Sources

Encyclopedia of Religion

Citation Formats

General Reference

Divinity Atlas. "Encyclopedia of Religion." Accessed August 30, 2026. https://divinity.interactivelion.com/sources/encyclopedia-of-religion.

APA Style

Divinity Atlas. (n.d.). Encyclopedia of Religion. Retrieved August 30, 2026, from https://divinity.interactivelion.com/sources/encyclopedia-of-religion

BibTeX

@misc{divinityatlas-encyclopedia-of-religion,
  author = {Divinity Atlas},
  title = {Encyclopedia of Religion},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://divinity.interactivelion.com/sources/encyclopedia-of-religion},
  note = {Accessed August 30, 2026}
}

This is a fifteen volume comparative religion reference founded under the general editorship of Mircea Eliade and substantially revised in a second edition by Lindsay Jones, not merely reprinted, with entries updated and added across all fifteen volumes. Its track record is mixed in one respect worth naming plainly: Eliade's own framework for comparative religion is debated partly because historians have documented his association with Romania's fascist Iron Guard movement in the 1930s, a fact historians weigh when reading his editorial choices, and the second edition responded in part to that dated framing rather than simply reprinting it. What has held up is the basic reference function: named contributors writing within their own specialties, each entry carrying its own bibliography a reader can check independently. It remains a strong source for cross cultural facts about deities, religious movements and comparative phenomena. Its limits are the limits of any reference work compiled at one moment: an entry summarizes a field's state at time of writing, and a claim resting on very recent research or a live specialist controversy may have moved past what any one entry says.

Facts

Citation

Author

Mircea Eliade (ed.); Lindsay Jones (ed., 2nd ed.)

Publisher

Macmillan Reference

Publication Year

2005

URL

https://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/encyclopedia-religion

Source Type

encyclopedia

Assessment

Reliability Tier

A peer reviewed, multi volume comparative religion reference from an academic press, edited by named scholars in the field, the standard cross tradition encyclopedia used by researchers across religious studies.

Notes

Peer-reviewed comparative-religion reference (2nd ed., 15 vols.); authoritative for deities, religions and cross-cultural religious phenomena.

Claims Backed By This Source (12,112 claims)

This source backs 12,112 claims across the atlas. As facts: 6,331 well-attested, 1 partially Attested, 83 scholarly debate, 5 popular myth - corrected, 6 open question. As cited relationships: 2,566 holds, 123 connected, 6 critiqued Here, 3 rejected Here, 6 held Differently. Plus 2,982 entities citing it as a general reference with no single fact or relationship attached.

