General religion library
Information for studying religion in context.
Use this guide to explore how religions develop, how beliefs differ, how sacred time is marked, and how language, history and public life shape religious understanding.
Begin with a theme
Ways into the collection
This page gathers cross-tradition resources. For the beliefs and practices of individual communities, use the dedicated religion directories.
Origins & development
Ethics & spirituality
Terms & interpretation
Calendars & observances
History & public life
Key individual essays
Introductions to recurring questions in comparative religion and belief.
How beliefs differ among and within religionsA comparative overview of variation between communities and inside traditions.
How Christians establish beliefs and policiesAn archive guide to sources of Christian ethical reasoning.
How religion initially developedTheories concerning the origins and social development of religion.
The Axial Age and its consequencesA period associated with influential changes in religious thought.
Religion as a source of benefit and harmWhy organized belief can inspire compassionate action as well as conflict.
Balancing dimensions of faithAn archived essay about the many dimensions of religious life.
Concepts of GodWays diverse religions understand deity and ultimate reality.
Religious myths and legendsThe roles sacred narratives play in communities and cultures.
Reading public-opinion polls: Part 1How wording, sampling and interpretation can distort findings.
Reading public-opinion polls: Part 2Further cautions for evaluating statistical claims.
Core reference sections
Broad directories for definitions, background reading and further study.
Basic religious informationArticles about demographics, practices, policies, historical trends and observances.
Doubt in religious faithHow uncertainty can function within belief and spiritual development.
Recommended booksReading on theology, religion and spirituality.
External religion resourcesA directory of additional educational websites.
Paraphrased perspectivesReligious, philosophical and humorous ideas presented with context.
A–Z glossaryDefinitions for unfamiliar religious terms.
Reducing religion-inspired conflict
Archive material on education, reciprocal ethics, solidarity and the interpretation of difficult religious texts.
Balancing religious expectationsConsidering competing claims without treating one community as the default.
Responding to harmful sacred-text passagesAn archived proposal concerning passages used to justify hostility or violence.
Difficult passages in the BibleA contextual index of passages associated with conflict.
Applying the Golden RuleReciprocal ethics as one approach to preventing harm.
How religion is taughtEducational approaches intended to improve understanding.
Solidarity in Billings, MontanaA historical community response to antisemitic harassment.
Religion in the news archive
News pages are archival resources. Check dates and current reporting before relying on an older summary.
Religion news feedCollected items from varied news sources.
Intolerance, change and conflictArchived reporting about religious hostility and institutional change.
Tolerance and spiritualityArchived reporting about cooperation and spiritual life.
Religion news indexBrowse the larger historical news collection.
Religious terms and language
The same word may carry different meanings across traditions, denominations, academic writing and everyday speech.
Different uses of religious wordsVocabulary differences among Evangelical Christians and other communities.
Terms with multiple meaningsA guide to potentially confusing religious language.
WitchcraftDefinitions and distinctions in religious and popular usage.
PaganismBackground on a broad family of religious identities.
The occultHow this disputed umbrella term has been used.
Secular terms in contested topicsChoosing neutral language when positions are deeply divided.
Religious holy days and calendars
Dates may vary by calendar, region, denomination and local practice. Consult an active community when planning an observance.
Holy days by monthAn archival monthly index of festivals and observances.
Religious festival listAncient and modern celebrations across traditions.
Important holy daysA concise guide to prominent observances.
Religious calendarsCalendar systems from the Bahá’í Faith to Zoroastrianism.
CE and BCE: backgroundWhy these labels may be used instead of AD and BC.
CE and BCE: discussionDifferent perspectives on calendar terminology.
Spring equinoxReligious and seasonal observances near the March equinox.
Summer solsticePart one of the seasonal archive.
Autumn equinoxObservances associated with the September equinox.
Winter solsticeObservances associated with the December solstice.
ChristmasHistory, customs and religious interpretations.
National Day of PrayerAn archive guide to the American observance.
National Day of Reason: Part 1A secular observance held on the same day.
National Day of Reason: Part 2Additional historical context.
Historical fears, reports and apologies
These pages document earlier events and concerns. Their original dates remain essential context.
End-times beliefsReligious expectations concerning the end of the world.
Y2K fears: Part 1Computer and social concerns surrounding the year 2000.
The FBI Megiddo reportA historical government report concerning religious extremism.
The Canadian CSIS reportAn archival report concerning religious extremism.
Remorse and institutional responsibilityAn archived essay on apology and changed conduct.
Roman Catholic apology in 2000Historical context for an institutional acknowledgment of past wrongdoing.
Christian apology concerning the CrusadesAn interfaith response addressed to Jewish and Muslim communities.
Residential-school apologiesCanadian denominations' responses to abuse in residential schools.
Additional archive topics
Further reading connecting religion with education, science, symbolism and public institutions.
Common misconceptions about religionFrequent errors about belief and practice.
Concepts of sinHow different traditions understand moral or spiritual wrongdoing.
Biblical inerrancyContrasting Christian views of scriptural authority and error.
What is truth?Religious and philosophical approaches to truth claims.
Faith diversity aboard ColumbiaReligious diversity among the space shuttle crew.
Symbols and idolsWhy sacred objects are interpreted differently across communities.
Names for the Holy LandLanguage, identity and geography in a contested region.
Specific religions directoryInformation about individual traditions from Asatru to Zoroastrianism.
New religious movementsBackground on minority and emerging religious groups.
Planning a memorialGeneral considerations for a respectful remembrance.
About this guide
Context before conclusions.
Religious Tolerance organizes material across religious and non-theistic traditions without treating one worldview as the universal standard. Links on this page combine introductory guides with dated archival material.
Readers are encouraged to distinguish a community's own account of its beliefs from outside description, and to recognize meaningful diversity within every large tradition.
What's includedDefinitions, comparisons, history, ethics, calendars and links to broader directories.
How to read itCheck publication context, distinguish historical archives from current guidance, and consult multiple perspectives.