Conversation:

Great article - first one I've seen in a long time that covered all the options.

If you don't mind approaching such things from a whacky angle, then try reading Neil Gaiman's book 'American Gods'. It looks at what happens to all the gods, 'little people', beliefs that all these different people brought with them to America. (Pantheon.org will help you identify most of them.) It's a jolly fun read but also makes you think.