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Resources for Research & Writing

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Personal Application Guide
• Interactive Review Guide
• Exegetical Paper Guide
• Primary Sources
• Historical-geographical Resources
• Biblical Studies Glossary
• Bibliographies
• Journal Literature
• Indexing Tools to help you find what you're looking for
• Guide to Using Internet Sites
• Style Sheet for Citing Internet Sources
• Common Writing Errors to Avoid
• Searching for Used Books
• Hebrew Language Learning Resources

Tips on doing a P.A.:

• Pay particular attention to how the passage (in context) may touch on...
  • the person (nature, character, etc.) of God
  • the aspects of human nature that are in tension with these features of God
  • issues of personal and societal wholeness
  • issues of holiness, both personal and faith community
  • issues of both personal and faith community mission vis-à-vis the world
  • issues of the service of leadership (formation, attributes, function, challenges, pitfalls, etc.).
• For each passage,
  • apply hermeneutical principles and exegetical method to identify the "big idea" of the passage (one sentence, stated as a timeless principle).
  • In your second paragraph, be sure to demonstrate the exegetical basis (2-6 sentences). Here you should cite the evidence (ch:vs) from the context and from the pericope in support of your proposal for the "big idea." Contextual evidence will come from the purpose & layout of the book as well as from the section of the book that contains your pericope. Evidence from your pericope will focus on how the supporting (coordinate & subordinate) clauses relate to the main clause(s). Keep the presentation concise.
  • Then in the third paragraph develop an application that is specific, personal, and practical for you (2-4 sentences).
• Pay special attention in the third section to making a personal application, i.e., personal to you. One clue to success is the use of 1st person singular rather than plural or 3rd person pronouns.
  • Is the application consistent with the author's intent?
  • Is the application mandated by the text-in-context? Or is it a probable implication of the text-in-context? Or is it a possible implication of text-in-context? Have I worded the application in a way that makes this clear?
  • Is the application specific (vs. general)? Does it wrestle with "what would it look like if I were to 'try it on'?"
  • Is the application practical (vs. theoretical)? Does it wrestle with ways I might take steps to put it into practice?

N.b. In preparation for the P.A. assignments you may want to skim Haddon Robinson's "The Heresy of Application" in Leadership Journal 18 (1997) 20-27 (Check under "Readings" tab)

Interactive Review Guide One of the opportunities you have to develop life-long learning skills is your intentional engagement with others' perspectives on issues. In these assignments you get to interact with others (scholars, ministers, and others) on issues related to the material you are studying.

Tips on doing an Interactive Review:

Exegetical Paper Guide You get to gain further skill in applying the principles for reading (interpreting) written texts that you learned in the hermeneutics course. In completing this assignment you will walk through the steps of the exegesis of a biblical text to the point of preparing to expound (teach/preach) the text. Work with one of the more literal translations (e.g NASB) and consult a more dynamic or paraphrastic translation (e.g NIV). This assignment does not call for a full-blown homiletical appropriation but does expect that your will take the first few steps toward preaching or teaching the passage.

2 Next, present your analysis of the context of the passage. Use quality resources appropriate to graduate research & writing. Use footnotes as appropriate in this section. There are two aspects you will want to treat in a page or two:

2.1 Historical-geographical context: Present your own analysis of "time-space" data from the text in context, from related biblical texts, and from extra-biblical primary sources. State how this data enhances one's understanding of the passage. Helps in identifying sources (biblical and extra-biblical) include dictionaries, encyclopedias, histories, and technical commentaries.

2.2 Literary context: Present your own analysis of how genre influences the reading; how the passage relates to its immediate context (surrounding paragraphs/chapters) and to the whole book; your analysis of the division of the composition into units of thought (paragraphs or strophes) and your analysis of the contextual clues that indicate why this passage is located where it is(-- what is the flow of the author's "argument?"). You need not consult commentaries for this step.

3.1 Paragraph analysis. State the "big idea" of each paragraph or strophe in one sentence each. This may be a topic sentence taken directly from the text or your re-statement of the paragraph's theme. Be sure to provide solid evidence. You need not consult commentaries for this step.

