Use subject encyclopedias for broad overviews of topics. Entries in subject encyclopedias are written by experts and provide an overview of the topic, a discussion of how scholars have approached the topic, a list of related entries to explore, and a bibliography of sources.
The Routledge Encyclopedia of Social and Cultural Anthropology by 
Encyclopedia of Religion by 
Religious Studies: Interdisciplinary Research Primer by Use subject databases to identify scholarly sources from a disciplinary points of view.
