Religion: Getting Started

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.  

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

• View high quality videos about the world's religions online from the Films on Demand database.  Search by keyword or browse by Collections - World Religions

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:

• Countries and Their Cultures (an encyclopedia in the Gale eBook database)
• Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religion Practices (an encyclopedia in the Gale eBook database; "provides information on current religious practices around the world with an emphasis on how religions impact the daily lives of their followers.")

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. 

• Find the domain for a particular country:  Internet country domain list
• Examples:

Schedule a half hour appointment for a phone, Zoom or Google hangout conversation on a topic of your choice.