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Mariology: Background Info.

Supporting TH299 and TH401 with Prof. Patricia Sullivan

Online Background Resources on Mariology

New Catholic Encyclopedia << link searches on "Virgin Mary"
This Catholic reference work is prized for its scholarly presentation of persons and subjects related to Catholicism and the humanities, with articles on theology, philosophy, history, literary figures, saints, musicians and much more.

Encyclopedia of Religion << link searches on "Virgin Mary"
This online version of a seminal 15-volume reference work includes over 3,000 lengthy articles about religious and theological topics. The encyclopedia encompasses theoretical, practical, and sociological perspectives on religion, including cross-cultural looks at different religious traditions. This second edition includes 600 new articles plus updates to many of the original entries.

Gale Virtual Reference Library << link searches on "Virgin Mary"
Core electronic reference resource, this collection of online subject encyclopedias provides in-depth articles on a wide range of topics, with an emphasis on the social sciences.

Oxford Reference Online << link searches on "Virgin Mary"
Includes Oxford theology-subject dictionaries (including Bible, Buddhism, Byzantium, Saints) and broad dictionaries covering Christian churches and world religions; also offers encyclopedias and a "Companion Series" to people/places of the bible.

New Catholic Encyclopedia

Why Use Reference Sources?

Reference sources include encyclopedias, handbooks, and dictionaries.  They are a great place to begin your research, since they can help with the following:

  • Offer ideas for possible research topics
  • Give you background information on your topic
  • Define unfamiliar terms
  • Suggest keywords to use when searching for books and articles
  • Point you to books and articles on your topic, via "works cited" lists

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