How to do Library Research:

An Annotated Bibliography for Biblical and Theological Research

By Prof. Dennis M. Swanson

The below is an annotated bibliography covering sections of this course, it is not designed to be exhaustive, but rather suggestive.

Research and Writing Skills:

There are many useful books on both the craft of writing and of research. For writing, it is advisable for everyone to acquire at least one that contains the basics of grammar and punctuation. There are also several on-line resources for writers as well. Your library should also contain Webster's Third New International Dictionary of the English Language Unabridged (Springfield, MA: Merriam, 1967) which is the spelling standard for The Master's Seminary. For English etymology the twenty-one volume Oxford English Dictionary is the definitive work. For Biblical and Theological studies it is often helpful to be familiar with non-English expressions.A helpful volume to add to your library is the Oxford Dictionary of Foreign Words and Phrases (New York: Oxford University Press, 1999)

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Adler, Mortimer J and Charles Van Doren. How to Read a Book (revised). New York: Simon and Shuster, 1972.

• If you weren't required to read this book in high school or college then you need to do so now. It is a classic work on how to properly read and comprehend the material. It is written in a popular style and the material here will serve you well.

Badke, William B. The Survivor's Guide to Library Research. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing Co., 1990.

• A delightfully helpful book that handles all of the basics of library research, interjects good humor, and has a good section on the basics of writing. Strangely though, there is no subject index and no bibliography.

________. Research Strategies: Finding Your Way Through the Information Fog. San Jose, California: Writer's Club Press, 2000.

• Along the lines of Badke's earlier work with some new illustrations and case studies. Includes more information for online work. However, this work is really geared towards advanced high school and college level studies.

Barber, Cyril J. Introduction to Theological Research. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1982.

• Sadly, this book is out of print. If you should run across one in a used bookstore by all means buy it. It is very useful, although some of the resources he references are out of date or no longer in publication. He also will provide no help in the area of computer technology.

________. and Robert M. Krauss. Introduction to Theological Research: A Guide for College and Seminary Students. Landham, Maryland: University Press of America, 2000.

• An update and revision of Barber's earlier work. This book includes updated material on online and electronic searches and more modern technology. This work is hindered by it's price (University Press of America is notoriously overpriced) and it's general difficulty to obtain (it generally has to be specially ordered).

Barzun, Jacques and Henry F. Graff. The Modern Researcher New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Publishers, 1985.

• A classic work on research edited and revised over the last 30 years. The authors are professors of history at Columbia University and have provided one of the outstanding works on the subject of research and writing. Very detailed and often technical, this book is highly recommended for the student who will pursue a research and writing ministry. The emphasis is on history and historical writing, but the methodology described in this work transcend the disciplines.

Bernstein, Theodore M. The Careful Writer: A Modern Guide to English Usage. New York: Atheneum, 1977.

• An important and extremely useful tool.

Booth, Wayne C., Gregory G. Colomb and Joseph M. Williams. The Craft of Research. Chicago, Illinois: University Chicago Press, 1995.

• An eminently helpful work covering the basics of research in all its aspects.This is a required text at The Master's Seminary and should be read during the first semester of studies.

Carson, D. A. Exegetical Fallacies. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1984 (revised and updated, 1997).

• An important volume to have and read. Carson provides an important service in the area of developing clear thinking and clear writing. The reader might wonder if Carson believes anyone but himself thinks and exegetes logically, but this is a minor flaw.

The Chicago Manual of Style, 14th edition, Revised and Expanded. Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago Press, 1993.

• For those who want the real thing this is the "bible" for writers. Turabian is a condensation of the current Chicago Style of Manual. Will need to be supplemented with Walker for online citation guides until the 15^th edition appears.

Hane, Paula J. (edited by Reva Bausch). Super Searchers in the News: The Online Secrets of Journalists and News Researchers. Medford, New Jersey: Cyber Age Books, 2000.

• This is a helpful book in terms of online research strategy from a secular point of view. It is ten stories of news researchers who used the Internet to quickly and efficiently gain the information they required. Helpful to understand the nature and limitations of online searching.

Hacker, Diana. Resources for Research and Documentation Across the Curriculum to Accompany Fourth Edition, The Bedford Handbook for Writers. Boston, Massachusetts: Bedford Books, 1994.

• A helpful little book that provides a listing of major indexes and other resources for research in all of the academic disciplines.

Kane, Eileen and Mary O'Reilly-de Brun. Doing Your Own Research. New York: Marion Boyars, 2001.

• This is a thorough book on research in the humanities. While there are several chapters that will not have any great relevance for theological research (e.g., group research, surveys, probability studies, etc.) there is a great deal of useful information to be found here, especially in terms of critical thinking and information evaluation.

Kennedy, James R. Library Research Guide to Religion and Theology: Illustrated Search Strategy and Sources. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Pierian Press, n.d.

• Written in a clear and engaging style (similar to that of Badke) this small loose leaf booklet is no longer in print. His methodology is entirely designed around non-technology aided research, but there is still much valuable information to be obtained from this work. Since many of the "print" resources that are described in this and other works have found, or are finding their way into electronic format, the methodological exercise of thinking through these works will be valuable.

