Research Help
- Biblical Studies and Exegesis
- Citations
- Databases and Online Resources
- E-books
- Library Orientation
- Research and Writing
Biblical Studies and Exegesis
Class Session Handouts and Recordings
Old Testament
- Lamentations Handout (PDF) (recording, 05/07/2020)
- Library Research for Love in the Hebrew Bible Handout (PDF)
- Old Testament and Immigration Handout (PDF) (recording, 05/01/2020)
- Online Exegesis Resources for Esther (PDF)
- Online Exegesis Resources for Jonah (PDF)
- Online Exegesis Resources for Ruth (PDF)
New Testament
Biblical Languages
Exegesis Resources for those taking the PCUSA Ordination Exam
Old Testament
New Testament
- Exegesis Resources for PCUSA Ordination Exam: Matthew (PDF)
- Exegesis Resources for PCUSA Ordination Exam: John (PDF)
- Using Accordance for New Testament Exegesis: John (PDF)
- Exegesis Resources for PCUSA Ordination Exam: 1 Corinthians (PDF)
- Exegesis Resources for PCUSA Ordination Exam: 2 Corinthians (PDF)
- Exegesis Resources for PCUSA Ordination Exam: Titus (PDF)
BCE
Guides on Using Specific Exegesis Tools
- Accordance
- Atla
- Blue Letter Bible
- Encycl. Bible & Reception
- Lumina
- Ministry Matters
- STEP Bible
- Thesaurus linguae Graecae
Accordance
Accordance Bible software (available on select computers on campus) draws together a panoply of texts and sophisticated tools necessary for in-depth study of Biblical texts, both original language texts and translations, in a clean, intuitive interface.
- Accordance User Guide
- Brief Introduction to Accordance Bible Software (PDF)
- New Testament Word Studies Using Accordance Mark 4.35-41 (PDF)
- Properly Citing Accordance Bible software (PDF)
- Using Accordance for New Testament Exegesis: 2 Corinthians (PDF)
- Using Accordance for New Testament Exegesis: John (PDF)
- Using Accordance for Old Testament Exegesis: Exodus (PDF)
Atla
Atla Religion Database with AtlaSerials PLUS
The Atla Religion Database is the premier resource for journal articles, book reviews, and collections of essays in all fields of religion with the largest collection of full text religion and theology journals. This database is produced by Atla, a membership association of collectors and connectors in religion and theology.
Atla Scripture Search Handout (PDF)
Three Methods to Search for Scripture Citations in Atla (MP4)
Other Atla Guides
Blue Letter Bible
Blue Letter Bible (BLB), created and maintained by a non-profit ministry grounded in conservative, historical Christian faith, provides a free online Bible study tool that includes a robust search interface integrated with several older, public domain dictionaries, lexicons and encyclopedias.
Blue Letter Bible: New Testament Handout (PDF)
Blue Letter Bible: New Testament Overview (MP4)
Encycl. Bible & Reception
Encyclopedia of the Bible and its Reception Online
A comprehensive reference work on the Bible, its development, and its reception by Jewish, Christian, and other faith communities and in societies and cultures, including depictions of and allusions to the Bible in literature and media.
Encyclopedia of the Bible and Its Reception Online Handout (PDF)
Encyclopedia of the Bible and Its Reception Online Overview (MP4)
Lumina
Lumina, produced by the Biblical Studies Foundation, is an online study program that includes the NET Bible and its thousands of notes, along with the ESV, HCSB, KJV, ISV, Message, and NASB. It also provides the NET Greek NT (based on Westcott and Hort) with parsing information, word definitions drawn from Thayer's lexicon, and a word search function based on Strong's numbers.
Lumina NET Bible Study Suite: New Testament - Handout (PDF)
Lumina NET Bible Study Suite: New Testament - Overview (MP4)
Ministry Matters
Ministry Matters provides online access to essential Bible reference works such as The New Interpreter's Bible and The New Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible, as well as the Bicentennial edition of Wesley's Works and resources for preaching and church ministry.
STEP Bible
STEP Bible is a free, online Bible study tool created and maintained by Tyndale House, Cambridge with “features to help people study the Bible text, from reading and comparing different versions of the Bible to grappling with original language words.”
