Religious Studies: A Guide to Research

Learn what primary sources are and how to find them.

Bridwell Library is the theological library at SMU. Many of our materials related to religion are located there.

Take a look at Bridwell Library's research guides if you are doing research on a religious topic.

Provides data on churches and church membership, religious professionals, and religious groups (individuals, congregations, and denominations). Includes interactive map and membership reports of religious congregations, adherents, and rates of adherence, searchable by state, county, and metropolitan area. Also provides the 2004 General Social Survey, the National Congregational Study, and other studies.

Comprehensive survey of the origins, developments, beliefs and distribution of the world's religions. Covers the history, traditions and worldviews of dominant and less prominent religions and their sects and offshoots.

More than 3,000 entries that present a cross-cultural approach that emphasizes religion's role within everyday life and as a unique experience from culture to culture.