Finding appropriate resources is key to writing a good paper. Knowing the right resource to use not only saves critical time but more importantly, it enhances the depth and breadth of information that goes into a paper. Listed below are resources and a brief explanation of there use.
Reference Resources
Reference resources include theological dictionaries, Bible dictionaries, encyclopedias, commentaries, and historical church material. These are an excellent place to start because they give a broad view of a particular subject. They provide useful information on a topic and can stimulate ideas to consider. Often, they will have a bibliography at the end of an article to help search for further information.
Commentaries
Commentaries will be one of the more critical resources for Bible classes and exegesis papers. Most commentaries provide historical context, audience, author and will let the reader know if there are nuances in translation that arise from the original languages in ways that allow even the non-Greek/Hebrew proficient person to understand. Commentaries to a varying degree will emphasize the application and personal impact of the scripture passage. It is important to know that commentaries can vary between practical and technical. For instance, there are practical commentaries that focus more on the meaning of the theological interpretation of the text and can be essential for preaching and teaching or personal spiritual formation. Other commentaries can be more technical and focus purely on the academic and critical aspects of a passage: its context, its literary meaning, and its sources. They are detailed and emphasize aspects of language and grammar (often using untransliterated Greek and Hebrew). Commentaries are also on the spectrum of conservative to liberal and everything in between. The library has a libguide to give more information about the above considerations and rates many commentaries on where they fall on those spectrums. Commentaries in the reference section are grouped by set while commentaries in the stacks are arranged by the individual book of the bible.
Books
As the topic of a paper is narrowed down, books become an essential part of information gathering. The library has print and ebooks in the library catalog. Make sure and use several search strategies when looking up books or a subject. For instance, one can look up books by title, by author, by subject, and by series. Each search will bring up different resources. Here is a libguide on how to find and use ebooks.
Online databases
The library has many online databases that offer different types of information. Some databases carry an extensive list of journal articles, some of which are full-text articles. When looking for journal articles, it is crucial to find peer-reviewed articles. Those are articles reviewed by academic experts and have determined that the article contributes to the academic field. Other databases offer the following: theological book reviews, sermons, Barth’s “Church Dogmatics,” historical church documents, encyclopedias, and more.
Primary vs. Secondary
Seminary uses both primary and secondary sources. A primary source is a book, article, or piece of research written by the original person. For instance, this person could be someone who directly witnessed an event. Or, this person could be a scholar in his or her field who wrote an original piece of research by someone. The main point is this original document has not been previously published or interpreted by anyone else. A secondary source is one step removed from the original primary source. Usually, a secondary source comments on an original document. With a secondary source, the author is reexamining, interpreting, and forming conclusions based on the information conveyed in the primary source. This libguide explains the difference between primary and secondary sources in greater depth.