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INTERNET RESOURCES FOR BIBLICAL STUDIES The World Wide Web offers rich resources for studying the Bible. Just as there are thousands upon thousands of books on the Bible and its interpretation, there are now hundreds upon hundreds, if not thousands, of Web sites devoted to the same things. And, because of the flexibility and power of computers and the Web, the latter often go far beyond what individual books can offer. Certainly students interested in studying the Bible can access a much wider range of information than they can afford to buy for their own bookshelves. A caveat is in order here, however. In the end, the free resources available on the World Wide Web are not a complete substitute for a good personal library (of books, and of materials only available electronically for a cost), and/or physical access to a good theological library, at least at this stage in the Web's history. The actual texts of copyrighted books and articles are not generally available for free on the Web; one needs to buy the actual books or journals in hard copy or electronic form (CDs). (Occasionally one can find the actual texts of articles posted by authors. However, this is usually a haphazard, hit-and-miss endeavor, and often, the postings are by individuals with idiosyncratic views and approaches, which do not at all represent the mainstream of evangelical [or non-evangelical] Biblical studies.) So, serious Bible students will still need to buy commentaries and other references works for their own use. Having said this, the Web nevertheless has much to offer. Below is a short list of Web sites that I judge to be the most useful for seminary students and serious laypeople interested in the world of Biblical studies. The list is intentionally short. It is not an attempt to be a comprehensive listing of resources, but only a listing of good "gateway" sites (with links to many other sites) and some sites with good content of their own. These are listed in no particular order. I welcome any feedback on this list, including comments on the contents of the sites themselves, on my inclusions and exclusions, and suggestions for additions and improvements. I may be contacted at dhoward@bethel.edu. This is a very useful resource for accessing many different Bible versions online (KJV, RSV, NASB, NIV, etc.), and includes advanced concordance searching capabilities. It is a part of the vast Gospel Communications Network (see next entry). This site links almost 200 Christian ministries, ranging from Christian publishers, missions agencies, apologetics institutes, prayer alliances, colleges and seminaries, and much, much more. This virtual "university" is sponsored by Campus Crusade for Christ, and engages matters of faith and learning on a wide variety of fronts (science, religion, theology, the arts, Bible study, culture, politics, etc.). It is a very rich and useful site.
This Web site is run by Inter Varsity Christian Fellowship and has a wide range of resources. Its stated mission: God is at work among graduate students and faculty at every college and university, drawing many to Himself. Our goal is to see each Christian graduate student and every Christian faculty member share our four ministry commitments [spiritual formation; evangelism and service; faith, learning and practice; community]. Also, check out IVCF's Bible Study Page. The "WWW Biblical Theology Index" is "an index of Biblical Theology materials available on the World Wide Web." Its uniqueness is that it has actual articles posted on many different topics in Biblical studies and theology. Not all are evangelical, but evangelical writers are well represented. This is a very thorough Web site dealing with all aspects of Biblical studies, with a wealth of resources and many links. Its staff is composed mostly of Dallas Seminary faculty and graduates, so its interests naturally reflect concerns in that theological orbit. Nevertheless, it is very helpful for anyone interested in Bible study. Its stated mission: "The Biblical Studies Foundation is a non-profit organization founded for the purpose of distributing sound, evangelical Bible study materials in electronic format so those with small personal libraries or without access to a local Bible college or seminary library, etc., may have access to sound biblical studies from their home." The Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion This Center is operated by Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana. Its stated mission: "The Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion seeks to strengthen and enhance education in North American theological schools, colleges and universities." As such, it is not evangelical in its orientation, but nevertheless contains a great deal of useful information. Its Guide to Internet Resources is very useful; it has a very large variety of sites listed, including syllabi, electronic texts, electronic journals, websites, bibliographies, listserv discussion groups, liturgies, reference resources, software, etc. This is a useful Web site on Biblical studies, operated by Don Elbourne, a former Old Testament Ph.D. student of mine at the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He has lots of "goodies" on his site, including Hebrew fonts, links to many helpful Biblical studies sites, information on Bible software, helpful bibliographies on Old Testament studies, and postings of his own research interests. "Reference Books on Biblical Hebrew and the Hebrew Bible" This is valuable for what its title claims. It is an annotated bibliography of reference works, such as Hebrew grammars, lexicons, concordances, specialized studies (on Hebrew narrative, poetry, etc.). It does not include commentaries. It was published by Murray Salisbury, of the Summer Institute of Linguistics (sister organization of Wycliffe Bible Translators), in August 1997. Evangelical Theological Society (ETS) This Web site is developing slowly. The ETS is the flagship professional organization of evangelical Biblical scholars, theologians, church historians, and others. Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) The SBL is the major professional organization of Biblical scholars. It membership includes both evangelical and non-evangelical scholars. One can find almost the entire range of theological positions and hermeneutical approaches - from the most radical to fairly conservative - represented in the SBL. Its sister organization, the American Academy of Religion, is much broader, covering all of world religions, and tends to be more radical in theological orientations and approaches, although evangelicals are slowly becoming better represented.
David M. Howard, Jr. |
copyright 2007 - Dr. David Howard Jr. |