writings... [Ref. BR117 .C48]
- Excellent series of primary sources: Classics of Western Spirituality (Paulist Press)
- Fun website: Frequencies: A Collaborative Genealogy of Spirituality