Information Sources on World Religions

Here are some information sources on different religions of the world:

Religions of the World

• World Religions: From Ancient History to the Present
• The World's Religions
• The Illustrated World's Religions: A Guide to Our Wisdom Traditions
• The Cambridge Illustrated History of Religions
• Religions of the World: The Illustrated Guide to Origins, Beliefs, Traditions and Festivals
• Sacred Origins of Profound Things: The Stories Behind the Rites and Rituals of the World's Religions

Mythology

• Bulfinch's Mythology

Hinduism

• The Essentials of Hinduism
• Hinduism: A Cultural Perspective

Buddhism

• Buddhism for Beginners
• Awakening the Mind: Basic Buddhist Meditations
• Manual of Zen Buddhism

Islam

• Understanding Islam and Muslim Traditions
• A Brief Guide to Islam History, Faith and Politics: The Complete Introduction
• A Muslim Primer: Beginner's Guide to Islam
• The Word of Islam

Judaism

• On Judaism
• Jewish Literacy: The Most Important Things to Know About the Jewish Religion, Its People, and Its History
• What I Wish My Christian Friends Knew About Judaism

Christianity

• Basic Christianity

Religious Culture

• How to Be a Perfect Stranger: The Essential Religious Etiquette Handbook

The Bible

• Whose Bible Is It? A History of the Scriptures Through the Ages
• The Good Book: Reading the Bible with Mind and Heart
• Testament: The Bible and History

If you cannot find the suggested books, please see the librarian for suggestions or to get books from other branches of the DC Public Library.

Websites

Please note that DC Public Library does not endorse any websites.

• A reasonably comprehensive list of Protestant denominations, with a short history and a brief outline of their beliefs
• Roman Catholic saints, listed alphabetically, by patron saint, and by saint of the day, among others
• The Dalai Lama's website
• Faiths & prayer: good source of information about major world religions