Religions

When studying any religion, it is vital to remember the core principles of religious literacy: religions are internally diverse, they change over time, and they are embedded in culture. Knowledge of sacred texts, famous leaders, religious holidays, and other familiar data points are only small parts of what it means to be religiously literate. Remembering these three principles will help you develop the habits of mind needed to engage with any religion you encounter and seek to understand as inherently complex, constantly changing, and impossible to generalize. 

The resources included in this section are organized by religious tradition. This is by no means a comprehensive list of religions, and the RPL plans to add to this list over time. For each religion, you will find a short introductory video and transcript that provides foundational information about the tradition, with attention to the three principles of religious literacy. You will also find thematic case studies that offer deep dives into that religious tradition in a particular context. We welcome suggestions for additional themes or topics for case studies.