Women and Religion

I. General Resources

A. Catalogs

Franklin.

Penn's online catalog, lists books, journals titles (but not articles within journals), conference proceedings, and other library materials at the Penn Libraries. When looking for works on a topic in Franklin, try searching both by subject heading and by keyword(s). Franklin includes about 95% of the Library's holdings. Some older materials published before 1968 and some older serials that are no longer published are listed only in the card catalog in Van Pelt. The card catalog includes listings by author, by title, and by subject, all filed in a single sequence.

BorrowDirect.

Search a combined catalog of Penn, Columbia, and Yale. Items not available at Penn, may be requested from Columbia and Yale.

RLIN/Eureka Bibliographic File - Research Libraries Group Catalog

A bibliographic catalog of books, serials, archives and manuscripts, musical scores, visual materials, maps, and data files held in over 180 large research libraries. Use the request button to request items not held at Penn though interlibrary loan. RLIN also includes a subfile of archival and manuscript materials.

WorldCat

Another large union catalog that includes the holdings of many university, college, and public libraries. Many Philadelphia-area libraries are included in WorldCat.

B. Periodical Indexes

Academic Index

1980 (very incomplete)-present. Daily updates.

Provides indexing and abstracting for more than 1550 scholarly and general interest journals. Full text or full image is provided for more than 750 titles (most of which is from mid-1990's to present).

ATLA religion database Evanston, Ill: American Theological Library Association.

Contents: Religion index one: periodicals (1949-) -- Religion index two: multi-author works (1960-) -- Index to book reviews in religion (1949-) -- Research in ministry (1981-) -- Methodist reviews index (1818- 1985).

See also the ATLA Serials Collection, a full-text subset of ATLA.

Contemporary Women's Issues

Provides international coverage of current issues such as employment and the workplace, social and political issues, violence and sexual exploitation, development and human rights, general and reproductive health, lesbians, legal issues, education, science and technology, culture and customs, demographics, contemporary family life, and arts and media.

GenderWatch

Dates vary.

Contains 40,000 articles from more than 100 journals, magazines, newsletters, special reports, unpublished papers and conference proceedings devoted to gender and women's issues.

ISI Citation Indexes 1988-present. Weekly updates.

Includes the Science, Social Science and Arts & Humanities Citation Indexes.

Includes 1,140 arts & humanities journals.

Help for former Current Contents users

Studies On Women Abstracts. Abingdon, Oxfordshire: Carfax Pub., Vol. 1- , 1983- .
[Ref Index Area HQ 1180 S78]

An abstract publication published bi-monthly which covers both journal literature and books. It is arranged alphabetically by journal title. An author/subject index is provided.

Women Studies Abstracts. NY: Rush Pub., Vol. 1- ,1972- .
[Ref Index Area HQ 1101 W653]

Published quarterly, coverage includes scholarly and popular journals, selective books and unpublished materials (media). It is arranged by topic but an author/subject index is included. Covers a wide range of women topics.

Women's Studies Index. Boston, MA: G.K. Hall, 1989- .
[Ref Index Area HQ 1180 W664]

Covers articles from both scholarly and popular women's periodicals annually.

C. Periodicals

The Annual review of women in world religions. Vol. 1- (c1991-)

[Van Pelt BL 458 .A56]

Journal of feminist studies in religion. Vol. 1, no. 1 (spring 1985)-

[Van Pelt HQ 1393 .J68, Unbound issues in Current Periodicals]

D. Bibliographies

Bass, Dorothy C. Women In American Religious History: An Annotated Bibliography And Guide To Sources. Boston, MA: G.K. Hall, 1986.
[Ref BL 458 B35 1986]

Fischer, Clare Benedicks. Of spirituality : a feminist perspective. Lanham, MD : Scarecrow Press, 1995.

Covers the major religious traditions, feminist psychology, autobiographies, creative practice, and feminist theory, among others.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks BL458 .F57 1995]

Lau, Susan C. Bibliography on Women and Religion

URL: http://www.nd.edu/~archives/lau_bib.html
Lengthy bibliography which includes all religions and time periods.

