Religion: Getting Started

World Religions, Asian Religions

Welcome!

Use the tabs of this guide for research about world religions:

  • Books and Videos -- links to great resources available through PCC Library. 
  • World Religions in Portland -- suggested temples, mosques, churches and other sites that you can visit in Portland
  • Bible - resources for Old Testament/Hebrew scriptures and New Testament studies
  • Article Databases - find published magazine and journal articles
  • Websites - recommended web resources, plus a Google Custom Search tool that searches only sites recommended by PCC faculty
  • Get Help - resources on creating citations, finding writing and other tutors, and more.  

Religion Encyclopedias

  • Specialized encyclopedias are an excellent place to start your research. 

Religion Streaming Videos

Watch high quality videos about the world's religions available in the library collection.

Religion and Culture

Religion influences not only spirituality, but also everyday activities. In a given context, religion may have an effect on interpersonal relationships; food and drink; eating rituals and patterns; clothing; shelter; the arrangement of public and private space; commerce; medicine and health practices; the measurement and use of time, particularly around the practice of religious ritual; pilgrimages; the political and justice systems; and/or practices at the time of major life transitions (birth, adulthood, marriage, death, etc.).

Some resources for researching how a religion is expressed in the culture of a particular country:

Web search strategy

Limit your web search to a results from a particular country by using the country code top-level domain.  For example, by adding site:uk to a search, your results should mostly come from websites originating in England. 

                    Images of domain searches

Religion in the news - recent articles from the Religion News Service

The Five Major World Religions (11 minute TED-Ed video)

Introduces the intertwined histories and cultures of the major religions: Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity and Islam.

Contact your class librarian!

Contact librarian Roberta Richards

  • rrichard@pcc.edu
  • Southeast LIB 206
  • 971-722-4962

Roberta's appointment calendar: