The physical collection on Religious studies is located in the University Library. Most of the books are in closed stacks and can be requested through the Catalogue.

Reference collection

A selection of reference works, such as dictionaries, encyclopedias and primary sources is located in the study area Religious Studies in the University Library (first floor, entrance 1)  Items from the reference collection cannot be borrowed. It is however possible to make copies or scans.

In addition, books on Islam can (also) be found in the Middle Eastern Library, books on Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism in the Asian Library, books on religion in Africa in the African Library, and some books on social or anthropological aspects of religion in the Social Sciences Library.

Statistics

The World Religion Database publishes detailed statistics on religious affiliation for all countries and ethnicities worldwide. In addition, the WRD contains estimates for demographic developments within religions up to the year 2050.

Reference works

Religion Past and Present online : RPP. (online) Classic encyclopedia of religion, with 15.000 entries covering a wide range of topics from history, archaeology, liturgy, law, bible, music, visual arts, politics, social sciences, natural sciences, ethics and philosophy.

The Oxford handbook of the study of religion (online and loanable)

Vocabulary for the study of religion (online) The 400 entries (like agency, heresy, ritual, salvation) of this interdisciplinary vocabulary offer an overview of critical terms in the study of religion(s).

Brill’s Encyclopedia of Law and Religion (online)

The Oxford encyclopedia of politics and religion (online)

The SAGE encyclopedia of the sociology of religion (online)

Many other useful reference works (encyclopedia’s, companions, handbooks) on specific religions and aspects of religion worldwide can be found on the following platforms:

Oxford reference online (browse subject: religion)

Oxford handbooks online. (browse subject: religion, filter on books)

Cambridge companions.  (browse ‘The Cambridge Companions to Philosophy, Religion and Culture’, filter ‘Religion’)

Brill Companions Online (browse ‘Brill's Companions to Religious Studies, Theology and Philosophy Online’; you will find handbooks on contemporary religion)

Finding articles

L'Annee Philologique: bibliography containing citations from scientific publications (starting from 1969) on Greek and Roman history, language and culture (200 BC to around 800 AD).

Classics - Oxford bibliographies. Cf the guides on ‘Religion, Greek’ and ‘Religion, Roman’.

Reference works

Brill's New Pauly: Encyclopaedia of the Ancient World: The most complete encyclopedia about antiquity, with almost 20,000 entries.

The Cambridge history of religions in the ancient world a comprehensive examination of the history of the religions of the ancient Near East and Mediterranean world, extending from the Bronze Age into the late Roman period.

The Oxford handbook of ancient Greek religion a comprehensive overview of the current state of scholarship, from the Archaic to the Hellenistic period.

Books to start with

Johnston, Sarah Iles (2004), Religions of the ancient world : a guide Harvard University Press (online and in study area BL687.R47 2004)

Rupke, Jorg (2016) On Roman Religion: Lived Religion and the Individual in Ancient Rome Cornell University Press (online and loanable)

Laneri, Nicola (2024) From ritual to God in the ancient Near East : tracing the origins of religion, Oxford University Press (online and in study area MEL BL1060.L355 2024)

Frankfurter, David (2019), Guide to the study of ancient magic, Brill (online and loanable)

Finding articles

Index Theologicus: open access bibliography hosted by the Universitätsbibliothek Tübingen. Indexes 1200+ journals (since 1988) in addition to Festschriften (since 1995) and congress publications (since 1999), mainly from European publishers.

Index voor Nederlandse theologische tijdschriften Indexes Dutch theological journals.

For Medieval Christianity and the Reformation and after:

Oxford Bibliographies - Medieval Studies 

Oxford Bibliographies - Renaissance and Reformation

Reference works

Brill encyclopedia of early christianity online Over 1,100 articles on important topics in the history of early Christian texts, authors, and ideas

Textual history of the Bible (Brill, online) Brings together all available information regarding the textual history and character, translation techniques, manuscripts, and the importance of each textual witness for each biblical and deutero-canonical book.