E. Dictionaries & Encyclopedias

Benowitz, June Melby. Encyclopedia of American women and religion. Santa Barbara, Calif. : ABC-CLIO, c1998.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks BL2525 .B45 1998

Dictionary of feminist theologies. 1st ed. Louisville, Ky: Westminster John Knox Press, 1996.

[Van Pelt Reference BT 83.55 D53 1996]

Heavy emphasis on Christian theology.

Encyclopedia of women and world religion Ed. by Serinity Young. New York : Macmillan Reference USA, c1999. 2v.

Topical coverage of religion and how it relates women.

[Van Pelt Reference BL458 .E53 1999]

F. Web Sites

Women and Theology - Women's Studies Section, Association of College and Research Libraries

Slightly misnamed, this list does not deal strictly with theology, but has links to many web sites dealing with the study and practice of religion by and about women from all religious persuasions.

II. Buddhism

A. Periodical Indexes

Bibliography of Asian Studies.

1971-present

All subjects (especially humanities and social sciences) pertaining to East, Southeast, South Asia, and Indian Ocean countries.

B. Bibliographies

Bibliography: Women and the female in Buddhism

Maintained at the Sakyadhita website, but last updated on June 17, 1997.

Reynolds, Frank E. Guide to Buddhist religion. Boston: G.K. Hall, 1981.

[Van Pelt Reference: BQ 4012 .R49 1981]

C. Web Sites

Sakyadhita: The International Association of Buddhist Women.

Contains links to the Sakyadhita Newsletter, events, females dieties of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, and information about ordination.

WAiB Pages - Women Active in Buddhism

This web site contains information and links to female teachers, activists, scholars, nuns, yoginis (practitioners), as well as teachings and special events, projects, organisations, bibliographic and contact information. We also offer a complete guide to the many female meditational deities found in Tibetan Buddhist practice.

III. Christianity

A. Periodical Indexes

The Catholic periodical and literature index. Haverford, PA: Catholic Library Association, 1968- .

[Van Pelt: BX 801 C366, Latest 5 years in Reference]

B. Bibliographies

Blevins, Carolyn DeArmond. Women in christian history : a bibliography. Macon, Ga. : Mercer University Press, 1995.

[Reference BV 639.W7 B54 1995]

Finson, Shelley Davis. Women And Religion : A Bibliographic Guide To Christian Feminist Liberation Theology. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1991.

[Ref BT 83.55 F56 1991]

Johnson, Dale A.Women and religion in Britain and Ireland: an annotated bibliography from the Reformation to 1993. Lanham : Scarecrow Press, 1995.

[Van Pelt HQ 1394 .J64 1995]

A useful bibliography for Christian ordination issues and history of witchcraft.

Kadel, Andrew. Matrology : a bibliography of writings by Christian women from the first to the fifteenth centuries. New York : Continuum, 1995.

A bibliography of writings by specific women. Secondary sources listed when necessary. Includes a chapter on letters and occasional writings of women in the 15th century. Chronological index.

[Van Pelt Reference BR117 .K33 1995]

Richardson, Marilyn. Black Women And Religion: A Bibliography. Boston, MA: G. K. Hall, 1980.

Covers primarily Christianity.

[Ref BR 563 N4 R53]

Walsh, Mary-Paula. Feminism and Christian tradition : an annotated bibliography and critical introduction to the literature. Westport, Conn. : Greenwood Press, 1999.

Detailed annotations concerning many aspects of feminism and Christianity: anthropology, Biblical studies, ethics, theology, worship, spirituality, etc.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks BT83.55 .W34 1999]

C. Dictionaries & Encyclopedias

A to Z of feminist theology. Lisa Isherwood & Dorothea McEwan, editors. Sheffield, Eng. : Sheffield Academic Press, c1996.

Articles includes topics such as "Original sin," "Abortion," "Gnosticism," and "Creation Spirituality." Heavy emphasis on Christianity.

[Ref BT83.55 .A22 1996]

New Catholic encyclopedia. Catholic University of America. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1967-1979. 18v.

Representing post-Vatican II thought, this work attempts to discuss any topic which affects the Roman Catholic Church. Articles range from very brief to monographic in length. Kept up to date by supplements issued periodically. Use of the Index is essential.

