The first step in research in any subject is making sure you understand your topic. Use dictionaries, encyclopedias, and other reference sources to gather background information to better understand your topic.
The objective of The Qur'an: An Encyclopedia is to present a diversity of thoughts amd approaches in order to give a strong appreciation of the range of response that the text has provoked throughout its history and providing students and researchers with a powerful one-volume resource covering all aspects of the text and its reception.
The Encyclopedia consists of 150 essays by scholars on topics including concepts and ideas, historical events and eras, major world religions, key issues of religious freedom, minority groups and the stance of major world religions on the issues of religious freedom.
"Comprehensive as well as compelling, with coverage on more than 2,300 North American religious groups in the U.S. and Canada -- from Adventists to Zen Buddhists. Information on these groups is presented in two distinct sections.
The best-value and most wide-ranging reference volume available on the subject The Oxford Dictionary of World Religions is an exceptionally wide-ranging A-Z reference guide to the history, beliefs, dogmas, practices, individuals, customs, and artifacts of the worlds religions past and present.
Covering secret societies, mysterious ancient traditions, and the often-mistaken history of the world's religious symbols, this book takes readers on a tour through the fascinating world of religious symbolism and reveals the most mysterious and misunderstood facets of religion.
A comprehensive and accessible textbook which explores the traditions and beliefs of the world's living religions - the fully updated and revised new edition The World Religions Reader is an inclusive, student-friendly examination of the history, teaching, practices, and appeal of the world's major religions.