Montgomery, John Warwick. The Writing of Research Papers: An Introductory Lecture, with a List of Basic Reference Tools for the Graduate Student. Edmonton, Alberta: Canadian Institute for Law, Theology and Public Policy, 1996.

• A small pamphlet type booklet. Contains useful, though dated, information and a basic philosophy of writing research papers. Written in Montgomery's rather tedious and pedantic style; however, the list of 150 reference works is worth reviewing. Can only be obtained directly from the publisher.

Rodale, J. I. The Synonym Finder. Emmaus, Pennsylvania: Rodale Press, 1978.

• An essential reference work for the pastor, writer or student. Should be alongside a good dictionary.

Hacker, Diana. The Bedford Handbook for Writers, 4th edition. Boston, Massachusetts: Bedford Press, 1994.

Strunk, William, Jr., and E. B. White. The Elements of Style, (3rd edition). New York: Macmillan Press, 1979.

• You need to have a basic style and grammar-usage reference available. Strunk and White have been a standard for many years; however, we find that Hacker is extremely helpful and much better in terms of organization, examples and general usefulness.

Turabian, Kate L. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses and Dissertations, 6th edition (revised by John Grossman and Alice Bennett). Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago Press, 1996.

• This is the approved style manual for The Master's Seminary. The layout is extremely easy to use and the indexing is excellent. There are also numerous pages of examples for page formatting and layout.

Vyhmeister, Nancy. Quality Research Papers for Students of Religion and Theology. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 2001.

• The most recent addition to the literature on research and writing. Covers much of the same material as others in this field. It is geared specifically towards the field of theology and has strong points, including decent bibliographic sources for beginning research in various areas and explanations of various research models. Weaknesses include the tendency to see theology and Biblical studies in terms of sociological issues. Additionally, the chapter on "Biblical Exegesis as Research" is simplistic and of little value for graduate students.

Walker, Janice R. and Todd Taylor. The Columbia Guide to Online Style. New York: Columbia University Press, 1998.

• Endorsed by the Alliance for Computers and Writing, this is an expansion of the author's earlier works in this field. Absent a coherent citation style guide, in the early 1990's the author prepared a simple and reasonably useful style guide for online sources. This work's primary purpose is to provide a set of guidelines for the overall style of online publications or e-journals. This work fills a current gap in both the Chicago Manual of Style and by extension Turabian. When those works are updated (along with APA and MLA in the other disciplines) Walker's work will likely diminish in value for non-electronic media. There are online updates available at http://www.columbia.edu/cu/cup/cgoes.

Williams, Joseph M. Towards Clarity and Grace. Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago Press, 1990.

• By one of the co-authors of The Craft of Research, this is an excellent guide to style and good writing. Not formulaic or pedantic. This is an excellent work and should be read by everyone who endeavors to write well.

Zerubavel, Evitar. The Clockwork Muse: A Practical Guide to Writing Theses, Dissertations and Books. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1999.

• A small, simple, but imminently practical book on writing. Although secular, these are principles that will work well for the busy pastor preparing sermons or writing as well as the student.

Zinsser, William. On Writing Well: An Informal Guide to Writing Non-Fiction. New York: Harper & Row Publishers, 1985.

• From the author's many years of lecturing at Yale University, one of the most respected works in the field of writing and writing style.

Computer Technology and the Internet:

With the rapid advances being made in computer technology, the Internet and the World Wide Web, books that cover anything beyond the basic essentials are generally obsolete before they even go to print. One major Christian publisher, in fact, has established a policy of not publishing any books related to this field, because of the almost immediate lack of currency. The best advice is to get online as soon as possible and begin to stay abreast of information and trends in the field directly and to examine current periodical literature. Recognized web pages, such as The Master's Seminary Online, also keep current links to the best resources on the web (see http://www.tms.edu/other.htm).

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Adair, James and Patrick Durusau (editors). "Offline 66" Religious Studies News, Atlanta, Georgia: Scholars Press, 1985-.

• This column is a regular feature in Religious Studies News. It is a valuable source for current information on computers and technology in the area of biblical and theological studies. There are various contributors for this series.

Baker, Jason D. Christian Cyberspace Companion. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1995.

• The author has produced a workable introductory text for the world of "cyberspace." He will apparently attempt to maintain the currency of his work by providing updates on his own web page. Check his site at http://www.bakerbooks.com/ccc/ to see if he is successful.

Bielefield, Arlene and Lawrence Cheeseman. Technology and Copyright Law: A Guidebook for the Library, Research and Teaching Professions. New York: Neil-Schuman Publishers, 1997.

• An important reference source (probably not something the average individual would buy) on the issues relating to copyright, citations, public domain, "fair use," etc., as it relates to technology and the internet. It has a valuable discussion of the history of copyright and untangles some of the complex issues related to copyright and the Internet.

Durusau, Patrick. High Places in Cyberspace: A Guide to Biblical and Religious Studies, Classics, and Archaeological Resources on the Internet. Atlanta, Georgia: Scholar's Press, 1996; Second edition, 1998.

• This work is exclusively dedicated to a listing of sites dealing with those subjects listed in the title. This work was produced under the auspices of Scholar's Press and the Society of Biblical Literature. In addition to an regular (annual?) reprinting of new listings, the plan is to also maintain regular updates on their web page at: http://scholar.cc.emory.edu/scripts/highplaces.html . The author also gives a good introductory discussion of the Internet and electronic research in general.