[Ref BX 841 N44 1967]

Web Sites

Center for Women and Religion (CWR) - Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley

[URL: http://aquinas.gtu.edu/Centers/cwr/]

Mary Page - Marian Library, University of Dayton, Ohio

[URL: http://www.udayton.edu/mary/]

Catholic Apparitions of Jesus and Mary

[URL: http://web.frontier.net/Apparitions/]

Our Lady of Guadalupe - Patroness of the Americas

[URL: http://ng.netgate.net/~norberto/materdei.html]

SisterSite

[URL: http://www.geocities.com/Wellesley/1114/sindex.html]

A Cyberplace for Women Religious and their Friends. Sponsored by Sister-L: an internet discussion group founded in 1994, and devoted to the History & Contemporary Concerns of Women Religious. See especially their list of Women's Communities on the Web

United Methodist Women

[URL: http://gbgm-umc.org/UMW/index.html]

A web page from the Women's Division of the United Methodist church.

Women Hymn Composers before 1900 - Donald McKillican

[URL: http://www3.sympatico.ca/dmckilli/whc/]

Includes scores of hymns and biographies of the composers. Bibliographical references included.

Hinduism

• Bibliographies
  
  

  Ali, Syed Mohammed. Hinduism : a select bibliography. Gurgaon: Indian Documentation Service, 1984.

  [Van Pelt South Asia Reference: Z7835 .B8 A45 1984]
  
  

  Dell, David J. Guide to Hindu religion. Boston: G.K. Hall, 1981.

  [Van Pelt Reference: BL 1202 .D44 1981]

  
  
• Web Sites

  devi: the great goddess

  [URL: http://www.si.edu/asia/devi/index.htm]

  A web site built in conjuction with an exhibition at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery from March 29, 1999 through September 6, 1999. The web site looks at the six aspects of the Indian goddess Devi, cosmic force, dayini, heroine, local protector, semi-divine, woman saints.

Islam

• Bibliographies
  
  

  Kimball, Michelle R. and Barbara R. von Schlegell. Muslim women throughout the world: a bibliography. Boulder, Colo. ; London : Lynne Rienner Publishers, 1997.

  [Van Pelt Reference: HQ1170 .K56 1997]
  
  

  Ruud, Inger Marie. Women's status in the Muslim world : a bibliographical survey. Koln: Brill, 1981.

  [Van Pelt: HQ 1170 .R88 1981]

  
  
• Dictionaries & Encyclopedias
  
  

  The encyclopaedia of Islam. Ed. by H. A. R. Gibb et al. Leiden: Brill, 1960- . 7v. Supplement. Ed. by C. E. Bosworth et al. 1980- .

  [Ref DS 37 E523; other locations]

  The Oxford encyclopedia of the modern Islamic world. New York: Oxford University Press, 1995. 4v.

  [Van Pelt Reference: DS 35.53 O95 1995, also in Middle East Seminar]

  See v. 4, pp. 322-352 for articles dealing with women. Each article includes a substantial bibliography.

  
  
• Periodical Indexes
  
  

  Index Islamicus. 1665- . Publisher varies.

  The major source of indexing for the field of Islam. Continued in various forms by several different related titles. All shelved around:

  [Van Pelt Reference: BP166.2 I53]

  
  
• Web Sites
  
  

  Muslim Women's Homepage

  [URL: http://www.jannah.org/sisters.html]

  A web site devoted to gender issues within Islam.

  Muslim Women's League

  [URL: http://www.win.net/mwl/]

  A non-profit Muslim American organization working to implement the values of Islam and thereby reclaim the status of women as free, equal and vital contributors to society. Web site includes position papers and recommended readings. Based in Los Angeles, California.

  Islam and Women's Rights

  [URL: http://www.arches.uga.edu/~godlas/Islamwomen.html]

  A compilation of links to various articles concerning the rights of Muslim women.

Judaism

• Bibliographies
  
  

  Cantor, Aviva. The Jewish woman, 1900-1980 : bibliography. Rev. ed. Fresh Meadows, NY : Biblio Press, c1981.

  [Reference HQ 1172 .C25]
  
  

  Forman, Frieda. Jewish Women's Voices: Past and Present, A Bibliography. Women's Educational Resources Centre: University of Toronto, 1987.

