This study of religious periodical indexing consists of two parts. Part I is a detailed examination of 26 tools which provide indexing of religious periodical literature. Citation, time span, frequency of publication, and a descriptive narrative based on the state and usefulness of the index are included for each index. Part II summarizes the past and present states of religious periodical indexing. Past indexing is divided first into past volumes of serial indexes and retrospective indexes, and then into general and special indexes. The section on present indexing examines the overlap of journal coverage between various indexes. A listing of periodicals indexed in seven American religious periodical indexes with indications of coverage is appended. (Author/KP)