Groothius, Douglas. The Soul in Cyber-Space. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1997.

• The author, perhaps better known for his work in apologetics and cults, has presented something of a "philosophic yellow-light" or warning about the Internet, World-Wide-Web and things technological. He discusses the very real dangers of the "internet community," a lack of personal interaction, the reality and dissemination of truth, and several other topics. The book is worth consulting, although it is now out of print. The author was something of an alarmist and the book tends to ramble in places and he never really identifies his audience.

Harnack, Andrew and Eugene Kleppinger. Online! A Reference Guide to Using Internet Resources. New York: St. Martins Press, 1997.

• A small handbook that gives the basic of internet usage. Has style guides for Internet sources for all of the major style guide sheets. Students of The Master's Seminary should refer to the section from the Chicago Manual of Style.

Schultze, Quentin J. Internet for Christians: Everything You Need to Start Cruising the Net Today. Muskegon, Missouri: Gospel Communications, 1995.

• A good basic introduction, in our opinion superseded by Baker. Schultze, a professor of communication at Calvin College, does put out a regular newsletter dealing with new items of interest to Christians on the Internet and World-Wide-Web. You can subscribe for free at http://www.gospelcom.net

Biblical and Theological Studies:

In the field of Biblical and theological studies, bibliographies should become your closest friends. Almost every division of study and all of its sub-divisions will have a bibliography in print somewhere. If the work is annotated, it obviously becomes even more valuable. These works will save you time in your research and help you as you plow the ground and turn over stones. I have only listed a sampling of some of the better bibliographies. Remember that in the process of your research every article or monograph will list sources in the footnotes or bibliography. In the Library of Congress classification system bibliographies for Biblical and Theological studies will be found from Z 7000 to Z 8999.

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ATLA Religion Database on CD-ROM, & Religion Index One/Two: Periodicals, Religion, and Theological Abstracts and Book Reviews in Religion. Evanston, Il: American Theological Library Association, 1999 (with biannual updates).

• The main source for searching religious and theological materials. The interface provided by ATLA can be a bit tedious at times, and the user must have some knowledge of subject headings to use it efficiently. Silver Mountain Software also provides a search engine that is somewhat more efficient. The print version is almost entirely passe. The most efficient method to access the ATLA databases is via First Search. There is a direct link to First Search on the library OPAC page at http://www.tms.edu/libsplash.asp.

Barber, Cyril J. The Minister's Library (Volumes 1-2). Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1975 and 1979.

• An excellent resource listing books in all fields of religious studies published before 1976. There is a promise of a third volume and the material available in a CD format. Barber is helpful for the breadth of his work, but the comments tend to be short and occasionally vague. He marks recommended books with an * and books he warns against with a †.

Beeke, Joel R. A Reader's Guide to Reformed Literature: An Annotated Bibliography of Reformed Theology. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Reformation Heritage Books, 1999.

• An interesting book of Reformed Theology. Materials are divided into subject category according to the 36 sections of the Belgic Confession.Within each section the material is sometimes further sub-divided by century.

Bolich, Gregory G.The Christian Scholar: An Introduction to Theological Research. Landham, Maryland: University Press of America, 1986

• A thorough and well written introduction. Unfortunately it is out of print. If you can acquire this work it is well worth the investment.

Bollier, John A. The Literature of Theology: A Guide for Students and Pastors.   Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Westminster Press, 1979.

• An important work, unfortunately now out of print. If you run across one in a used bookstore by all means pick it up.

Bradley, James E. and Richard A. Muller. Church History: An Introduction to Research, Reference Works and Methods. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdman's Publishers, 1995.

• An excellent primer on research methodology in church history, although the principles are applicable to other disciplines as well. The other main strength of this work is the extensive bibliography, the most comprehensive and well-designed, that one will see for any comparable work.

Branson, Mark Lau. The Reader's Guide to the Best Evangelical Books. San Francisco, California: Harper and Row, 1982.

• A hard to find, but useful book of review the evangelical books. Something after the work of Cyril Barber, but not as thorough. It does also have an interesting section of the most significant books as related by outstanding pastors and bible teachers of the day.

Carson, D. A. New Testament Commentary Survey (5^th edition). Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 2001.

• An excellent survey of New Testament commentaries. Carson's remarks are occasionally acerbic, but usually helpful. A companion to Longman's Old Testament Commentary Survey, the spectrum of Carson's selections is wider and more valuable than Longman.

Danker, Frederick W. Multipurpose Tools for Bible Study (revised and expanded). Minneapolis, Minnesota: Fortress Press, 1993.

• An outstanding compilation of essential tools for Biblical studies. Danker's perspective is Lutheran and tends towards the liberal end of Biblical scholarship. His section on commentaries is scanty in terms of conservative works, but does give outstanding comments on those more liberal and critical series. He has a very thorough discussion of grammars and lexicons and their use and his discussion on Bible versions (despite the inexplicable lack of an entry for the NASB) is also very valuable. This work is a valuable companion to Dockery, Matthews and Sloan.