3.2 Sentence analysis. Identify and discuss important features of individual sentences. Avoid merely paraphrasing on the one hand, and unnecessary comment on the other (don't analyze the obvious). You do want to discuss your analysis of the flow of the author's treatment of the subject: what is he emphasizing? How does he argue his point? Are there particular stylistic matters worth noting? How is the author using imagery, developing plot and characterization, for example? Are there clues as to why he selected certain material or de-selected material the reader might have expected? Is he using terms that have acquired a technical meaning? Does he use terms or develop ideas that appear elsewhere in the book or in earlier biblical books? You may use concordances or electronic search engines as well as theological dictionaries here. Technical commentaries and journal literature will be useful in identifying issues in interpretation as well as in providing technical expertise. e.g., in linguistics. N.b., resist the temptation to depend on commentaries and do your own work here.

Further support for your analysis in this section will also be provided in an appendix containing 1.) a syntactical layout (clause-level diagram or "map") of the passage and 2.) an exegetical outline flowing from that layout. (see Kaiser, Toward an Exegetical Theology, chap. 8 for examples)

3.3 Theological analysis. Present the results of your analysis of the theological affirmations intended by the author for his audience. Demonstrate an awareness of the theology of antecedent Scriptures which inform this text.

4 Homiletical appropriation: How might you communicate this passage to an audience? For the purposes of this assignment you will present a one page summary which follows the pattern below.

Style and Formatting Guidelines for Papers

It goes without saying that this is expected to be your own work. That said, you must give proper notice when quoting from another work, citing another work as authority, or using the original work/idea of another. You do not have to document common knowledge. Proper documentation must be provided for any sources used, including a separate bibliography of any works consulted at the end of the paper. Attention should be given to ensuring that sources and authorities used are appropriate to graduate-level work. Use footnotes rather than endnotes. As specified in the catalog, Kate L. Turabian's A Manual for Writers is the authority on matters of form and style.

As to be expected, your presentation must demonstrate an educated use of the English language. That being said, we do recognize that we have brilliant students whose mother-tongue is not English. In such case you may want to have a qualified person proofread your final (or next-to-final draft).

Example: Syntactical Layout (Clause Mapping)

Whether dealing with prose or poetry, historical narrative or prophetic speech, the interpreter is concerned to analyze how the words are used in their context. This means looking carefully at the larger unit of thought (prose paragraph or poetic strophe) to see how meaning is developed from the clause level on to the paragraph level.

Identify and mark off the literary unit of thought (paragraph or strophe) and its topic topic sentence or proposition.

Identify and classify the constituent clauses (independent (main) clause, coordinate clause(s), and dependent (subordinate) clause(s).

Re-set the text so the syntactical features are more visible. Do not change the order of the text (relocate clauses)

1.1 The main components of the paragraph are set to the left margin. Each line will be comprised of a full clause.

1.2 Subordinate clauses are indented.

1.3 You may want to set multiple modifiers or multiple objects on separate lines directly under the word/phrase to which they refer.

• 1 Definition: A clause contains a subject and predicate and functions within a compound or complex sentence. A clause can be participial, adverbial, adjectival, conditional, etc. depending on its function in a sentence.


• 2 Indicators:
• 2.1 Hebrew accents:
• 2.2 Coordinating conjunctives: and, or, nor, for, neither...nor, either...or, both...and, not only...but also.
• 2.2.1 Adversative coordinates: but, except.2.1.2.2 Emphatic coordinates: certainly, behold.
• 2.2.3 Inferential coordinates: therefore, then, wherefor, so.
• 2.2.4 Transitional coordiantes: moreover, then, and.
• 2.3 Subordinating conjunctives: when, because, if, since, although, that, where.
• 2.3.1 Subordinating relative pronouns: who, whose, whom, which, that.
• 2.4 Note that Hebrew liberally uses “waw-conversive” or “waw-consecutive” syntax.


