Religion & Theology

Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers, usually regarded as creator and governor of the universe; systems of such belief and worship; the study of religious beliefs.

Sub-headings:

Faiths & Denominations

Leading Figures

Sacred & Other Religious Texts

Sacred writings, holy books and spiritual literature. Includes primary and secondary sources, translations as well as works in their original language.

Religion Blogs

Discussions of all topics related to religion written by lay people, clergy, theologians, etc.

Resources in this category:

The Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty
http://www.acton.org/

"Founded in 1990, the Acton Institute is named in honor of John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton, first Baron Acton of Aldenham (1834-1902), the "historian of freedom." The mission of the Institute is to promote a free society characterized by individual liberty and sustained by religious principles. To this end, Acton On-Line will strive to provide up-to-date information about the Institute's projects and programs, as well as provide relevant resources on religion's role in promoting and preserving a free society."

American Academy of Religion
http://www.aarweb.org/

The American Academy of Religion is a learned society and professional association for scholars whose major interest is religion. The site states that the association's mission is the following: in a world where religion plays so central a role in social, political and economic events, as well as in the lives of communities and individuals, is to meet a critical need for ongoing reflection upon and understanding of religious traditions, issues, questions and values. The 8,000 Academy members consists mostly of academically trained religion scholars, but the organization realizes that it has a responsibility to provide public information and to respond to public issues to assist the general reader as well as the specialist. The site therefore includes the usual links to member resources and it provides a profile of the Academy including mission, overview, governance, history, current projects, and related organizations. In addition, it also has section, public resources, that focuses on public issues, lists links to publications, lectures, and extensive on-line resources.

American Family Foundation Home Page: Information About Cults and Psychological Manipulations
http://www.csj.org/

"AFF is a secular, not-for-profit, tax-exempt research center and educational organization founded in 1979. AFF's mission is to study psychological manipulation and cultic groups, to educate the public and professionals, and to assist those who have been adversely affected by a cult experience." The site contains periodicals of Cultic Studies, the latest news in Cultic Studies, and resources to help friends and family of cult members, former cult members, clergy, educators, therapists and counselors, and researchers. A list of links is also included.

American Theological Library Association
http://www.atla.com/atlahome.html

"Established in 1946, the American Theological Library Association (ATLA) has more than 650 personal and 230 institutional members. ATLA's international membership represents many religious traditions and denominations. Membership is open to any person who is engaged in professional library or bibliographic work in theological or religious fields, or who has an interest in the literature of religion, theological librarianship, and the purposes and work of the association." The site has sections for member services, products, selected reference resources, and the annual conference.

The Association of Religion Data
http://www.thearda.com/

The Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA) provides quality data on American and international religion. Most of the data from the over 450 surveys, membership reports, and other data collections can be downloaded for free. All of the data can be previewed.

Canadian Society for the Study of Religion
http://www.ccsr.ca/cssr/

CSSR "provides a forum for all who are involved in the academic study of religion, e.g. anthropologists, historians, phenomenologists, philosophers, psychologists, sociologists. It fosters an interdisciplinary discourse in order to arrive at a better, integrated understanding of religious phenomena. In addition, the Society encourages research in the development of religion with particular reference to the Canadian scene. Finally, the Society promotes a critical examination of the goals, methods, and styles of teaching demanded by the discipline. English and French are the official languages of the Society. Members are free to participate in the proceedings in either language." The site has current and past versions of the society's newsletter, conference information, and membership lists. There are also links to related sites.

Ecclesiological Society
http://www.ecclsoc.org/

"The Ecclesiological Society is for those who are interested in and enthusiastic about churches." This UK-based site brings together original research, photo essays, events, and related links compiled by the Ecclesiological Society. Society also published a newsletter called "Ecclesiology Today."

Fellowship of Readers of The Urantia Book
http://www.ubfellowship.org/

"A nonprofit association of readers of The Urantia Book (a text which narrates the physical and spiritual evolution of our planet and the Cosmos, while presenting a high revelation of the truth, beauty, goodness and love of the Universal Father of Infinity.) The Fellowship's purposes include helping to make The Urantia Book known and available worldwide to anyone interested, and to facilitate study and contact among its readers." Web site "contains the entire text of The Urantia Book with full text search engine, access to an international directory of study groups, numerous secondary works, study materials, and links to other resources related to The Urantia Book."

The Interfaith Alliance
http://www.interfaithalliance.org/site/pp.asp?c=8dJIIWMCE&b=...

³The Interfaith Alliance is a nonpartisan, interfaith organization committed to three main goals: promoting the positive role of religion as a healing and constructive force in public life; encouraging the renewal of values within our families and communities; providing people of faith with an alternative voice to that of the radical religious right.
The Interfaith Alliance believes that religion best contributes to public life when it works for reconcilliation, inspires common effort, promotes concern for the less fortunate, and upholds the dignity of all human beings. Because we affirm both the plurality of religious voices and the strength that diversity brings to our national life, we publicly challenge any canidate or political organization that explicitly claims to speak for all people of faith We encourage the active participation in the political process by people of faith and all people of good will, and insist that truthfulness, civility and compassion should always characterize their words and deeds.²
This site contains a printable membership form. This site provides legislative alerts, information about defending yourself against the religious right, a newsletter and voter information.

Joint Religious Legislative Coalition
http://www.jrlc.org/

"Guided by basic Jewish and Christian moral vision, JRLC strives to further the cause of social justice in Minnesota by proposing and promoting responsible legislation... JRLC now has an extensive body of public policy statements and continually influences Minnesota legislation in many policy arenas, including: welfare reform, housing, health care, human rights, criminal justice, environmental stewardship, tax policy, ethics in government, gambling, economic justice, bias crimes, firearms regulation and other policy areas."

This site includes "Justice Alerts" which pos timely activities for citizens to influence policy decisions, JRLC position statement papers, tools that citizens can use to coordinate social justice activities, and links to the Minnesota legislature.

Scientology
http://www.scientology.org/

"Scientology is an applied religious philosophy. It holds in common many of the beliefs of other religions and philosophies, and considers man to be a spiritual being, with more to him than flesh and blood. This, of course, is a very different view to that espoused by prevailing scientific thought which views man as but a material object, a complex combination of chemical compounds and stimulus-response mechanisms." This site provides links to information regarding background information, a locator to find scientology organizations worldwide, virtual tours through churches, FAQs, activism and related sites.

Anti-Defamation League
http://www.adl.org/

"Fighting anti-Semitism and bigotry here and abroad, the Anti-Defamation League probes the roots of hatred against Jews and serves as a public resource for government, media, law enforcement agencies and the public at large." The ADL works to expose and prevent bigotry and discrimination of all kinds against all people, with a special focus on anti-semitism. This site contains a newsletter, briefing information on a number of social issues, and special reports.

Atheist Foundation of Australia
http://www.atheistfoundation.org.au/

"The Atheist Foundation of Australia Inc is a group of concerned people who collect and distribute factual information, presenting a considered alternative to the religious doctrines of our culture. We consider that dependence on religion limits the growth of a human being both personally and socially and can inhibit their intellectual development. Members of the Foundation present secular views on topical issues, making these ideas more accessible to the public. Topics such as religious indoctrination in State schools, uncritical religious bias in the media, and proper respect for the rights of non-believers are among our concerns." Site contains information about the foundation and about atheism in general.