Dawsey, James. A Scholar's Guide to Academic Journals in Religion. ATLA Bibliography Series #23. Metuchen, New Jersey: The Scarecrow Press, 1988.

• Covers a wide variety of theologically orientated journals. Gives bibliographic information as well as a quick summation of the basic editorial guidelines and theological distinctions of each. Obviously only covers titles in print before 1988. This is especially useful for information on titles that have ceased publication.

Dockery, David S., Kenneth A. Matthews and Robert B. Sloan. Foundations for Biblical Interpretation: A Complete Library of Tools and Resources. Nashville, Tennessee: Broadman and Holman Publishers, 1994.

• An excellent series of articles dealing with the major fields of biblical studies. Each chapter contains a thorough bibliography. There is also a fine chapter on periodical literature.

Fitzmyer, Joseph A. An Introductory Bibliography for the Study of Scripture (third edition). Rome, Italy: Editrice Pontificio Instituto Biblico, 1990.

• One of the most thorough bibliographies in print (one would hope for a 4^th edition in the near future). A Catholic scholar and notorious liberal, Fitzmeyer's bibliography is almost devoid of conservative works and those which he does list generally receive some negative criticism. His section reviewing journals is particularly helpful. He also lists book review references from major theological journals of the works he cites. His section on bibliographies is also extremely valuable. Despite our criticisms this work should be a "first stop" in research for a NT, OT or Bible exposition paper or thesis.

Gorman, G. E. and Lyn Gorman. Theological and Religious Reference Materials: General Resources and Biblical Studies. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1984.

• Deals only with material before 1983, however it is extremely thorough, if not exhaustive.   The notations are generally not favorable towards conservative scholarship and there is a bit of an "academic elitism" in the tone of all of the notes. However, that aside, this is an extremely valuable work and worth consulting if only to gain an understanding of the breadth of material available to that date.

________. Theological and Religious Reference Materials: Practical Theology. Bibliographies and Indexes in Religious Studies series #7. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1986.

________. Theological and Religious Reference Materials: Systematic Theology and Church History. Bibliographies and Indexes in Religious Studies series #2. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1985.

• These works share the same strengths and weaknesses of the first work by the Gorman's listed above. This entire series is, of course, worth consulting for any research project in the area of Biblical and Theological studies.

Huey, F. B., and Bruce Corley. A Student's Dictionary for Biblical and Theological Studies: A Handbook and Special and Technical Terms. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing, 1983.

• Not as many terms as McKim, but the definitions are more coherent and helpful. This work is also very strong in linguistic terminology. Some of the included terms will strike some as strange and this work is not as strong in theological categories as McKim.

Kepple, Robert J., and John R. Muether. Reference Works for Theological Research: An Annotated Selective Bibliographical Guide. Landham, Maryland: University Press of America, 3rd edition, 1992.

• An important work finally updated and re-issued. Contains much of what you will find in Bollier, but also has up to date information. Unfortunately the publisher (UPA) is not known for reasonable prices and items must be ordered directly from them. There have been rumors of an updated edition for some time, but Kepple has left that to Muether and is not currently involved in the project.

Krupp, R. A. A Primer on Theological Research Tools. Landham, Maryland: University Press of America, 1990.

• This book is difficult to come by and was designed as a text in the author's theological research courses at Western Seminary. The works cited are now, for the most part dated or superceded. However, there are valuable examples and research questions that will help the reader understand how these tools can and cannot be used.

Johnston, William M. Recent Reference Books in Religion: A Guide for Students, Scholars, Researchers, Buyers and Readers. Downer's Grove, Illinois: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996.

• As the author states this is the "era of the reference book" and he painstakingly survey's most if not all of the reference books in the biblical-theological-philosophic fields in print. His comments are often extensive, although he is not well-disposed towards conservative or evangelical theology. This work is aimed at the scholarly and library community, not the average pastor.

Longman, Tremper III, and Craig Evans (eds.) IBR Bibliographies. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1992-   (14 volumes: proposed).

• A proposed 14 volumes series with promised regular updates. Thus far the series had produced seven works of uneven quality. Most have a decidedly liberal and historical-critical flavor. Evan's Jesus, is perhaps the most disappointing of all, and thankfully has already gone out of print. Green and McKeever's Luke-Acts is perhaps the strongest entry thus far. Only recently has a new entry (2000) been added after a hiatus of three years. Also the lack of the promised updates every five years makes one wonder how committed Baker is to the completion of this series. See my reviews of the series (to that date) in The Master's Seminary Journal, 7: (Fall, 1996), 121-23 and 12:1 (Spring 2001), 113-15. The following parts of the series have been completed:
  
  
  • Martens, Elmer A. Old Testament Theology, IBR #13, 1997.
  • Porter, Stanley E., and Lee Martin MacDonald. New Testament Introduction, IBR #12, 1995.
  • Hostetter, Edwin C. Old Testament Introduction, IBR #11, 1995.
  • Green, Joel B., and Michael C. McKeever. Luke-Acts and New Testament Historiography, IBR #8, 1994.
  • Evans, Craig A. Jesus, IBR #5, 1992.
    
    
  • Enns, Peter. Poetry and Wisdom, IBR #3, 1997
    
    
  • McKnight, Scot and Matthew C. Williams.The Synoptic Gospels, IBR #6, 2000.

