Our RESEARCH GUIDES page suggests books, eBooks, databases, articles, websites, digital resources and more to facilitate your work. Here is an alphabetical list of research guides that are currently available to distance education students and a brief description of what each guide offers.
Library Access and Services for Distance Students
https://upsem.libguides.com/distanceeducation
Provides an overview of essential resources and services for distance education students at Union Presbyterian Seminary. Introduces and guides distance students through access and use of the Library's databases, eBooks and digital reference resources. Also provides a number of useful quick links to the Library's research guides, Interlibrary loan services (ILL) and offers a suite of helpful video tutorials that introduce you to Library staff and essential services.
Accessing Hoopla
https://upsem.libguides.com/hoopla
This guide provides instructions for accessing Hoopla.
AI in the Classroom
https://upsem.libguides.com/ai
Artificial Intelligence programs are here to stay. We need to find ways to use them effectively,
while ensuring that students learn the skills to read, research, and write at the UPSem standard.
Biblical Language Study Resources
https://upsem.libguides.com/biblicallanguages
This guide is a collection of reference sources at UPSem Libraries for studying biblical Hebrew
and koine Greek. Most of these are in the Reference collection of the Richmond library; many
are also available in the Charlotte library.
Biblical Studies
https://upsem.libguides.com/bible
Guides for courses that relate to the Old and New Testaments. Was developed to highlight library resources for researching and writing an Exegesis Paper. It also can be used to aid in the general understanding and reflection of the Bible.
Cannon Collection
https://upsem.libguides.com/cannon
This is a guide to resources that provide the underpinning of Womanist theology and ethics. Dr. Katie Geneva Cannon, beloved professor at Union Presbyterian Seminary from 2001 until her death in 2018, was "a foundational voice of womanist theology."
Center for Social Justice and Reconciliation
https://upsem.libguides.com/csjr
This guide has been created to support the mission of the Center for Social Justice and Reconciliation with a collection of extant digital and physical resources pertaining to the CSJR's areas of focus including: urban ministry concerns, social justice ministry concerns, contemporary issues, black church studies, LGBTQ ministry and justice issues, and evangelism from a social justice perspective. Each area of study has been given it's own unique page in the guide.
Christian Education
https://upsem.libguides.com/mace
These resource guides have been developed for the Master of Arts in Christian Education Program.
Copyright at the Seminary
https://upsem.libguides.com/copyright
It is the intent of Union Presbyterian Seminary (“UPSem” or “the Seminary”) that all members of the Seminary community adhere to the provisions of the United States Copyright Law (Title 17, United States Code, Sect. 101, et seq.). The following policy statements and guidelines constitute a manual for anyone at the Seminary who wishes to use, reproduce, alter, or perform works that are protected by copyright. Since copyright protection applies to a variety of creative works -- printed materials, sound recordings, video recordings, visual artworks, computer software, and others -- the policy has been constructed to address issues related to particular types of media.
Digital Reference Resources at UPSem
https://upsem.libguides.com/dig-ref
The Union Presbyterian Seminary Library has a large collection of digital reference sources that reside on a number of vendor platforms. This guide brings together many of these sources in one guide, arranging them by reference categories including; Bible Commentaries, Dictionaries & Handbooks, Encyclopedias, Bibles & Concordances, Preaching & Lectionary Aids, Theologians and Writing and Style Guides.
Digital Streaming and Physical Audiovisual Media at UPSem
https://upsem.libguides.com/streaming
Union Presbyterian Seminary Library offers a variety of audio and visual streaming licenses to our faculty, staff and students. However, since each company organizes their content and access differently, we created this guide to help you navigate our offerings.
Exhibitions
https://upsem.libguides.com/exhibits
Research guides to give more information about the periodic art exhibitions hosted by the Union Presbyterian Seminary.
Finding and Using eBooks
https://upsem.libguides.com/eBooks
This guide highlights Union Presbyterian Seminary Library eBook collections as well as offering discovery and access instruction.
Global Christianity
https://upsem.libguides.com/globalchristianity
This guide is intended to provide an entry into research on Christianity as it is practiced on six of the world's seven continents. It was created in partnership with, and in order to serve the needs of, the Syngman Rhee Global Mission Center for Christian Education, and will be updated continually.
Guide to Chicago Style for Seminarians
https://upsem.libguides.com/chicago
This guide was created to help students at Union Presbyterian Seminary learn how to format papers and properly cite sources in Chicago style, which is typically the style preferred in fields related to religious studies.
Guide to the Research Process
https://upsem.libguides.com/research
This guide provides an introduction to the skills needed to conduct general research.
In the Instructional Resource Center
https://upsem.libguides.com/irc/home
An introduction to the Library's Instructional Resource Center including some of the important resources and services it offers to Union Presbyterian Seminary students and faculty.
Internet Resources for Theology Students
https://upsem.libguides.com/theology_resources
This guide of web resources should be viewed as a supplement to the Library's resources. There are good resources online that are helpful to academic and ministry work. These have been organized by subject, rather than by website, so it will be easier to search. Most of the Bible and Reference resources listed are academic gateways that, while they may vary in scope, rigor, and currency provide extensive information by experts in the field.
Library Access and Services for Distance Students
https://upsem.libguides.com/distanceeducation
Library Collection Development and Access Policy
https://upsem.libguides.com/cdap
Ordination Examinations Preparation
https://upsem.libguides.com/exams
We have developed this guide to help you access our library resources for Ords prep at home. If
you need anything else, we are still only a phone call away, so please let us know how we can
help. Otherwise, the materials here should make your research, study and preparation time a
little bit smoother.
Preaching and Worship
https://upsem.libguides.com/praw
Public Theology
https://upsem.libguides.com/pt
Research Bytes and Other Self-Guided Tutorials
https://upsem.libguides.com/tutorials
"Research Bytes" is a video series on some tenets of basic research skills that are designed to
enhance our students information literacy.
Seminary Research Guides by Courses
https://upsem.libguides.com/Index
The Black Church in America
https://upsem.libguides.com/BCA
This guide contains resources for studying and researching the history, theologies, and present- day realities of Black churches and Black church culture in America.
The Church in the World
https://upsem.libguides.com/churchintheworld
Tips and Resources on Writing Well in Seminary
https://upsem.libguides.com/c.php?g=924080
This guide offers basic writing tips to help students make the transition to seminary education. Additional resources are listed for more in depth work.
Using ATLA Religion Database & ATLA PLUS
https://upsem.libguides.com/atla
A guide to the ATLA Religion Database and ATLAS Plus including instructions for; access, searching for scripture passages, selecting full-text articles, finding articles in specific journals, changing and combining databases, filtering results, looking for book reviews as well as saving, emailing and printing.