An Introduction To Theological Research: A Guide for College and Seminary Students

by Cyril J. Barber

An indispensable guide for undergraduate, graduate, or seminary students, this book provides valuable insight into the best reference tools available for Bible research. Not only do the authors provide general information on atlases, concordances, lexicons, dictionaries, and the like, but they also evaluate their usefulness. Titles reviewed range from theologically conservative to theologically liberal in their orientation. Electronic databases are included within the scope of the book's coverage. A highly useful resource, the book will certainly find a permanent place on the desk of anyone involved with Bible research.

Genres: Theology

192 pages, Paperback

First published May 28, 2000

Reviews

[Austin Cox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful and necessary, but quite possibly the most boring thing I’ve ever read

[David Jamison · Rating 3 out of 5]

That was a tough read. Extremely boring.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an incredibly thorough review of research resources for the theological researcher. If you're feeling stuck on a theological research project as to how to proceed, this is an excellent little work to help you get started. To the people on this site giving this book 3* and under reviews because "it's boring"...did you expect this book to entertain you? Did you expect a thrilling novel given the title of this work? Perhaps try rating this work on its own merit in the context of its genre. Thank you.

[Glen Telusma · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Good Book

A copy will do you well if you intend to further your knowledge through research. The book is well rounded in my opinion. It covers an in-depth area on where you can search for materials you need to assist in your research.

[Adam T. Calvert · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good reference work of other reference works. :) Sound boring enough? In all seriousness it’s a pretty helpful work. The author gives a wealth of information regarding books and resources for specific aspects of theological study. His information often includes theological bias of the author/editor as well as publication history.

The main helpful idea woven throughout all the chapters is a great insight into the process of researching. The premise is basically that you start with very broad, general reference works (encyclopedias, Bible dictionaries, etc.) and work your way from there to narrower and narrower reference materials (books, periodicals, and then unpublished materials).

With this approach he takes the reader through various works on the following topics: general reference works, concordances, lexicons, word studies, indexes, abstracts, bibliographies, and then unpublished materials. He provides a great deal of information on the sources available in those fields and where and how to access them.

A great introduction!

[Thomas Fitzpatrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit dated, but considering the field of research, older is usually better.

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great instructions for writing/research.