________. Old Testament Commentary Survey. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1991.

• The companion to Carson's New Testament Commentary Survey, this work is valuable for the student despite its age. The author has a somewhat arcane coding system for his evaluations which is of little value. There are several valuable appendices and the comments are generally helpful. His covenantalism, however, clearly effects both his selections and comments. It would be nice to also see this volume updated.

Martin, Ralph P. A Guide to the Puritans. Carlisle, Pennsylvania: Banner of Truth Trust, 1997.

• An exhaustive, subject divided listing of Puritan writings. An indispensable source of primary materials by Puritan writers.

McKim, Donald. Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms.Louisville, Kentucky: John Knox/Westminster Press, 1996.

• A helpful work of brief (occasionally too brief) definitions of various theological terms.

Mills, Watson E. (compiler). Bibliographies for Biblical Research: Old Testament Series. New York: Edwin Mellen Press, 32 Volumes, 1993-

________. Bibliographies for Biblical Research: New Testament Series. New York: Edwin Mellen Press, 21 Volumes, 1993-

• These two sets of bibliographies are through and reasonably complete. They include periodical literature as well as monographs. They should be consulted for research papers and theses.

Muller, Richard A. Dictionary of Latin and Greek Theological Terms. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1985.

• An extremely helpful work to sort through the maze of various Latin and Greek terminology.   Excellent and thorough definitions. Should be in every student/pastor's library.

Rosscup, Jim. Commentaries for Biblical Expositors. Sun Valley, California: Grace Book Shack, 1993.

• Perhaps the most thorough bibliography of commentaries to date. Dr. Rosscup's layout and arrangement is well-conceived and his comments are among the most extensive one will find in this field. This single work is more valuable than those of Carson and Longman. A revision of this work is in process bringing it up to works through 2002..

Smith, Wilbur M. A Treasury of Books for Bible Study. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1960.

• Dr. Smith was one of the great Christian "bibliophiles" of the last generation.   Any of his works dealing with this subject will be valuable for the time period prior to his death. If you can locate them in a used bookstore they should become part of your library.

________. A List of Bibliographies of Theological and Biblical Literature Published in Great Britain and America, 1595-1931, with Critical, Biographical and Bibliographical Notes. Coatesville, Pennsylvania: by the author, 1931.

• This is a substantial work packed into 62 pages. It is now very difficult to obtain, but should be consulted if possible.   He also published a supplement "A Bibliography of Biblical, Ecclesiastical and Theological Dictionaries and Encyclopedias Published in Great Britain and America" (Fuller Library Bulletin, no. 20-23 [1954-55], pp. 4-29.

________. Chats from a Minister's Library. Boston, Massachusetts: W. A. Wilde Company, 1951.

• Anything written by Smith is worth reading, especially as he relates reading, research and scholarship to the work of the ministry. The chapters were a series of addresses that Smith used to give on his Moody Radio program by the same name.

_______. The Minister in His Study. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1973.

• As already noted anything by Smith is worth reading. This is his basic introduction to the pastoral library. Lists a basic bibliography (now naturally dated), but the principles of study and research that he expounds is worth the effort you will undertake to locate a copy of this work.

Spurgeon, Charles H. Commenting and Commentaries. London: Passmore and Alabaster, 1893; reprint: Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth Trust, 1969

• Spurgeon's work contains two lectures on "commenting" or what we would call expository preaching and then an annotated listing of commentaries. Most of his remarks are short, but often quite instructive, especially in the literature of the previous century. In Spurgeon's monthly publication The Sword and Trowel, he had a regular section of longer books reviews. This work was actually the fourth book in a series, Lectures to My Students. All four books are available in a single binding from Pilgrim Press.

Swanson, Dennis M. "The Writings of Dr. Robert L. Thomas, Th.D., A Select Bibliography 1956-1999."   The Master's Seminary Journal 10:1 (Spring 1999), 9-18.

________. "Bibliography of Works on the Biblical Covenants." The Master's Seminary Journal 10:2 (Fall 1999), 271-79.

________. "Bibliography of Works on Christian Ethics." The Master's Seminary Journal 11:2 (Fall 2000), 229-38.

________. "Bibliography of Works on The Openness of God Controversy." The Master's Seminary Journal, 12:2 (Fall 2001), xxx-xx.

• The first entry is a listing of the writings of Dr. Thomas as of 1999 completed in the issue of the journal dedicated to him. The other entries are part of an ongoing project in the journal to print subject bibliographies on the theme of the faculty chapel lecture series.

Thorsen, Don. Theological Resources for Ministry: A Bibliography of Works in Theological Studies. Nappanee, Indiana: Evangel Publishing House, 1996.

• A work which sub-divides the various theological areas and lists various works. There are no annotations, and the work is almost bereft of conservative titles. He places an * by his recommended works which are typically representative of liberal to radical Arminianism.

Wagner, Gunter (ed). An Exegetical Bibliography of the New Testament. Macon, Georgia: Mercer University Press, 1983-(6 volumes).

• One of the finest sets of works to come on the scene in recent years. The author/editor has listed pertinent articles from journals, multi-author works and festschriften and placed them with each verse of the NT to which they mainly or exclusively pertain. Thus if you were doing research on Romans 12:1-2 you would be met with over 100 titles to begin your research. Four volumes are currently available.

