Databases typically provide access to scholarly articles - articles written by people with graduate degrees for an audience of scholars. Scholarly articles are secondary sources; click on the tab above to find primary sources. These databases focus specifically on religion.
General databases cover a wide variety of subject areas. It's a good idea to search a general database when your research topic is interdisciplinary - for example, religion and literature - so that you find articles from different subject areas.
MLA Handbook, 8th Edition by