World Christian encyclopedia 3d edition (2019, Edinburg University Press) Authoritative and extensive demographic survey of World Christianity. Loanable.

History of global christianity online = Geschichte des globalen Christentums (Brill) deals with the history of the global shift experienced by Christianity between the sixteenth century and the present day.

Brill's encyclopedia of global Pentecostalism online Provides a comprehensive overview of worldwide Pentecostalism from a range of disciplinary perspectives, offering analysis of specific countries and regions, historical figures, movements and organizations, and particular topics and themes.

Books to start with

Fredriksen, Paula (2024) Ancient Christianities: The first five hundred years. Princeton University Press

Lieu, Judith (2016) Neither Jew nor Greek? : constructing early Christianity Bloomsbury T & T Clark

McGuckin, John (2020) The Eastern Orthodox Church : a new history. New Haven: Yale University Press.

MacCulloch, Diarmaid (2004) Reformation : Europe's house divided, 1490-1700, Allen Lane (loanable)

Johnson, Todd and Ross, Kenneth (2012), Atlas of Global Christianity (Edinburgh University Press)

Finding Articles

Hinduism - Oxford Bibliographies

Bibliography of Asian Studies online: This bibliography indexes Western-language articles published anywhere in the world that deal with East, Southeast and South Asia and with the overseas Asian communities. 

Reference works

Brill’s Encyclopedia of Hinduism online 

Handbook of Hinduism in Europe (2 Vols) (online and in the Asian Library, BL1168.E85 H36 2020)

The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Hinduism (online)

Books to start with

Brockington, J. (2020) The Sacred Thread: Hinduism in Continuity & Diversity. Edinburgh University Press (online)

Flood, G. (ed.) (2020) Hindu practice. Oxford University Press. (online)

Michaels, A., (2021) Hinduism: Past and Present. Princeton University Press. (online)

Olson, C. (2007) Hindu primary sources : a sectarian reader. Rutgers University Press. (Asian Library, BL1111.32 .E5 2007)

Pennington, B. K. (2005) Was Hinduism invented? : Britons, Indians, and colonial construction of religion. Oxford University Press (online)

Rodrigues, H. (2006) Introducing Hinduism. Routledge (Asian Library, BL1202 .R53 2006)

Finding articles

Islamic Studies – Oxford Bibliographies

Index Islamicus International classified bibliography of publications in European languages on all aspects of Islam and the Muslim world. Covers all the main Muslim areas of Asia and Africa, as well as Muslims living elsewhere, and their history, beliefs, societies, cultures, languages and literatures.

Reference works

Encyclopedia of Islam (online)

Encyclopaedia of the Qurʾān online

Encyclopedia of women and Islamic cultures (online)

Books to start with

Ahmad, S. (2017) What is Islam? The importance of being Islamic. Princeton University Press (online and study area 1st floor,  BP161.3 .A375 2016)

Bauer, T. (2001) A Culture of Ambiguity: An Alternative History of Islam. Columbia University Press (online and loanable through the catalogue)

Berger, Maurits S. (2014) A Brief History of Islam in Europe, Thirteen Centuries of Creed, Conflict and Coexistence. Leiden University Press (online and loanable through the catalogue)

Brown, Jonatahn A.C. (2014) Misquoting Muhammad: The Challenge and Choices of Interpreting the Prophet's Legacy. Oneworld Publications (loanable through the catalogue)

Hughes, Aaron W. (2022) Muslim Identities. An Introduction to Islam. Columbia University Press (online and loanable through the catalogue)

Reference works

Encyclopaedia Judaica (online) provides an exhaustive overview of Jewish life and knowledge from the Second Temple period to the contemporary state of Israel, from Rabbinic to modern Yiddish literature, from Kabbalah to "Americana" and from Zionism to the contribution of Jews to world cultures.

Encyclopedia of Jews in the Islamic world (Brill, online) More than 250 entries about the history, religion and culture of the Jewish people in Islamic countries. Focus is on the period after the Middle Ages.