• 3 Classification:
• 3.1 Noun clause - is a subordinate clause that functions as a noun.
• 3.2 Relative clause - is usually marked by the use or a relative pronoun or relative adverb and is used in the predicate in place of a substantive or to modify a previously used substantive. [e.g., The rabble who were among them had greedy desires.}
• 3.3 Adverbial clause - functions as an adverb. [e.g., God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result.]
• 3.3.1 Circumstantial - describes the circumstances under which the action of the main clause occurs. [e.g., Did I not indeed reveal Myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in bondage to Pharaoh's house?]
• 3.3.2 Temporal - introduces an aspect of time or concessive action into the sentence. [e.g., When the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king...]
• 3.3.3 Conditional - is one of the two clauses, the protasis, or apodosis, that make up a conditional sentence. [e.g., I will not let you go unless you bless me.]
• 3.3.4 Purpose - indicates the purpose of the action of the main clause. [e.g., And King Rehoboam made haste to mount his chariot to flee to Jerusalem.]
• 3.3.5 Result - is formed with the subjunctive to indicate the result of the action of main clause. [e.g., their possessions were so great that they were not able to remain together]
  
• 3.3.6 Concessive - is a conditional clause that concedes the notion of a previous point. [e.g., But Joseph had recognized his brothers, although they did not recognize him].
• 3.3.7 Causal - gives the reason or cause for the action expressed by the verb in the main clause of the sentence. Words like "because" or "since" are typically used to introduce a causal clause. [e.g., Now the man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all the living.]
• 3.3.8 Restrictive - limits the clause it modifies. [e.g., the people who followed Omri prevailed.]
• 3.4 Miscellaneous clauses
• 3.4.1 Adversative clause - expresses opposition or contrast [e.g., I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been preserved]
• 3.4.2 Equational clause - expresses a feature of its subject (usually contains a subject complement and copula) [e.g., he is a prophet]
• 3.4.3 Existential clause - expresses the real or imagined existence of something/one [e.g., there was a prophet]


• 4 Identify and classify the constituent phrases (e.g., prepositional, participial, infinitival)


• 5 Map the author’s development of thought by setting off each proposition, clause, or phrase on its own line. Keep each unit in the order in which it appears in the text. Note that the target language may present in a different order. (E.g. Judg 6:15– He said to Him, "O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? NASB; compare “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel?” TNIV)
• 5.1 Set the main (topic) independent clause to the margin;
• 5.2 Indent clauses and phrases which modify the main clause, highlighting the indicator;
• 5.3 Indent clauses and phrases which modify subordinate clauses, highlighting the indicator;
• 5.4 Note the function of key clauses.


• 6. Example: Judges 6:1-6

Example: Homiletical Application

Example: Homiletical Interrogatives & Complements

Who?
What?
Where?

Primary Sources Tanach - Jewish Publication Soc. (1917) Tanach - Judaica Press (includes Rashi's commentary) Tanach - Verse analyzer of the TanakhML Project (www.tanakhml.org) New English Translation of the Septuagint NeXt Bible - NET Bible online text and tools OSIS Bible Tools - Parallel Hebrew/Septuagint/English tools Blue Letter Bible - Public domain resources (AV, Gesenius' Thayer) for primary text and links to versions and secondary resources (Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, commentaries, etc.)

	Historical-Geographical-Sociological Resources An excellent Bible Atlas Online. The atlas is comprised of seventy-four maps oraganized in three parts: Biblical setting, Hebrew Bible Period, New Testament Era (including early church).

University of Texas at Austin's Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection includes an extensive collection of maps of the Near East, both recent and historical

MERIA (Middle East Review of International Affairs), published by Bar-Ilan University, sponsors this web site which provides links to an impressive array of map resources for study of the Middle East.

Columbia University site linking to Middle East regional and country resources

Oranim School of Education (Israel) webpage on Israeli geography includes climate, political geography, regional geography, newspapers & news, maps, view from above, links, etc.

Bible History site provides an extensive array of links to historical-geographical backgrounds including archaeology and images.