Waldman, Nahum M. The Recent Study of Hebrew: A Survey of the Literature with Selected Bibliography. Winona Lake, Indiana: Eisenbrauns, 1989.

• Perhaps the most thorough resource on all aspects of Old Testament studies. Unfortunately nothing comparable exists for the New Testament.

Ziefle, Helmut W. Dictionary of Modern Theological German. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1982.

• A helpful work for the theological student. Occasionally the definitions are a bit brief and one might have hoped for a little more introductory material and a more complete bibliography.

Essential Indexes and Reference for Biblical and Theological Studies

The following are the "key" indexes for Biblical and Theological Studies. Indexes are collections of journal articles, multi-author works, theses and dissertations, book reviews and other collections. Normally an index will provide a short abstract along with the bibliographic information. Remember that no individual index is exhaustive, a variety of indexes must be examined in any serious research project. We have not listed indexes and tools in the ancillary disciplines; however, the student should remember that there are excellent indexes and reference tools for every major discipline. There are many smaller and specialized indexes reference works and bibliographies. In The Master's Seminary Library these will normally be located in the "Z" section, however, due to the general quirkiness of the Library of Congress Classification system the student is wise to check within the call number for your subject as occasionally useful reference and bibliographic tools for that singular item will be found. Additionally, most scholarly journals will publish regular indexes, usually at five or ten year intervals. For example The Master's Seminary Journal has both five and ten-year cumulative indexes containing (1) Index of Selected Names and Subjects; (2) Index of Selected Scriptures; (3) Index of Essay Authors; (4) Index of Books Reviewed, by Author. See TMSJ 6:2 (Fall 1995), 272-90 and 11:2 (Fall 2000), 276-352.

ATLA Bibliography Series. Landham, Maryland: The Scarecrow Press. Continuing Series since 1974.

• This series of bibliographies (now numbering nearly 50) is of vital importance to the researcher in Biblical and Theological Studies.   The range of subjects if from individuals (i.e.: Paul Tillich; A Comprehensive Bibliography [#9]), to movements (i.e. A Guide to the Study of the Pentecostal Movement [#6]), to locations (i.e.: Jerusalem, the Holy City: A Bibliography [#20]), to books of the Bible (i.e.: The Book of Jeremiah: An Annotated Bibliopgraphy [#41]).   The usefulness and importance of this series cannot be overstated.   For instance, The Book of Jeremiah: An Annotated Bibliography by Henry O. Thompson [1996], will yield to the researcher 745 pages of bibliographic entries in addition to a Scripture and Subject index.

Archiv fur Reformationsgeschichte (An International Journal concerned with the history of the Reformation and its significance in world affairs).   Stuttgart, Germany: Society for Reformation Research.   Published bi-annually.

• A journal with an annual index and literature review.   The most comprehensive index of materials related to the Reformation era.   In The Master's Seminary Library this work will be found in the periodical department.

Bibliografia Teologica Comentada. Buenos Aires: Instituto Superior Evangelica de Esudios Teologicos.

• Since 1973 this index has provided an annual review of books and periodicals dealing with the often neglected area of Latin American theology.

Catholic Periodical and Literature Index.   Pittsfield, Massachusetts: Catholic Library Association, published quarterly.

• Published since 1930 this index covers "significant Catholic periodicals of permanent value."   This indexing tool is the one of the most significant sources for subject, author/editor series, book title index and book review indexes of materials derived from Catholic periodicals.   Until 1968 was titled Catholic Periodical Index.

Christian Periodical Index. Cedarville, Ohio: Association of Christian Librarians.   Published quarterly with an annual bound volume.

• Since 1956 this index provides coverage on articles from about 200 distinctly evangelical magazines and journals.   While there are some scholarly works indexed, many would be classified as "popular."   It has a combined author and subject index, however no abstracts.   Should be used in conjunction with Religion Index One.

Critical Review of Books in Religion. Macon, Georgia: Cooperative Venture of the Journal of the American Academy of Religion and the Society of Biblical Literature.   Published bi-annually.

• This cooperative venture since 1968 provides review information on important books in religion.   Tends towards liberal and comparative religion material.

Dissertation Anstracts International.   Ann Arbor: Michigan: University Microfilms International.

• This work provides information on virtually every doctoral dissertation published in North America.   It is published monthly and is also available through the TMS computer network and through OCLC.

Elenchus Bibliographicus Biblicus.   Rome, Italy: Editrice Pontificio Instituto Biblico.   Published annually.

• From 1920 to 1984 one of the premier bibliographies for Biblical and Theological studies, specializing in archaeology, languages and theology.   In 1984 the title changed to Elenchus of Biblica under the editorial direction of Robert North.   From 1920 to 1967 this series was issued as a part of the journal Biblica.   Beginning in 1968 it was published separately.   One note: this title began at Volume 49.   In The Master's Seminary Library all issues of Elenchus (volumes 49+) are found in the Reference Department, Index area.   All prior issues, when the Elenchus was a part of Biblica, are located in the first floor periodical department.   One of the most massive and comprehensive tools.   For example in 1997 there were actually two volumes issued, each over 900 pages.   Tends to be 1-2 years behind in publication.

