Theology and Religion

The university provides general and specialist research level collections of books, journals, manuscripts, rare and early printed books and electronic resources for the study of Theology and Religion. 

The library currently subscribes to circa 160 current titles in this field and has access to many historic titles through electronic and paper holdings.

Our collections

Main Library

The Main Library holds general and specialist research level collections, largely in English.  Areas of strength include:

  • African religions
  • Early Christian literature and church Fathers
  • Church history
  • Early Bible versions
  • Philosophy of religion
  • Religion and society
  • Classical religion and philosophy
  • Holocaust studies
  • Gay and Black theologies
  • New Religious Movements

Orchard Learning Resources Centre

The Orchard Learning Resources Centre holds general and specialist level collections. The collections in Islamic Studies, Missions History and World Christianity are of international importance.

Special collections

Cadbury Research Library: Special Collections holds an extensive number of important archive collections related to theology and religion.

The Mingana Collection consists mainly of Arabic and Syriac Middle Eastern manuscripts with some Persian, Turkish, Armenian, Greek manuscripts, and Hebrew/Jewish works. It has particular strengths in illustrated manuscripts, and early Islamic and Syriac materials, including fragments of one of the oldest Qur'ans in existence.

The Church Missionary Society archive is the largest collection in our care and records date 1799-2009.

Other prominent collections available for research include the Harold Turner collection, Leslie Weatherhead, and the YMCA archive.

Please contact the Cadbury Research Library if you’d like further information on these and other theology and religious books and archives we hold.