Library Guides: GTHE-517 Seminar in Theological Research: Reference Materials

About

To find Reference Materials look at print materials in the library and online reference databases. The Reference Collection includes commentaries, handbooks, atlases, theological and religious dictionaries and encyclopedias, and more. Use the library catalog and online full text reference databases to find biblical or theological reference materials.

Browse the Reference Collection (Print Materials in the Library)

Books are shelved in Library of Congress (LC) call number order, so similar subjects will be shelved next to each other.

Use the opens new window Library of Congress Classification Outline (select class B, then your subject area) or the ORU Theology Bookmark that lists general theological and biblical call numbers to identify biblical and theological books in the Reference Collection.

Reference books cannot be checked out; however, some titles may have a duplicate in the main collection that is available for checkout. Search the title you need in the library catalog to see if the book is located elsewhere in the library and availability for checkout. Assistance is available at the the Library Services Desk.

Search the ORU Library Catalog (Print & Online)

Catalog
For reference books add b8:reference to your search.

ORU's online listing of books, ebooks, audiobooks, reference materials, faculty reserves, special collections, subscription journal titles, etc. to which ORU users have access. Entries contain bibliographic information about each entry on the WMS system.

Try a keyword or subject search for your topic.

Examples: church*, theolog*, Christian*, religio*, bibl* or missions, then add the book format, such as encyclopedia or dictionary

Use the Cite button to get a citation, then copy, paste, and edit as needed to match the required style format. Always check the citation references for accuracy with the ORU Graduate School of Theology & Ministry Research & Writing Manual and your professor's requirements.

Church Fathers

Christian Classics Ethereal Library

A digital library of hundreds of classic Christian Books. Provides searchable full text. Includes the Early Church Fathers, a 38-volume collection of writings from the first 800 years of the Church divided into three series: Ante-Nicene (ANF), Nicene and Post-Nicene Series I (NPNF1), and Nicene and Post-Nicene Series II (NPNF2).

Sample Title: opens new windowCatholic Encyclopedia
Try a Variety of Searching:

Library Cal Number: BR.60...LRC-R
Go to the BR 60 section in the library to browse the titles.
In the library catalog or an ebook database, use a subject search for "Fathers of the Church" or an author search for a church father, such as Augustine of Hippo, Athanasius, Gregory of Nazianzus, or Origen.
Use a phrase search in opens new windowEbook Central.
Example:"Fathers of the Church"
Search variations: Patristics, Early Church Writings, Early Church Theology

Reference Ebooks

The Anchor Bible Dictionary by David Noel Freedman; Anchor Bible Staff
Call Number: Ebook

ISBN: 9780385193511

Publication Date: 1998
The Cambridge Dictionary of Christian Theology by Ian A. McFarland (Editor); Karen Kilby (Editor); Iain R. Torrance (Editor); David A. S. Fergusson (Editor)
Call Number: Ebook

ISBN: 9780521880923

Publication Date: 2011
Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible by James D. G. Dunn (Editor)
Call Number: Ebook - 1 User

ISBN: 9781467426824

Publication Date: 2003
The Essential Bible Dictionary by Moisés Silva
Call Number: Ebook

ISBN: 9780310278214

Publication Date: 2011
New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology and Exegesis Set by Moisés Silva (Revised by)
Call Number: Ebook

ISBN: 0310276195

Publication Date: 2014
Ultimate Bible Dictionary by Holman Bible Editorial Staff
Call Number: Ebook

ISBN: 9781535934718

Publication Date: 2019

See: opens new windowBiblical Research: Dictionaries & Encyclopedias

Encyclopedia of Ancient Greek Language and Linguistics (3 Vols) - Online by Georgios K. Giannakis (Editor-In-Chief); Vit Bubenik (Associate Editor); Emilio Crespo (Associate Editor); Chris Golston (Associate Editor); Alexandra Lianeri (Associate Editor); Silvia Luraghi (Associate Editor); Stefanos Matthaios (Associate Editor)
Call Number: Ebook

ISBN: 9789004225978

Publication Date: 2014
Encyclopedia of Hebrew Language and Linguistics (4 Vols. ) - Online by Steven E. Fassberg (Associate Editor); Gary A. Rendsburg (Associate Editor); Aaron D. Rubin (Associate Editor); Ora R. Schwarzwald (Associate Editor); Tamar Zewi (Associate Editor); Geoffrey Khan (Editor-In-Chief); Shmuel Bolozky (Associate Editor)
Call Number: Ebook

ISBN: 9789004176423

Publication Date: 2013

Reference Databases

Christian Classics Ethereal Library
opens new windowBrowse title lists. Sample Title: opens new windowCatholic Encyclopedia - Includes the Early Church Fathers, a 38-volume collection of writings from the first 800 years of the Church divided into three series: Ante-Nicene (ANF), Nicene and Post-Nicene Series I (NPNF1), and Nicene and Post-Nicene Series II (NPNF2). The Early Church Fathers series are also available in print In the ORU Library, call number section is BR.60...LRC-R., and many are available as ebooks.
To find other books
• Try a subject or series search for Early Church Fathers or Fathers of the Church in the ORU library catalog or an ebook database
• Try an author search for a church father (e.g., Augustine of Hippo).
• Try a phrase search for "Fathers of the Church" in Ebook Central.

A digital library of hundreds of classic Christian Books. Provides searchable full text. Includes the Early Church Fathers, a 38-volume collection of writings from the first 800 years of the Church divided into three series: Ante-Nicene (ANF), Nicene and Post-Nicene Series I (NPNF1), and Nicene and Post-Nicene Series II (NPNF2).
Credo Reference

Ebook reference titles emphasizing all key disciplines; includes images, encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, and handbooks.
How to run a Basic search on Credo
How to use the Mind Map on Credo
Encyclopedia of Ancient Greek Language and Linguistics

A unique work that brings together the latest research from across a range of disciplines which contribute to our knowledge of Ancient Greek. It is an indispensable research tool for scholars and students of Greek, of linguistics, and of other Indo-European languages, as well as of Biblical literature.
Encyclopedia of Hebrew Language and Linguistics

Comprehensive treatment of all aspects of the Hebrew language from its earliest form to present; features full-text search functionality using the Hebrew character set.
Gale eBooks
To view titles click the More drop menu, then click the Title List icon. Titles include:
• opens new windowContemporary American Religion and
• opens new windowEncyclopaedia Judaica.
Click Advanced in the top menu bar to go to the Topic Finder.

Various subject encyclopedias covering multiple disciplines.
New Pauly: Encyclopedia of the Classical World

Covers Greco-Roman culture and history, both in antiquity and early modern eras as well as current areas of research. Includes maps, illustrations.
Information for Researchers and Students from Brill.
Oxford Handbooks Online: Religion

"...Essays on critical topics and emerging issues in the study of religion, complementing hundreds of essays on Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism and cross-cultural thematic studies."
Twentieth Century Religious Thought: Christianity

Full-text ebooks cross-searchable by subject, author, religion, work. "Researchers can search across hundreds of fully-digitized documents to instantly compare how different theories, denominations, and cultural groups have intersected, differed, and influenced one another."
"A multivolume, cross-searchable online collection that brings together the seminal works and archival materials related to worldwide religious thinkers from the early 1900s until the first decade of the 21st century. This resource represents voices from Christianity, Judaism, and Islam featuring significant thinkers of history."