Elenchus of Biblica.   Rome, Italy: Editrice Pontificio Instituto Biblico.   Published annually.

• Since 1985 superceded Elenchus Bibliographicus Biblicus.   See above notation.   Additionally see the handout in this syllabus "Elenchis Elucidated: Or How to Find Things in Elenchus Bibliographicus Biblicus" by Paul F. Stuehrenberg (Elenchus Bibliographicus Biblicus, 57 (1976), p.xlvi-xlviii.

Ephemerides Theologicae Lovanienses.   Louven, France: Catholic University of Louven.   Published bi-annually.

• A theological journal which also publishes an index of theological works as issue two each year.   Mainly non-English articles.   Since 1924.

Guide to Social Science and Religion in Periodical Literature.   Clearwater, Florida: National Periodical Library.

• Since 1966 this has been another source for periodical literature information.   A bit broader than of religious indexes and perhaps not as useful.   In it's first year of publication (1965) it was titled, "Guide to Religious and Semi-Religious Periodicals."   The next year the title and name of the publisher both changed (publisher was formerly National Library of Religious Periodicals).

Index of Articles on Jewish Studies (and the study of Eretz Israel).   Kiryat Sefer, Israel: The Jewish National and University Library. Publishing annually.

• Since 1958 this index provides a thorough and complete index of articles worldwide on Jewish studies and issues related to the land of Israel.   An excellent source for materials, especially as related to the OT and matters of archaeology and history.

Index to Book Reviews in Religion: An Author, Title, Reviewer, and Annual Classified Index to Reviews of Books Published in and of Interest to the Field of Religion.   Evanston, Illinois: American Theological Library Association.   Published quarterly.

• See comments below on Religion Index One.   Additionally, an important source of review information for books, more emphasis on evangelical works than Critical Review of Books in Religion.

Internationale Zeitschriftenschau für Bibelwissenschaft und Grenzgebiete (International Review of Biblical Studies).   Dusseldorf, Germany: Patmos Verlag Dusseldorf.   Published annually.

• Since 1953 excellent index for Biblical and Theological studies.   Mainly German, French and English language articles.   Should be consulted in conjunction with   Elenchus of Biblica and Ephemerides Theologicae Lovanienses.

Mosher Periodical Index. Dallas, Texas: Dallas Theological Seminary, Mosher Library.   Published monthly from 1969-84.

• From 1969 through 1984 the library staff of Dallas Seminary undertook a massive task of indexing a large number of the periodicals they were receiving during that time.   The result was a fine subject only index of over 100 different periodicals.   There were three different titles: (1969) "Subject Index to Select Periodical Literature for Mosher Library"; (vol 1-10) "Subject Index to Periodical Literature."   And (Vol 11-15), "Mosher Periodical Index."   The organization of this index is sometimes complicated by the fact that the volume and issue numbers were often either transposed or simply wrong.   Not essential, but worthwhile to check for those years to fill in gaps left by other indexing tools.

New Testament Abstracts.   Cambridge, Massachusetts: Weston School of Theology in cooperation with the Catholic Biblical Association of America, published tri-annually.

• Since 1956 this index has abstracted periodical literature in the area of New Testament and related studies.   The importance of this index cannot be overstated.   Two lithographed issues appeared in early 1956 as a "test" before official publication began in May 1956, however, these two issues are almost impossible to acquire.

Old Testament Abstracts.   Washington, DC: Catholic Biblical Association of America, published tri-annually.

• Since 1978 this important tool records and abstracts periodical literature dealing with the Old Testament, including backgrounds, archaeology, language and theology.   Also includes brief notices of recent books on Old Testament themes.

Poole's Index to Periodical Literature.   New York: Houghton, Mifflin and Company, The Riverside Press.   Two volumes and five supplements covering the period of 1802-1907.

• Mary Poole, of the Newberry Library in Chicago, indexed significant periodical articles of the 19^th Century.   The work was continued by William Fletcher, head librarian of Amherst College.   This tool of primary importance for materials of that era.   This work may also be found in its reprinted form from Pierian Press, 1971.   The editor, C. E. Wall also produced an extremely helpful cumulative author index.

Religious and Theological Abstracts.   Myerstown, Pennsylvania: Religious and Theological Abstracts Inc., published quarterly.

• A significant indexing tool for materials in Biblical and theological studies.   Covers periodicals not covered in other of the main indexing tools.   Provides unusually thorough abstracts.

Religion Index One: Periodicals: A Subject Index to Periodical Literature including an Author/Editor and a Scripture Index.   Evanston, Illinois: American Theological Library Association.   Published semi-annually.

• One of the most important of the indexes, although the print version is superceded by the CD-ROM product (see above) and the new OPAC database via The Master's Seminary system.   The index is generally up to date and well done, indexing the most important theological journals.   The print version is limited in that there is no cumulative index, each year must be searched separately.

Religion Index Two: Multi-Author Works.   Evanston, Illinois: American Theological Library Association.   Published annually.

• See comments for Religion Index One.

Research in Ministry (RIM): An Index to Doctor of Ministry Project Reports Submitted by Reporting ATS Schools.   Evanston, Illinois: American Theological Library Association.   Published annually.