The Routledge atlas of Jewish history (online): more than 100 maps depicting Jewish demography and migration.

Books to start with

Van der Toorn, Karel (2025) Israelite Religion : From Tribal Beginnings to Scribal Legacy. Yale University Press

Goodman, Martin (2018)  A History of Judaism: From Its Origins to the Present, Princeton University Press

Betnitzky, Leora (2011) How Judaism became a religion : an introduction to modern Jewish thought, Princeton University Press

Kepnes, Steven (2021), The Cambridge companion to Jewish Theology, Cambridge University Press

Finding articles

Buddhism - Oxford bibliographies.

Reference works

Brill's encyclopedia of Buddhism online.

The Oxford encyclopedia of Buddhism

Digital dictionary of Buddhism

Books to start with

Lopez, Donals S. (2025) Buddhism: A Journey Through History, Yale University Press

Finding articles

Nag Hammadi bibliography online. A cross-searchable database of books, articles and reviews that contribute to the study of Gnosticism and early Christianity.

Sociological Abstracts: for books and articles from scientific publications published starting 1963 on sociological aspects of religion. Abstracts from 1974.

PsycInfo: lists publications from 1887 on psychological aspects of religion and spirituality, such as identity and acculturation, personal values and worldview, religious rituals, fundamentalism, palliative care and intelligent design.

The website of the Center for Studies on New Religions (Cesnur) in Turin lists new publications organized per subject.

Amsterdam Hermetica, a web portal created by the Center for the History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents (UvA) curates a list of websites that provide online access to a variety of esoteric primary source materials.

Reference works

Esotericism

The Cambridge handbook of western mysticism and esotericism (Glenn Alexander Magee, 2016) Online.

Dictionary of gnosis and western esotericism (W.J. Hanegraaff, Brill 2005): more than 400 articles on the historical development of important movements within gnostics and western esotericism, such as Hermetism, astrology, rosicrucians, freemasonry and New Age. Online.

New religious movements

Oxford Handbook of New Religious Movements II (James R. Lewis, Oxford University Press, 2016): This handbook covers the current state of the field, with contributions drawn from scholars of sociology and religious studies

Encyclopedia of new religious movements (Peter B. Clarke, Routledge 2006): Descriptions of more than 300 religious movements worldwide.

Cambridge companion to New Religious Movements (Olav Hammer/Mikael Rothstein, Cambridge University Press 2012): discusses the most important characteristics of NRMs from a comparative perspective.

Bloomsbury companion to New Religious Movements (George D. Chryssides/ Benjamin E. Zeller, Bloomsbury 2014): overview of research methods into NRMs. Contains timelines, an extensive bibliography and a glossary with explanations.

Handbook of hyper real religions (Adam Possamai, Brill 2012): chapters about religious movements with a strong link with popular culture( like Star Wars, Tolkien, Harry Potter etc)

Books to start with

Esotericism

Kocku von Stuckrad (2005) Western Esotericism: a brief history of secret knowledge, Equinox

De Conick, April D (2016) The gnostic new age : how a countercultural spirituality revolutionized religion from antiquity to today, Columbia University Press

Versluis, Arthur (2023) American Gnosis : Political Religion and Transcendence, Oxford University Press

Asprem, Egil (2020) New Approaches to the Study of Esotericism, Brill

Denzey Lewis, N. (2013) Introduction to “Gnosticism”: Ancient Voices, Christian Worlds, Oxford University Press

New Religious movements

Urban, Hugh B (2015) New age, neopagan, and new religious movements : alternative spirituality in contemporary America, University of California Press

Lewis, James R et al (2014) Controversial new religions, Oxford University Press

Burns, Dylan M (2019) New antiquities : transformations of ancient religion in the new age and beyond, Equinox

Dawson, Lorne L. (2006) Comprehending Cults: the sociology of new religious movements, Oxford University Press