Disposition By Topic

Articles, 2,358 claims: 2,005 well-attested, 1 partially Attested, 100 holds, 27 connected, 225 general references.
Pantheons, 1,372 claims: 1,144 well-attested, 10 scholarly debate, 79 holds, 21 connected, 118 general references.
Doctrines, 1,180 claims: 508 well-attested, 50 scholarly debate, 3 popular myth - corrected, 322 holds, 2 connected, 4 critiqued Here, 2 rejected Here, 4 held Differently, 285 general references.
Deities, 1,098 claims: 153 well-attested, 5 scholarly debate, 477 holds, 463 general references.
Practices, 615 claims: 244 well-attested, 1 scholarly debate, 189 holds, 181 general references.
Beliefs & Restrictions, 602 claims: 21 well-attested, 413 holds, 1 critiqued Here, 167 general references.
Figures, 454 claims: 64 well-attested, 3 scholarly debate, 189 holds, 198 general references.
Prayers, 323 claims: 136 well-attested, 88 holds, 99 general references.
Regions, 295 claims: 156 well-attested, 1 scholarly debate, 1 holds, 51 connected, 86 general references.
Sacred Objects & Ritual Items, 272 claims: 152 well-attested, 1 open question, 60 holds, 59 general references.
Animals & Totems, 246 claims: 77 well-attested, 1 scholarly debate, 1 open question, 109 holds, 58 general references.
Open Questions, 230 claims: 189 well-attested, 14 connected, 27 general references.
Scriptures & Texts, 220 claims: 32 well-attested, 97 holds, 91 general references.
Rituals, 195 claims: 132 well-attested, 3 scholarly debate, 24 holds, 36 general references.
Cities, 194 claims: 98 well-attested, 2 scholarly debate, 17 holds, 77 general references.
Historical Figures, 173 claims: 112 well-attested, 1 scholarly debate, 20 holds, 1 critiqued Here, 39 general references.
Subcategories, 171 claims: 121 well-attested, 50 general references.
Religious Symbols, 153 claims: 75 well-attested, 1 popular myth - corrected, 52 holds, 25 general references.
Religions, 148 claims: 73 well-attested, 2 scholarly debate, 8 holds, 65 general references.
Realms, 115 claims: 84 well-attested, 3 scholarly debate, 5 holds, 23 general references.
Sacred Sites, 106 claims: 25 well-attested, 44 holds, 37 general references.
Hymns & Liturgical Texts, 101 claims: 17 well-attested, 49 holds, 35 general references.
Disciplines, 85 claims: 49 well-attested, 16 holds, 20 general references.
Incense, 83 claims: 39 well-attested, 2 open question, 16 holds, 26 general references.
Cultures, 82 claims: 43 well-attested, 1 scholarly debate, 16 holds, 22 general references.
Tattvas, 80 claims: 60 well-attested, 20 general references.
Religious Roles & Titles, 78 claims: 22 well-attested, 9 holds, 47 general references.
Mythical Creatures, 70 claims: 42 well-attested, 28 general references.
Religious Offices, 70 claims: 42 well-attested, 18 holds, 10 general references.
Schools of Theology, 64 claims: 42 well-attested, 6 holds, 6 connected, 1 rejected Here, 2 held Differently, 7 general references.
Body Parts, 58 claims: 37 well-attested, 3 holds, 18 general references.
Esoteric Texts, 48 claims: 34 well-attested, 5 holds, 9 general references.
Plants, 47 claims: 15 well-attested, 2 holds, 30 general references.
Denominations, 43 claims: 8 well-attested, 4 holds, 31 general references.
Categories, 42 claims: 26 well-attested, 16 general references.
Other Writings, 42 claims: 21 holds, 21 general references.
Holidays & Festivals, 41 claims: 20 holds, 21 general references.
Mantras, 38 claims: 5 well-attested, 4 holds, 29 general references.
Colors, 37 claims: 24 well-attested, 13 general references.
Empires & Polities, 37 claims: 25 well-attested, 6 holds, 6 general references.
Sacred Foods, 36 claims: 19 well-attested, 8 holds, 9 general references.
Directions, 35 claims: 15 well-attested, 2 holds, 18 general references.
Organizations, 33 claims: 22 well-attested, 4 holds, 7 general references.
Culture Groups, 30 claims: 14 well-attested, 5 holds, 11 general references.
Sections, 30 claims: 15 well-attested, 15 general references.
Sacred Dances, 25 claims: 7 well-attested, 5 holds, 13 general references.
Bodies of Water, 21 claims: 13 well-attested, 3 holds, 5 general references.
Religious Dress & Vestments, 19 claims: 12 well-attested, 4 holds, 3 general references.
Custodians & Museums, 13 claims: 7 well-attested, 4 holds, 2 general references.
Chinese Animals, 12 claims: 12 general references.
Historical Periods, 12 claims: 5 well-attested, 3 holds, 4 general references.
Sacred Architecture, 12 claims: 3 well-attested, 5 holds, 4 general references.
Sacred Sound, 12 claims: 8 well-attested, 2 holds, 2 general references.
Textual Witnesses, 12 claims: 4 holds, 8 general references.
Gemstones, 11 claims: 3 well-attested, 1 open question, 3 holds, 4 general references.
Secret Societies, 11 claims: 9 well-attested, 2 general references.
Incantations, Spells & Curses, 10 claims: 6 well-attested, 1 holds, 2 connected, 1 general references.
New Religious Movements, 10 claims: 7 well-attested, 2 holds, 1 general references.
Sacred Geometry, 9 claims: 2 well-attested, 5 holds, 2 general references.
Subtle Energies, 9 claims: 5 well-attested, 2 holds, 2 general references.
Pilgrimage Routes, 8 claims: 2 well-attested, 6 general references.
Religious Organization & Structure, 8 claims: 8 general references.
Sources, 8 claims: 8 well-attested.
Calendars, 6 claims: 4 well-attested, 2 general references.
Languages, 6 claims: 1 well-attested, 4 holds, 1 general references.
Archetypes, 5 claims: 5 general references.
Countries, 5 claims: 3 well-attested, 2 general references.
Metals, 5 claims: 2 well-attested, 1 holds, 2 general references.
Religious Movements, 5 claims: 1 well-attested, 3 holds, 1 general references.
Studies, 5 claims: 2 well-attested, 1 open question, 1 holds, 1 general references.
Artifacts & Relics, 4 claims: 2 well-attested, 1 popular myth - corrected, 1 general references.
Wars & Conflicts, 4 claims: 2 well-attested, 2 general references.
Myths & Sacred Narratives, 2 claims: 2 holds.
Numbers, 2 claims: 2 general references.
Performance Works, 2 claims: 1 holds, 1 general references.
Planets, 2 claims: 2 general references.
Psi Phenomena, 2 claims: 1 well-attested, 1 general references.
Religious Events, 2 claims: 2 holds.
Scripts & Magical Alphabets, 2 claims: 1 holds, 1 general references.
Ganas, 1 claims: 1 general references.