  Contents: Contemporary Jewish Feminism, Jewish Women's History, Jewish American History, Religion and Spirituality, Biblical Scholarship, Holocaust Writings, Israel/Palestine, Biography, Canadian Biography, Fiction, Canadian Fiction, Poetry, Yiddish Literature in Translation, Violence Against Women, Bibliographies and Curriculum Gudies, and Periodicals.
  
  

  Hamelsdorf, Ora. Jewish women and Jewish law bibliography. Fresh Meadows, NY : Biblio Press, c1980.
  

  Useful for ordination issues; arranged by author only, no subject index.

  [Van Pelt HQ 1172 .H34]
  
  

  Ruud, Inger Marie. Women And Judaism: A Select Annotated Bibliography. New York, NY: Garland, 1988.
  

  [Ref BM 729 W6 R88 1988]
  
  

  Wexler-Pashkoff. Bibliography of Jewish Women's Resources. Updated periodically.

  Contents: General, Liturgy, Synagogue and Worship, Holidays, Life Cycle, Biblical and Talmudic Women, History, Holocaust, Fiction, Children's Books, Periodicals, Bibliographies and Course Guides, Web Sites.
  
  

  Weisbard, Phyllis Holman. Annotated Bibliography and Guide to Archival Resources on the History of Jewish Women in America. 1997.

  URL: http://www.library.wisc.edu/libraries/WomensStudies/jewwom/jwmain.htm

  A slightly modified version of this bibliography is also found on pages 1553-1586 (v. 2) of Jewish Women in America: An Historical Encyclopedia, edited by Paula E. Hyman and Deborah Dash Moore, and sponsored by the American Jewish Historical Society. 2 v. New York, Routledge, 1997.
  
  

• Dictionaries & Encyclopedias
  
  

  Encyclopaedia Judaica. New York; Macmillan, 1971-72. 16v.

  [Van Pelt Reference: DS 102.8 E52]

  About 25,000 articles discussing issues relating to world Jewry. Most articles are signed with bibliographies. Use of the Index [vol. 1] is necessary.
  
  

  Jewish American women writers : a bio-bibliographical and critical sourcebook. Ann R. Shapiro, editor in chief. Westport, Conn. : Greenwood Press, 1994.

  [Van Pelt Reference: PS153.J4 J48 1994]
  
  

  Jewish women in America : an historical encyclopedia. Paula E. Hyman and Deborah Dash Moore, editors. 2v. New York : Routledge, c1998.

  [Van Pelt Library Reference DS115.2 .J49 1998]

  
  
• Periodicals
  
  

  Lilith. Vol. 1, no. 1 (fall 1976)-

  [Van Pelt BM 729.W6 L54, Unbound Issues in Current Periodicals]

  See selected articles from its web page.
  
  

  Women in Judaism: A Multidisciplinary Journal. Vol. 1, no. 1 (Fall 1997)-

  [URL: http://www.utoronto.ca/wjudaism/]

  
  
• Periodical Indexes
  
  

  Index to articles on Jewish studies. Jerusalem, Shem Y.L. Magnes, 1966- .

  In Hebrew and English.

  [Van Pelt: BM 1 .I634, Latest 5 years in Van Pelt Reference]
  
  

  Index to Jewish periodicals. Cleveland Heights: Index. 1963?- .

  [Van Pelt Reference Index Area: AI 3 I522]

  
  
  
• Web Sites
  
  

  Bat Kol: A Feminist House of Study

  [URL: http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/batkol/]

  "The first Jewish feminist house of study of its kind in Israel."

  Jewish Feminist Resources - Adina Levin

  [URL: http://world.std.com/~alevin/jewishfeminist.html]

  Covers art, religion, history, organizations, and periodicals.

  Lilith - Alan Humm, University of Pennsylvania

  [URL: http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~humm/Topics/Lilith/]

  Includes excerpts from ancient and folklore sources for Lilith, on-line electronic discussions, modern literature, and pictures.
  
