Guidelines for Philosophy and Religious Studies

Table of Contents

1. Purpose
2. General Collection Guidelines
    A. Language
    B. Chronology
    C. Geography
    D. Publication Date
    E. Treatment of Subject
    F. Types of Materials and Formats
3. Area Resources
4. Subjects and Collecting Levels

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1. Purpose.

Collections in Philosophy and Religious Studies support teaching and research consistent with the curriculum at a Carnegie Research Intensive (Very High Research) institution with bachelor’s degree programs in the field.

The collection supports teaching and research through the undergraduate level, with graduate level responsibilities in ethics, political philosophy, and aesthetics. The primary goal of the program is to provide students with a capacity for critical reasoning, an understanding of contemporary and historical work in metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and related areas of philosophy, and an understanding of religion as one of the primary aspects of human culture.

The Philosophy and Religious Studies Department offers two distinct undergraduate degree program: a B.A. in Philosophy, and a B.A. in Religious Studies. Minors are also offered in these two areas, as well as in Philosophy of Law and Judaic Studies. Areas of emphasis in Philosophy include: the history of philosophy, ethics, political philosophy, metaphysics, epistemology, aesthetics, and philosophy of religion. Areas of emphasis in Religious Studies include: the history of religion, Old and New Testament studies, Buddhist and Islamic studies, and Judaic and Asian religious traditions.

2. General Collection Guidelines.

A. Language.
English is preferred, but material in Western European languages may be purchased if no English-language translation is available.

B. Chronology.
No limitations, due to the two programs' strong historical component.

C. Geography.
No restrictions.

D. Publication Date.
Collecting efforts center on current imprints, but if the material is of importance to the historical coverage of the disciplines, there are no restrictions on date of publication.

E. Treatment of Subject.
Material providing critical, historical, bibliographic, or textual studies of the various areas are collected.

F. Types of Materials and Formats.
Monographic literature and a wide variety of reference works, including dictionaries, encyclopedias, and concordances, are acquired, as are relevant serial titles and selected proceedings. Because of the existence of grants for Judaica and ethics, special attention is given to the collection of materials in those areas. Unpublished theses and dissertations may be collected when they provide a unique source of information on a particular topic. In general, there are few restrictions on format if the material is deemed essential for instructional support.

Excluded are textbooks; juvenile or popularized materials; and material concerning practical theology more appropriate to a seminary.

3. Area Resources.

The library of Union Theological Seminary holds an extensive collection in the area of biblical studies, but with little material on non-Christian religious traditions.

4. Subjects and Collecting Levels.

Resources for Philosophy and Religious Studies are collected at an instructional support level (3).