• A handy index, useful for projects in the field of pastoral ministry, although a D.Min., project will occasionally drift into the other fields.   Contains a author, subject index and a separate listing of abstracts for each project.   This information is also accessible through the ATLA Religion Database.   This database is limited by it's exclusion of non-ATS schools with D.Min. programs.   For non-ATS schools the TREN database will serve as a supplement.

Society for Old Testament Study Book List.   Sheffield, England: Society for Old Testament Study.   Published annually.

• Since 1960 this list was published as a separate title, since 1998 it has been published as a supplement to The Journal for the Study of the Old Testament.   Over 500 recent books in the field of OT studies are listed and brief (1-2 paragraph) reviews are included.   The list is broken down into 10 major categories with indexes of authors, series and publishers included.   An important tool for OT research.   In The Master's Seminary Library this title will be found in the Periodical Department.

Southern Baptist Periodical Index.   Bolivar, Missouri: University Library, Southwest Baptist University.   Published annually.

• Since 1984 this tool indexes periodicals "published by corporations related to the Southern Baptist Convention."   Useful for locating material from their "popular" journals and magazines.   The scholarly materials of the SBC are also indexed elsewhere.   Continues the project of the Historical Commission of the SBC of 1964-84.   Has subject, author indexes as well as brief abstracts for some articles.

Theological Research Exchange Network (TREN).   Portland, Oregon: TREN Inc.

• The online database is located at http://www.tren.com and is also available through the TMS library OPAC system.   This database provides access to nearly 10,000 thesis/dissertation titles from over 70 different schools.   Additionally, conference papers from several societies, including ETS, are available.   The TMS library has nearly all of the TREN microfiche collection.   You can also order copies of the items directly from TREN.   The database is a little weak in terms of access points, but is still invaluable.

Theology in Context: Information on Theological Contributions from Africa, Asia, Oceania and Latin America.   Aachen, Germany: Institute of Missiology.

• Since 1983 this is an important supplement to standard North American and European centered indexes.   Contains an annotated bibliography, summaries of selected materials, book surveys, reports from theological conferences, indices of authors and key words.

The Philosopher's Index: An International Index to Philosophical Periodicals.   Bowling Green, Ohio: Philosopher's Information Center.   Published quarterly with an annual cumulative release.

• Since 1967 this has been the standard index for philosophical works.   Includes a subject index and an author index with article abstracts.   Covers some theological journals, but most valuable for its breadth of research in general philosophy.   Two other sets were published: "The Philosopher's Index: A Retrospective Index to U.S. Publications from 1940 [to 1976]" and "The Philosopher's Index: A Retrospective Index to Non-English Publications from 1940 [to 1976]".   These works will often provide material not to be located in the other indexes.

  Informational Sites on the World Wide Web for Biblical and Theological Studies

The following sites are "Web Bibliographies" they do not take you immediately to places, but list and provide links to sites where items can be found.   Again, not everything on each one of these sites may be doctrinally sound, but most are good sources of information.   The "gateway" to online resources at The Master's Seminary is through our library page at http://www.tms.edu/libsplash.html Starting at this page you can access the TMS OPAC system and the OCLC "First Search" System.   First Search is a gateway to various databases for research.   The main databases for Biblical and Theological studies will be as follows:

World Cat:   The entire listing of books catalogued by OCLC and the libraries that hold them.

Books in Print:   The Bowker company listing of current books in print.

ATLA Religion Database:   Access to Religion Index One and Two online.

Book Reviews:   Online catalogue of book reviews from various sources.

Humanities Index:   Index of works in the humanities, which is where Religion is currently listed.

Dissertation Abstracts:   A database of doctoral level dissertations on various topics.

There are additionally about 40 other specialized databases available through First Search.

The Master's Seminary Online (links) http://www.tms.edu/other.htm

• We maintain this large set of links, primarily designed for research and informational needs.   It is updated and checked on a regular basis.

Phil Johnson's Bookmarks http://www.gty.org/~phil/bookmarks.htm

• Phil Johnson is the Executive Director of Grace to You and also maintains several web pages.   His list of links is mainly in the area of theology.   He lists all manner of material and categorizes it in terms of "good theology," "bad theology," "really bad theology," and "really, really bad theology."   He annotates the links with his own comments and keeps it updated fairly well.

The Lambert Dolphin Library http://www.best.com/~dolphin/asstbib.shtml

• This is perhaps the most extensive set of links on the web for Biblical and Theological studies.   It is also somewhat eclectic covering a lot of other subject.   Well worth referring to.

The Christian Theology Page http://apu.edu:80/~bstone/theology/theology.html

• A good source of current theology debate from an internet discussion group.

Finding God in Cyberspace http://users.ox.ac.uk/~mikef/fgic/contents.htm

• One of the most thorough and up-to-date Internet resources.   Maintained by John Gresham, head of Information Services at John Paul II Library, Franciscan University of Studenville.   This site should be a first-stop as you learn more about the resources on the web.

The Society of Biblical Literature http://sbl-site-org

• This site has a great deal of information (some of which is in this syllabus with permission) on style, fair use issues, publishing and the definitive list of abbreviations for scholarly papers.  
  

© 2005 by Prof. Dennis M. Swanson, The Masters Seminary. Used by permission.
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