| Library Guide - theology |
Welcome
I’m your Liaison Librarian for Theology, David Crozier. If you need help with finding or accessing any of the sources mentioned in this guide, I will be happy to help. Contact me in the library or as follows:
Email: d.crozier@newman.ac.uk
Tel: 0121 476 1181 ext. 1339
This subject guide is intended to help you find relevant information and resources to support you during your studies of Theology. It provides a comprehensive overview of the best resources for your subject area.
Remember, a comprehensive literature search of the available resources will allow you to read widely around the subject, absorb a range of viewpoints and reach your own conclusions on a topic based on what you've read. Exactly the kind of behaviour your lecturers are looking for!
Library Catalogue
The Library catalogue is accessible at designated computers in the library or online via the library homepage.
You can use it to search for books, journal titles and many
other materials that are held in the Library. There are four
separate online catalogues available:
Main - The main catalogue includes general academic and theoretical texts, reference sources and some audio-visual materials.
School Experience Collection - Search the school experience catalogue for teaching materials such as lesson plans, topic books, kits, artefacts and multimedia.
Off-air Recordings – This collection is not kept in the library itself, but in the Resources department. However, you can still search its catalogue from the OPAC. It is a collection of audio-visual materials for use in schools.
Journals – Search this catalogue for the journal titles available in the library. For references to specific articles, you should search electronic bibliographic databases and online journals.
If you know the details of the item you are looking for you can search the catalogue by author, title, or even ISBN (‘number’ option). You can use the keyword option to search for a given subject. There is a guide to using the catalogue at the side of every library catalogue computer, but if you need any further help please ask a member of library staff.
The library catalogue will only search for materials held at Newman, however on the internet, using the ‘Electronic Resources’ option on the library homepage, you can gain access to the library catalogues of various local and national institutions, e.g. Birmingham University. You may also be able to arrange to have reference or borrowing rights at some of these places through the SCONUL Access scheme. Please ask a member of library staff for further information if you are interested.
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Quick reference sources
These ‘quick reference’ sources are useful for finding factual information, answering specific questions on your subject and for finding answers quickly. The types of sources you can expect to find in the reference collection are:
Dictionaries
Thesauri
Encyclopaedias
Handbooks
Directories
Yearbooks and annuals
Use quick reference sources to find explanations and definitions of particular terms or topics, to find contact addresses or information on people or organisations or as a basis for finding out further information central to your subject area.
The sources selected for this guide will help you get to grips with some of the terminology you will encounter while studying Theology.
Encyclopaedias are useful as a basic way of introducing yourself to a new subject, but the level and detail of information differs from one source to the next. It is also worth noting how up-to-date the information is that you are using. You may find some electronic sources are more up to date.
OXFORD DICTIONARY OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH
Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997
Third edition of this impressive one-volume work, concise articles by authors across the denominational spectrum. Further references follow most entries.
DICTIONARY OF
CHRISTIAN BIOGRAPHY
London: Continuum, 2001
One-volume work with entries for over 6 500 Christians from different ages and countries. Concise and clear.
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF
CATHOLICISM
New York: HarperCollins, 1995
One-volume guide to Roman Catholicism: beliefs, people, traditions, history etc.
NEW CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA
Detroit: Thomson/Gale, 2003
The very latest edition of this essential work; 15 volumes with entries from A cappella to Zwinglianism. Produced in association with the Catholic University of America.
OXFORD ENCYCLOPEDIA
OF THE MODERN ISLAMIC WORLD
Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995
In four volumes, edited by Islamic scholar John L. Esposito. Covers Islamic contributions to spheres such as astronomy and architecture, as well as including entries on individuals and movements.
NEW JEROME BIBLICAL
COMMENTARY
London: Geoffrey Chapman, 1993
Standard one-volume commentary: reliable first point of reference or back-up if individual commentaries are already in use.
CATHOLIC DIRECTORY OF ENGLAND AND WALES
Manchester: Gabriel Communications, 2003
Annual publication, full lists and contact details for Orders, Dioceses, Priests etc.
ARCHDIOCESE OF
BIRMINGHAM DIRECTORY
Liverpool: Mersey Mirror, 2001
Equivalent of Catholic Directory but specifically for Birmingham area.
OXFORD REFERENCE ONLINE
This digital reference library, accessible via the library website Electronic Resources link, contains dictionaries, encyclopaedias, thesauri and subject specific titles. Use this source to find out factual information and to get to grips with concepts or find out about people and places.
THE WORLD OF LEARNING
2002 52nd EDITION
London: Europa Publications, 2001
This is an authoritative reference source about the academic world. It is easy to use, and contains directory details of over 30,000 universities, colleges, research institutes and libraries in 180 countries.
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On the library shelves
The Library uses the Dewey decimal system to classify and arrange its books by subject. The catalogue will give you the shelf number of the book you need, and tell you if it is in the library or out on loan. The following are some examples of shelf marks relevant to theology. NB: Dewey is logical and hierarchical, allowing for sub-divisions within broader headings, and more specific entries behind the decimal point: : eg the Bible at 220, Old Testament 221, Historical Books 222, Exodus 222.12 .
| Philosophy | 100 |
| Ethics (moral philosophy) | 170 |
| Modern Western Philosophy | 190 |
| Religion | 200 |
| General Theology | 201 |
| Bible: general: incl. translations and commentaries | 220 |
| Old Testament | 221 |
| New Testament | 225 |
| Christian Theology | 230 |
| God | 231 |
| Christology | 232 |
| Christian Ethics (Moral theology) | 241 |
| Social theology: relations between religions | 261 |
| Ecclesiology (church organization etc) | 262 |
| Church History | 270 |
| Roman Catholic Church | 282 |
| General World Religions (other than Christianity) | 290 |
| Buddhism | 294.3 |
| Hinduism | 294.5 |
| Sikhism | 294.6 |
| Judaism | 296 |
| Islam | 297 |
| Religious Education (primary) | 372.84 |
| Religious Education (secondary) | 375.2 |
E-books
Some of the library’s most popular texts are now available to you electronically through our e-book service provided by Dawsonera.
