Religion

Association of Religion Data Archives: Hosted by Pennsylvania State University's Department of Sociology, this site allows interactive exploration of statistical data on American and international religion using online features for generating national profiles, maps, church membership overviews, denominational heritage trees, tables, charts, and other summary reports. Over 400 data files are available for online preview and most can be downloaded for additional research. Particularly useful is the QuickStats page, providing at-a-glance information, drawn from major national surveys, on American religious beliefs, behaviors, and affiliations.

Black/African Saints: A handy list of saints of African descent, ranging from the famous (St. Augustine of Hippo) to the obscure. Each name is linked to a brief biography and feast day.

Encyclopedia of Religion and Society: Hosted by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, this online encyclopedia attempts to bring together contemporary insights on religion gained by the principal social sciences of anthropology, psychology, and sociology. Entries (which include references) cover subjects including specific religions, social movements, individuals, and philosophical concepts.

Exploring Religions: Sponsored by the Religious Studies Program at the University of Wyoming, this is an exploration of the world's five largest religions: Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, and Islam. Includes timelines, glossaries, maps, and other topics. Also includes "The Cosmos"--a description of how each belief system views the universe and creator, and worshippers' relationship with both.

Internet Sacred Text Archive: This site is a freely available archive of electronic texts about religion, mythology, legends and folklore, and occult and esoteric topics. Texts are presented in English translation and, where possible, in the original language. Searchable by titles, authors, and subjects, or via links listed on the left-hand side of the main page.

Islamic Foundation of North America: Dedicated to creating the ideal curriculum and syllabus for the study of Islam, Arabic and Muslim-themed literature. This site lists K-12 syllabi and teacher resources, as well as an "Ask an Islamic Scholar" link for those with questions about Islamic religious and social practices.

IslamiCity: This large site is a clearinghouse for Islamic-focused news and information. Contains links to pages about the Pillars of Islam, Islamic history, local prayer times, and lists of local mosques, schools, and organizations. Also links to a glossary of Islamic terms and a Quran search.

Maryland Church Directory: Grouped by city and then denomination, this directory lists the name, phone number, address, and Web site (when available) of Maryland churches who have submitted their information. Although every effort is made to keep the listings up to date, the final responsibility for currency belongs to the participating churches.

Moorish Science Temple of America: An Islamic sect with a separate Koran, the Moorish Science Temple has branch temples in fifteen states.

maintained by the staff of the Humanities Department, State Library Resource Center, Enoch Pratt Free Library