[Site Reviews Home]
Religious Studies Site Reviews
Marifah.net
[28 Jul 2010 at 7:00pm]
By providing translations, this website aims to create access for the wider English-speaking Muslim public to writings by classical and contemporary Sunni scholarship. For the Islamic Studies student or researcher, this website can provide a look into the living heritage of medieval Sunnism. The Sunni scholarship that the translators of this website are concerned with reflect a more classical approach (described here as 'orthodox'), sympathetic to the approach of speculative theological schools as well as the teachings and practices of Sufis, and are dominantly from the Arab world (or at least wrote in Arabic). A section dedicated to biographies of such scholars can be found, as well as a collection of photographs of scholars from various parts of the Muslim world. Most of the translations given here are in PDF form, and are either from relatively short treatises, or small sections from larger works. In line with the contemporary concerns of traditional Sunni discourse, many of these papers attempt to defend the theological methodology of the Ash'ari and Maturidi schools as well the teachings of Sufism from attacks by more reformist Sunni streams. Although the quality of translation does vary from text to text,the standard of translation is usually good, and transliteration and citations are given in the style found in academic journal. A number of audio and video recordings of lectures in Arabic by contemporary scholars can also be found on this website, as well as an online forum.
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Creating Buddhas : the making and meaning of fabric thangkas
[28 Jul 2010 at 7:00pm]
The website 'Creating Buddhas: the Making and Meaning of Fabric Thangkas' is partly a promotional site for a film about a woman working on these Tibetan artworks in north America. The site gives information about the making of the film and a three-minute trailer for the documentary, as well as information about the film maker and those involved in the project. It is included in this database as the film is a not-for-profit production and of academic merit. The site also gives a list of the numerous past and present screenings of the film in public cinemas. These are mostly in the US, although there have been screenings in Europe as well. There are a number of still images taken from the film showing the various stages of the production of the thangkas. It would be nice to have more information about the craft itself, rather than the documentary, but this site presents a taster of what appears an interesting and useful resource.
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Footsteps project
[15 Jul 2010 at 7:00pm]
This is the website of the AHRC funded project 'In the Footsteps of Jesus and the Prophet: Sociality, Caring and the Religious Imagination In the Filipino Diaspora'. The Footsteps Project is a major two year research project funded within the AHRC Diaspora Programme, concerned with the experiences of Filipino carers living and working in the Middle East and the role that Filipino religious congregations play in creating sociality, community and social networks among fellow migrants, both local and transnational; the ways these facilitate relations with their hosts; how faith may empower women negotiating status and identity within and beyond the workplace.
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Jews and the graphic novel
[28 Jun 2010 at 7:00pm]
'Jews and the Graphic Novel' is a 22-page documentary comic book created and written by David Gantz. This comic is free to read online, and offers a condensed history of the immense contribution made by American Jewish men to the art and craft of the comic book in the 20th century. The author has the advantage of having worked in the industry since the 1940s, and there is particular focus on the impact of the Second World War on the industry. In 22 pages, this free online comic can only scratch the surface of a history which is now dealt with in a significant number of scholarly history books - such as 'From Krakow to Krypton: Jews and comic books'; 'The Jewish graphic novel: critical approaches'; 'Up, Up, and Oy Vey'; and 'Disguised as Clark Kent: Jews, Comics, and the Creation of the Superhero', among others. It does however give a useful outline introduction for those who are just starting to take an interest in the topic.
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Historians of islamic art association
[20 Jun 2010 at 7:00pm]
This is the website of the Historians of Islamic Art Association, formerly known as the North American Historians of Islamic Art (1982-1993), and also as the Historians of Islamic Art (1996-2006). The website contains Association news, details of symposiums and opportunities, an annual list of major publications in the field, and a listing of current and recent exhibitions likely to be of interest to the membership. Past Association newsletters and the membership contact list are only available to members. The Association also runs a scholarly discussion forum at H-Islamart, and the website has subscription details for this. This Historians of Islamic Art Association website will be useful to anyone with an interest in the history of the Islamic arts.
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Armenian church
[2 Jun 2010 at 7:00pm]
The Armenian Church website provides an overview of the history of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as its official religion, in 301 AD, and the site gives a brief history of Christianity in the region, plus background information about the country and details of the church's hierarchy. While the site gives a useful introduction to the subject, it is probably not detailed enough to be of use for more advanced research. It does, however, offer an interesting gallery of several dozen black-and-white images of aspects of church architecture and decoration, and of key personnel and events in the Armenian church, though unfortunately detailed descriptions of these are not provided. The site features text adverts, which some users may find distracting.
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Hindu website : the sacred scriptures of Hinduism
[24 Mar 2010 at 7:00pm]
The Sacred Scriptures of Hinduism Web page provides English texts of the Hindu holy writings, including: the Rig Veda; the Ramayana; the Mahabharata; the Bhagvad-Gita; and the Laws of Manu. Also available is an electronic version of Surendranath Dasgupta's 1922 work 'A History of Indian Philosophy'. The site is a part of the much larger Hindu Website, which offers a variety of resources on Hinduism and other eastern religions, including separate sections providing more detailed information on the Bhagavad-Gita, the Vedas, and the Upanishads. While this is not primarily intended as an academically focused site (and some users may find the adverts distracting), it does offer one of the more comprehensive online collections of the Hindu scriptures, and so provides a useful resource for students of the religion.