Dawsonera can be accessed from the Electronic Resources - E-books section of the page on the library website . You will need to be logged into Athens to access the full-text books which the library has purchased (details can be found in the Athens information section of the Electronic Resources page on the library website). Individual titles can also be accessed via the library catalogue.
For some modules you may be required to purchase some or all of the texts from the ‘essential reading’ on your reading lists. You may find the following retailers useful:
Abebooks - Online bookshop especially useful for second hand and out of print books.
Amazon - Online books, often much cheaper than RRP!
Waterstones - Search and buy online or try their branch located on the University of Birmingham Edgbaston campus – they often have textbooks in stock that are difficult to obtain from elsewhere. Telephone them on 0121 472 3034.
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Journals
Journals are an excellent source of information
on your subject. They show evidence of wider reading, are important
for research and help you keep informed of any changes and developments
in the study of your subject area. They are published more frequently
than books so the information they hold is often more up-to-date.
The journal collection is for reference only, so titles should always be accessible.
Some journal titles are available electronically via SwetsWise, using ‘Electronic
Resources’ on the library web page.
We may be able to provide an article from a journal that we don’t have in the library via our inter-library loans service. Please ask at the Enquiry desk for details.
Here are some journal titles that will be useful in your studies:
| Briefing – Liverpool | New Blackfriars |
| British Journal of Religious Education | New Testament Studies* |
| Catholic Biblical Quarterly | Osterley Newsletter |
| Communio – International Catholic Review | Philosophical Quarterly* |
| Concilium | Philosophical Review |
| Cracking RE and Junior RE | Priests and People |
| Dawn | Progress in Theology |
| Ecotheology | Pro Ecclesia |
| Feminist Theology | RE Today (CEM) |
| Heythrop Journal* | Reviews in Religion and Theology* |
| International Journal of Children’s Spirituality* | Spirituality |
| International Journal of Systematic Theology* | Studies in Christian Ethics |
| Irish Theological Quarterly* | The Tablet (Newspaper) |
| Journal for the Study of the Old Testament* | Theological Studies (Journal of)* |
| Journal of Biblical Literature | Theology |
| Journal of Islamic Studies | Theology Digest |
| Midland Catholic History | The Universe Catholic Weekly (Newspaper) |
| Milltown Studies | World Faiths Encounter |
| Modern Theology* | Worship |
* = Journals available electronically
Newspapers are also a good source of current information. The library holds printed copies of the Times Educational Supplement, the Times Higher Educational Supplement, the Tablet, and the Universe Catholic Weekly. Many newspapers are now also available via the web, and have searchable archives.
Databases
These are guides to the information held in journals
and conference papers, etc. which make it easier to find published
articles relevant to your subject.
Index sources are generally easy to use, providing relatively up-to-date bibliographic
details (also called references) for articles on a particular subject or by
a particular author.
Abstract sources provide the same sort of details but in addition to the reference
to an article, they will also provide an abstract (or summary) of the contents
of the article, to help you decide how relevant it will be.
Newman library abstract and index services are available online for you to
use at all times via the library website. Use the ‘Electronic Resources’ link,
then select Databases. The main services relevant to Theology and RE are:
RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY COLLECTION
Full text database covering topics such as world religions, major denominations, biblical studies, religious history, epistemology, political philosophy, philosophy of language, moral philosophy and the history of philosophy.
EDUCATION RESEARCH COMPLETE
Full text database covering Education - a useful resource for ITE students.
Journals not available at Newman
We may be able to provide an article from a journal that we don’t have in the library via our inter-library loans service. Please ask at the Enquiry desk or email: library-enquiries@newman.ac.uk for details. This service incurs a small charge and is also available for books.
If the journal articles you require are held in a university library near to you, you can visit that library to access their journals through the SCONUL Access scheme. You can find out which universities have the journals you need by checking the library catalogue of individual institutions or by checking Zetoc the British Library's table of contents. A list of other univeristy catalogues is available on the Electronic resources page of the Newman library website.
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Statistics
For up to date information on government legislation and practices you should refer directly to government publications. A number of official publications are kept in the library in the Education Reference section. There are also various web sites containing this type of information, most of which are available via the ‘Useful Websites’ link on the library homepage. Keep informed of official publications by checking The Stationery Office (TSO) Annual Catalogue, London: HMSO and their monthly catalogue.
Statistical information is available on the National Statistics web site. It also provides links to resources such as ‘Regional Trends’, ‘Social Trends’ and education and training statistics.
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Searching the web
There are a large number of quality-assessed resources available through the library homepage. You can use the following links:
Useful Websites then choose the Religion and Theology subject area to get a list of links to relevant websites.
Birmingham
Theological Libraries Group
Details of other theological libraries in the area.
MultiFaith Centre
Huge gateway and database, useful for study of world religious traditions and communities. If you are asked for a password, just click on ok
Religious Resources
Comprehensive searchable database of mainly Christian websites
Electronic Resources provides a link to Information Gateways such as INTUTE: Arts and Humanities. The advantage of gateways over more general search engines like Google or Yahoo, is that they have pre-assessed sites for quality and relevance to the subject field and are often aimed at the higher education field. Therefore search results are more focused, less likely to obtain irrelevant results and have already made it through some level of quality checking.
David Crozier August 2010