Of the scores of new Web sites on religion, a few have emerged as particularly useful to anyone interested in learning more about different expressions of faith.
Enthusiasts can thank people like Preston Hunter, a computer programmer in Texas who developed Adherents.com, perhaps the most extensive Internet bank of membership statistics, and Harry Plantinga, a computer science professor in Michigan who spent thousands of hours scanning texts to create the Christian Classics Ethereal Library.
Here is a list of some informative and helpful sites developed by individuals, institutions or organizations. All can be accessed without a fee and without registering for membership.
Adherents.com. www.adherents.com. This site breaks down more than 4,200 religions, denominations and other faith groups throughout the world by size and geographic area. It also includes such facts as the religious affiliations of U.S. presidents, actors and science fiction/fantasy writers.
American Religion Data Archive. www.thearda.com. This Lilly Endowment project maps major religious affiliations by state, county and metropolitan area using data from national surveys and studies.
Black and Christian. www.blackandchristian.com. Founded by Harvard Divinity School graduate Jacqueline Trussel, this two-year-old site provides news, histories and features about African American denominations, plus chat rooms and tips on preaching and worship.
Christian Classics Ethereal Library.www.ccel.org. This volunteer-run service presents hundreds of works in the public domain -- meaning it's not illegal to download them onto your computer -- as text or MP3 audio files.
DavidWiley.com.davidwiley.com/religion.html. Dozens of sacred texts of world religions -- Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity and the Baha'i faith among them -- plus such other works as the Egyptian Book of the Dead and Dead Sea Scrolls.
e-library. www.lib.iastate.edu/collections/eresourc/religion.html. This Iowa State University site offers dozens of links to religious resources on the Internet, including specialized directories, study guides, journals and organizations. Similar services include the Virtual Religion Index (religion.rutgers.edu/vri/index.html) and Internet Resources in Religion and Society (users.drew.edu/ ~epullen/links/internet.html).
Freedom Forum. www.fac.org/first. The Nashville-based First Amendment Center offers guidelines, updates and curriculum packages on such issues as prayer in public school, school-voucher programs and censorship.
God.com.www.time.com/time/godcom/home.html. Time magazine takes readers to a variety of world religion sites, including BuddhaNet and Hindu Tantrik Home Page, in a feature called "Spiritual Bazaar." It urges interfaith discussions of Heaven, Hell and other issues in an area of the site called "Communion."
Hartford Institute for Religion Research. hirr.hartsem.edu. The institute continues to analyze data and publish results of the 1999-2000 Faith Communities Today survey, the largest study ever made of U.S. congregations. The site presents this and other information designed to help religious communities improve programs and increase membership.
Institute for the Study of American Evangelicals.www.wheaton.edu/isae. Wheaton College, the alma mater of the Rev. Billy Graham, is located in Illinois and is considered by many the spiritual and intellectual center of American evangelical Protestantism. History, resources and news appear here, along with a glossary that clarifies such terms as evangelicalism, fundamentalism and pentecostalism.
IslamiCity.islam.org/Mosque/uiatm/un_islam.htm. This basic guide to Islam explores the history, beliefs and practices of one of the world's largest religions. It tells what Muslims believe about war, food and drink, death, marriage and Jesus (they consider him a great prophet and await the Second Coming). For a more in-depth look at Islam, click on "IslamiCity" at the bottom of the page.
Life of the Orthodox Church.www.decani.yunet.com/orthodoxy.html. An excellent introduction to Orthodox Christianity, including an explanation of its split with Roman Catholicism in 1054 and the numerous branches of Orthodoxy that exist today. Colorful icons, paintings and photographs complement the text and links to numerous resources.
Patron Saints Index. www.catholic-forum.com/saints/indexsnt.htm. The number of entries on this site has increased rapidly with Pope John Paul II's unprecedented rate of beatification pronouncements. The canonization last month of Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin, the first native Indian saint, and Pedro de San Jose de Betancur, Guatemala's first saint, bring the total to 3,795. Profiles include protraits, biographical information, areas of patronage and readings.
Pluralism Project.www.pluralism.org. Harvard University's Pluralism Project has emerged in recent years as a premier observer of America's rapidly changing religious landscape -- especially the influx of religious practitioners from other parts of the world. Students of all ages will find helpful facts, figures and resources on world religions and interfaith activity in the United States.
Psychology of Religion Pages.www.psywww.com/psyrelig. Presents information and essays on clergy sexual abuse, faith healing, psychoanalysis and religion, terrorism and other topical issues.
Religious Movements Page.religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/home.html. More than a listing of sites and resources, this University of Virginia project has originated 150 profiles of religious movements, including recently formed sects and cults. This expansive resource also houses the archives of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion and new sections on religious freedom and religious broadcasting.
Virtual Jerusalem.www.virtualjerusalem.com/sendaprayer. Virtual Jerusalem, one of many sites that transport cybersurfers to Jerusalem, says it will collect e-mail prayers and take them to the Western Wall, the only remnant of the Jewish Temple. The Aish HaTorah site (www.aish.com/seminars/tunneltour) gives an illustrated audio tour of a labyrinth of underground passageways near the wall.
Worldwide Faith News.www.wfn.org. An interfaith group of two dozen U.S. denominations supports this database of news releases on religious events, activities and developments worldwide. The archive of 18,000 documents includes reports in five languages.
Zygon Center for Religion and Science.zygoncenter.org. Formerly called the Chicago Center for Religion and Science, Zygon focuses on the cooperative potential of religion and science in improving human life and bringing peace and justice in the world. Resources include links to eight related groups, among them the Vatican Observatory and the Institute on Religion in an Age of Science.