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Biblindex
[19 Feb 2010 at 6:00pm]
BIBLindex is an online resource supported by the French Institute of Christian Sources. Ultimately, it aims to permit users to identify biblical quotations in all Jewish and Christian literature of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages (from the beginning of the Common Era until 1400). It is already possible to search a database of around 400,000 biblical references in works from a wide range of authors, including Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Gregory Nazianzen, Gregory of Nyssa, and many others. While this is a site with much potential, it is currently rather cumbersome to use: registration is required to access the search function, and the interface is somewhat non-intuitive (reading the instructions before beginning is strongly recommended) and slow to produce results. However, for those working in this area who are able to invest the necessary time, this may nevertheless prove a valuable resource. The site is available in English and in French.
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Bible geocoding : Bible maps in Google Earth and Google Maps
[18 Feb 2010 at 6:00pm]
Bible Geocoding is an impressive online resource which uses Google Earth and Google Maps to produce maps showing the location of every identifiable place mentioned in the Bible. One can choose to view all the places mentioned, or those in individual books or chapters. An atlas feature lists the places alphabetically, and provides for each entry a thumbnail image, links to photos, and a list of verses in which the place is mentioned. Additionally, a set of overlays allows users to compare Google Earth's images of Jerusalem with those found in historical maps. Users should note that they will need to install Google Earth to enjoy all the features of this website.
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Inter-religious dialogue
[12 Feb 2010 at 6:00pm]
Inter-Religious Dialogue is a freely available online journal. It aims both to advance theological scholarship and to promote communication, collaboration, and tolerance between members of different faith communities. The journal is edited by a multifaith team of students and scholars, and the articles (provided as PDF files) which make up the bulk of its output are peer reviewed by members of the journal's Board of Scholars and Practitioners. Readers are invited to make their own contributions to debate by commenting on the articles. The site also has a separate section (entitled 'InterViews') which features shorter non-peer-reviewed pieces, and a resources section which offers links to educational material and the websites of other organisations which exist to promote religious dialogue. The journal first appeared online in spring 2009.
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Greek Bible in Byzantine Judaism
[11 Feb 2010 at 6:00pm]
The Greek Bible in Byzantine Judaism website provides information about this Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funded research project. The project's chief objective is the collection of evidence for the use of Greek biblical translations by medieval Jews, and the ultimate publication of this as a corpus for linguistic analysis. There are plans to make the corpus (which will consist of remains of Jewish Greek Bible versions, edited from manuscripts) available via the website, though at time of review this had not yet occurred. General information on the project is available, plus details of the project team. The project is based at the University of Cambridge, and has been conducted in collaboration with King's College London's Centre for Computing in the Humanities.
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Open scriptures
[11 Feb 2010 at 6:00pm]
Open Scriptures is an online project which seeks to create an open source Web repository for integrated scriptural data, and to provide a platform for building scripture-related applications. The ultimate aim is to create a database for a variety of textual resources (including, for example, manuscripts and biblical translations), which would permit these to be compared, searched, and analysed. The website offers: background information on the project; a directory of other websites dealing with open scriptural data; a discussion group; and a link to the project source code. Also available are prototypes of the sort of tool the project hopes to facilitate, including a manuscript comparator, which allows the text of two or more New Testament manuscripts to be examined side by side, with insertions, deletions, and variations highlighted.
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Western Buddhism
[11 Feb 2010 at 6:00pm]
The Western Buddhism website offers a lightly annotated collection of links to online resources likely to be of interest to those exploring this subject. A general introduction to key Buddhist concepts is also provided. The links themselves are divided into a number of categories, including Buddhist texts, Buddhist ethics, and a section covering the relationships between Buddhism and various humanities and science disciplines. One of the more unusual features of the site is a list of links to research into the impact of meditation practice. Navigation of the site is straightforward, and the links appear to be well maintained.
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Who was Ramon Llull?
[11 Feb 2010 at 6:00pm]
Who Was Ramon Llull? is a website produced by the University of Barcelona's Centre de Documentació Ramon Llull, covering the life and works of the medieval thinker and prolific author. Llull (1232-1315) developed a system of thought which he called the Art, and is also known as an apologist, Christian philosopher, mystic, and novelist. He was one of the first major writers to use the Catalan language. The site offers biographical and historical information, discussion of his works, a gallery of images, and a chronology. Access is also provided to the Ramon Llull Database, which aims to provide a comprehensive bibliographic guide to works by or about Llull. The site is available in six languages, including English, Spanish, and Catalan.
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British Museum : a catalogue of the Russian icons in the British Museum
[11 Feb 2010 at 6:00pm]
The British Museum's online catalogue of Russian icons provides images of and information about the 72 icons which make up the Museum's collection. Information is provided about the meaning and history of icons, the nature and scope of the collection (which includes works from the 15th to the early 20th centuries), and the techniques and materials used to create them. The catalogue itself gives an image of each icon (small, large, and downloadable versions are offered), plus detailed information about the materials, condition, and size, a description of the image content, and curator's comments, which may supply information about the history or artistic style of the work. Additional resources are also supplied, including maps, a bibliography, and a glossary. This is an attractive and informative site, though it can sometimes be slow to load.
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