Ancient Civilization links page by school district is global in scope, but has a good number of helpful links to ancient ancient Near East.

Babylon web site includes historical notes and artists' conceptions of the city in the 7^th cent. B.C.

Second Temple Synagogues is a site based on Donald Binder's 1997 Ph.D. dissertation at SMU.

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory space radar image shows Jerusalem and the Judean Wilderness, including Bethlehem and Hebron.

Cornell University's interactive mapping and geoscience data analysis home page provides direct access to Cornell's digital data sets and web-based application tool.

Women in the ANE

Old Testament/ Hebrew Bible Bibliography on Gender Studies/ Women in Antiquity

The B-Hebrew Mailing List

Contemporary "Exploration": Take a virtual tour of the Middle East at virtualtourist.com
 

Biblical Studies Glossary A glossary of terms encountered in technical biblical studies material.

Bibliographies Bibliography on Pentateuch Bibliography on Genesis Bibliography on Exodus Bibliography on Leviticus

Bibliography on Numbers

Bibliography on Deuteronomy

Bibliography on Joshua

Bibliography on Judges

Bibliography on Ruth

Annotated Old Testament Bibliography Prepared by Dan Carroll and Richard Hess of Denver Seminary and published in the Denver Journal (6) 2003 . For the most part, this list considers English language studies and exegetical commentaries that have appeared within the last quarter century and indicates those works which the preparers consider exemplary.

N.B., there is much of value that predates this period. For one of the most useful bibliographies of earlier works, see: Childs, Brevard S. Old Testament Books for Pastors and Teachers. Westminster, 1977.  

Journal Literature Be sure to get familiar with journal literature as well as with the indexing tools that help you get to the research and reflection that can stimulate your thinking on a particular text or issue.

American Journal of Semitic Languages and Literature

Andrews University Seminary Studies

Annual of the Swedish Theological Institute

Biblica

Biblical Archaeologist

Biblical Archaeology Review

Biblical Research

Bible Review

Biblical Theology Bulletin

Bibliotheca Sacra

Biblische Zeitschrift

Bulletin of the American schools of Oriental Research

Canadian Journal of Theology

Catholic Biblical Quarterly

Concordia Theological Monthly

Currents in Theology and Mission

Evangelical Quarterly

Expository Times

Grace Theological Journal

Harvard Theological Review

Hebrew Annual Review

Hebrew Studies

Hebrew Union College Annual

Horizons in Biblical Theology

Interpretation

Israel Exploration Journal

Journal for the Study of Old Testament

Journal of Biblical Literature

Journal of Bible and religion

Journal of Jewish Studies

Journal of Near Eastern Studies

Journal of Northwest Semitic Languages

Journal of Religion

Journal of Semitic Studies

Journal of the American Oriental Society

Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society

Journal of Semitic Studies

Near Eastern Archaeology

Palestine Exploration Quarterly

Princeton Theological Review

Reformed Theological Review

Review of Theology and Philosophy

Révue Biblique

Révue de Qumran

Review and Expositor

Scottish Journal of Theology

Studia Biblica et Theologica

Studia Theologica

Themelios

Theological Studies

Theologische Zeitschrift

Tyndale Bulletin

Union Seminary Quarterly Review

Vetus Testamentum

Westminster Theological Journal

Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft

Internet Journal Resources

In addition to the journals above which provide some measure of internet access, you may want to check out the following sites:

University of Chicago list of journals related to the ancient Near East, archaeology, or classics.

American Theological LibraryAssociation's Center for Electronic Resources in Theology and Religion (CERTR), a current project to digitize 50 years' publication of 50 key journals.

Biblical Studies Web provides access to libraries, e-journals, commentaries, etc.

Christianity Today's site provides access to CT, Leadership, Books & Culture, Christian History and other periodicals

Virtual Israel

Jewish Virtual Library
 

Indexing tools:

Index to religious periodical literature. 1949/1952-June 1977.

Religion Index One, periodicals. 1949-1964, July 1977 to date.