  

Contemporary Women's Spirituality

• Bibliographies
  
  

  Carson, Anne. Goddesses & Wise Women : The Literature Of Feminist Spirituality. Freedom, CA : Crossing Press, 1992.
  [Ref BL 458 C395 1992]
  
  

• Web Sites
  
  

  Covenant of the Goddess

  [URL: http://www.cog.org/cog/]

  An international organization of cooperating, autonomous Wiccan congregations and solo practitioners.

  Isis: Spirit

  [URL: http://www.netdiva.com/spirit.html]

  Primarily West African-centered spirituality and spiritual expression.

  SisterSpirit: Women Sharing Spirituality

  [URL: http://www.teleport.com/nonprofit/sister-spirit/]

  A web site focusing on the Divine Feminine. Traditions included are Women's Spirituality, Dianic, Wicca, Paganism, Earth Centered, etc. Includes links to rituals.

  Under Shekina's Wings - Cross Cultural Women's Spirituality

  [URL: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/1501/]

  A page for women who have felt that traditional religion has not adequately addressed their needs or enabled them to participate fully in religious life.

Women in the Medieval and Ancient Periods

• Bibliographies
  
  

  Bar-Ilan, Meir. Jewish Women in the Bible and Antiquity.

  Useful starting place. Some text in Hebrew.

  Bibliography on Women in Byzantium - 1996
  

  An annually published document by Professor Thalia Gouma-Peterson of The College of Wooster

  [URL: http://www.wooster.edu/ART/wb.html]

  Judaism, Early Christianity, and Late Antiquity

  Bibliography from the Diotima Web Site

  [URL: http://www.uky.edu/ArtsSciences/Classics/biblio/christianity.html]

  Women in the Ancient Near East

  A select bibliography of recent sources in The Oriental Institute Research Archives

  [URL: http://www-oi.uchicago.edu/OI/DEPT/RA/WOMEN.HTML]

  
  
• Dictionaries & Encyclopedias
  
  

  Encyclopedia of early Christianity. Ed. by Everett Ferguson. New York: Garland Pub., 1990.

  Designed for the non-specialist, this work covers the period from the life of Jesus to about A.D. 600. Subjects include persons, places, doctrines, practices, art, liturgy, heresies, and schisms. Bibliographies attached include primary and secondary sources. Index.

  [Ref BR 162.2 E53 1990; also Fine Arts Ref]
  

  Salisbury, Joyce E. Encyclopedia of Women in the Ancient World. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2001.

  Brief entries with bibliographical references. Geneological charts and maps included.

  [Van Pelt Reference Stacks HQ1127 .S25 2001]
  

  The Women's Bible commentary. London, SPCK: 1992.

  A one-volume dictionary of commentaries written by women on each book of the Bible. Includes bibliographical references.

  [Van Pelt Reference: BS 491.2 .W66 1992]

  
  
• Periodical Indexes
  
  

  The Database of classical bibliography. Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1995- .

  CD-ROM has indexing for the years 1976-1987.

  Based on L'Annee Philologique, (Van Pelt Classics Seminar: PA 2 .A553). DCB contains citations of all known scholarly work published in any language anywhere in the world concerning the areas of ancient Greek and Latin language and linguistics, Greek and Roman history, literature, philosophy, art, archaeology, religion, mythology, music, science, early Christian texts, numismatics, papyrology and epigraphy, and concerning the time period from the second millennium B.C. to roughly 500- 800 A.D.

  [Van Pelt Reference Moelis Room (ask at Reference Desk]
  
  

  Medieval Feminist Index 1994-

  Covers journal articles, book reviews, and essays in books about women, sexuality, and gender during the Middle Ages (450 C.E. to 1500 C.E.). Geographic boundaries are Europe, North Africa, and the Near East.
  
  

  New Testament abstracts. 1956- .

  [Van Pelt: BS 410 N35, Latest 5 years in Reference]
  
  

  Old Testament abstracts. 1978- .

  [Van Pelt Judaica/Ancient Near East Seminar: BS 410 O42]

  
  
• Web Sites
  
  

  Diotima
  

  Materials for the study of women and gender in the ancient world

  [URL: http://www.stoa.org/diotima/]

  Matrix
  

  A collection of resources for the study of women's religious communities, 500-1500.

  [URL: http://matrix.divinity.yale.edu/]

Copyright © 1998-2002 University of Pennsylvania Library. All Rights Reserved.