Browse the names of approximately 450 theologians from early history through the present  and read brief biographical sketches using a list from Britannica. Notice the filters near the top of the page where you can narrow the list by date and other categories. 

Also consider browsing one or more of the background research sources linked below, all ebooks from the University Libraries digital collections.

Overview

If you know the source you want to use, search for it by title in the library catalog  or use the Journal Search to search for periodicals (journals, newspapers, and magazines) that contain information written by and about your theologian. You may also want to consider locating eBooks and other digitized texts pertaining to your theologian. If you do not know the source you want to use, you can begin your search in the library's catalog and research databases. See the Catalog Search Tips and Database Search Tips for more details.

For living theologians, do an online search to see if they have a website or are affiliated with a college, university, seminary, or another organization. These sites may contain biographical information that can be used to inform your research. Limit your search to site:.edu or site:.org to increase your chances of finding credible information. 

Example: Kathryn Tanner Theologian site:.edu

If you have trouble finding locating sources by or about your theologian, email Monique Clark (mclark24@luc.edu)  with the name of the theologian and a request for help or schedule an individual research appointment. 

Catalog Search Tips

Click on the images to view a larger version. 

Overview

The library's catalog consists of millions of records that provide information about documents that may be available to view or download. The library catalog has an advanced search feature that allows you to decide where to search within the item record to find the information you need. Typical record fields to search include Title, Author, and Subject. 

To search for materials in the library catalog written about or created BY your theologian:

1. Go to the Advanced Search 
   
2. Under Search Filters, select Author/Creator from the dropdown menu and enter the Last Name and First Name of your theologian. Example: Tanner, Kathryn
   
3. Click Search.
4. Use the filter options under Refine my results to narrow your search. 
   
5. Click on the title of a work (such as a book or article) to see more information about the work. 
6. Under Details, click on the author's name. 

7. This will allow you to view more works by the author in the library's catalog. 

Accessing Materials

The library's catalog will display several options for accessing books, articles, and other sources:

If a book you need is unavailable, you can place a request through our interlibrary loan services. 

Resources for Primary Source Research