RI 1 & 2 are the major current indices of religious literature

ATLA Database

Electronic form of Religion Index 1 & 2 contains citations from international journal titles and 13,000 multi-author works in and related to the field of religion.

ProQuest Religion

JSTOR Database

Catalog of multidiscplinary collection of some 600 journals.

Access to these databases and others iis available through the Seminary Library webpage.

This is THE most complete search tool, indexing almost every journal/serial/book/dissertation world- wide. What makes it especially valuable for biblical studies is its Scripture index. The downside is that it is about 3 year behind.

Old Testament Abstracts. 1978 to date.

Google Scholar

Search across many disciplines and sources: peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, abstracts and articles, from academic publishers, professional societies, preprint repositories, universities and other scholarly organizations.

Guide to Use of Internet Sites There are some sites which provide helpful and significant content (e.g. offer primary texts, peer-reviewed scholarly journal articles, bibliographies. There are also sites which provide well organized links to other sites of substantive value. Although you may not be purchasing anything, caveat emptor is an appropriate caution. You are spending (part of) your life (you call it "time") in the learning process and you don't want to waste it on useless sites with questionable "information."

When doing research, pay attention to the institutional sponsorship of the site (there are good independent sites out there, however, usually a site sponsored by an institution is of higher quality than a site offered by a single individual)
 

Depending on what the site is providing, watch for evidence of active maintenance. For example, a site with a carefully prepared and proofread text of Josephus does not need to be constantly "updated." However, other sorts of sites which have not been updated in more than a year should be treated with care.
 

With respect to the kinds of sites we would be dealing with in theological studies, the norm is free access. Sites which try to collect money from users should be treated with care.
 

Is the author, editor of the material identified? Is there some indication of his or her credentials? Does the site present well (indicating some care in its preparation) or is it garish or poorly organized? Has the material been prepared with care or are there errors in spelling and grammar (e.g., "I hope to peek your interest in the main tenants of my moral principals ...")
   
 

Listserv Discussion Groups

Discussion groups exist on the internet in which scholars from a particular discipline or sub-set of an academic discipline engage in conversation and Q&A on topics germane to that discipline. There are also listserv discussions which are interdisciplinary. As you confront particular issues in theological studies, you may find it stimulating to check in on one or more of these discussion groups.
 

Citation format

Style sheet explains types of electronic sources, issues in citing electronic sources, examples, and links to style guides.
 

Common Writing Errors to Avoid

It’s a strong clue that a writer has let the spell-checker do her proof-reading for her when one finds...

"I" where it should be "me" and vice versa.

"it’s" where it should be "its"...

"your" where it should be "you’re"...

"they’re" where it should be "their"...

"then" where it should be "than"...

"who’s" where it should be "whose"...

"i.e." when it should be "e.g."...

"effect" when it should be "affect"...

"different than" where it should be "different from"...

"could of" (or "would of") where it should be "could have" (or "would have").

"lay" where it should be "lie"...

"imply" where it should be "infer"...

"good" where it should be "well"...

"compliment" where it should be "complement"...

"loose" where it should be "lose"...

"rather unique" or "very unique" where, if "unique" doesn’t say it all, it isn’t unique.

See Paul Brians’ Common Errors in English Usage
 

Searching for Used Books Bookfinder Bibliofind Amazon Wipf & Stock academic reprinter offers a 20% discount of retail price.

Hebrew Language Learning Resources Tutorials Biblia Hebraica is a site which contains notes from a graduate Biblical Hebrew Level I class taught by Dr. David Wallace. Hebrew for Christians Online Hebrew Tutorial Biblical and Modern Hebrew and Biblical Literature Tools Hebrew Cantilation Marks. A short description of the Hebrew cantillation marks and their usage for structuring the Bible text.

Modern Hebrew

The Hebrew Language site at the University of Minnesota

The Hebrew Language site at the University of Texas at Austin

Basic Hebrew
 

Disclaimer: The inclusion of a link on this site does not necessarily indicate an endorsement of the contents of that site by this professor or institution. As always critical judgment is expected. Sites are included which are deemed to be appropriate to graduate education.