STEP Bible: New Testament Handout (PDF)
STEP Bible: New Testament Overview (MP4)
Thesaurus linguae Graecae
Thesaurus linguae Graecae: a digital library of Greek literature
PDF Guides
- Register and create a TLG account
- Canon Search
- Canon Tags and Work Classifications (short)
- Canon Tags (from B&S Canon) (long)
- Browse
- Text Search
- Lexica
- Intertextual Phrase Matching (N-Grams)
- Statistics
- Vocabulary Tools
- Saved Searches
Video Tutorials
A series of short video tutorials are available here, to help you explore the new online TLG.
Citations
Databases and Online Resources
For help with off-campus access to library resources, see Off-campus Access to Library Resource
- Atla Religion Database
- Credo Reference
- Encyclopedia of the Bible and Its Reception
- Ministry Matters
- Sophi Search
- Thesaurus linguae Graecae
Atla Religion Database
Atla Religion Database with AtlaSerials PLUS
The Atla Religion Database is the premier resource for journal articles, book reviews, and collections of essays in all fields of religion with the largest collection of full text religion and theology journals. This database is produced by Atla, a membership association of collectors and connectors in religion and theology.
Atla Scripture Search Handout (PDF)
Three Methods to Search for Scripture Citations in Atla (MP4)
Other Atla Guides
Credo Reference
Credo Reference provides access to several good academic reference works in a single search interface and is thus an excellent place to begin one’s research.
Credo Reference Overview (MP4)
Other Credo Reference Guides
Encyclopedia of the Bible and Its Reception
Encyclopedia of the Bible and its Reception Online
A comprehensive reference work on the Bible, its development, and its reception by Jewish, Christian, and other faith communities and in societies and cultures, including depictions of and allusions to the Bible in literature and media.
Encyclopedia of the Bible and Its Reception Online Handout (PDF)
Encyclopedia of the Bible and Its Reception Online Overview (MP4)
Ministry Matters
Ministry Matters provides online access to essential Bible reference works such as The New Interpreter's Bible and The New Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible, as well as the Bicentennial edition of Wesley's Works and resources for preaching and church ministry.
Sophi Search
A guide to all things Sophi Search including what it is, how to search it, and how to access what you find.
Introduces Sophi Search, the library’s main search interface for finding books, journal articles, e-books and other sources for learning in seminary.
Introduction to Sophi Search (MP4)
Introduces Sophi Search, the library’s main search interface for finding books, journal articles, e-books and other sources for learning in seminary.
Provides guidance on deciphering journal article citations and using this information to track down the full text of an article.
Thesaurus linguae Graecae
Thesaurus linguae Graecae: a digital library of Greek literature
PDF Guides
- Register and create a TLG account
- Canon Search
- Canon Tags and Work Classifications (short)
- Canon Tags (from B&S Canon) (long)
- Browse
- Text Search
- Lexica
- Intertextual Phrase Matching (N-Grams)
- Statistics
- Vocabulary Tools
- Saved Searches
Video Tutorials
A series of short video tutorials are available here, to help you explore the new online TLG.
E-books
The library at Austin Seminary provides access to almost 500,000 e-books to our researchers. This page on the library's website offers an overview of the process of finding, using, and downloading e-books from the library.
E-books Handout: Regarding E-books (PDF)
Discusses some of the features (and challenges) of e-books and offers an overview of the process of finding, using, and downloading e-books from the library.
Discusses some of the features (and challenges) of e-books and offers an overview of the process of finding, using, and downloading e-books from the library.
Quick guide to downloading and using EBSCO e-books (PDF)
Quick guide to downloading and using e-books on the EBSCO platform (the majority of our e-book collection).
Library Orientation
- Finding Books and Articles
- Off-campus Access to Library Resources
- Presentations and Handouts
- Print Sources
Finding Books and Articles
A guide to all things Sophi Search including what it is, how to search it, and how to access what you find.
Introduces Sophi Search, the library’s main search interface for finding books, journal articles, e-books and other sources for learning in seminary.
Introduction to Sophi Search (MP4)
Introduces Sophi Search, the library’s main search interface for finding books, journal articles, e-books and other sources for learning in seminary.
Provides guidance on deciphering journal article citations and using this information to track down the full text of an article.
Off-campus Access to Library Resources
If you click on a subscription resource that is limited to current students, faculty, or staff of Austin Seminary, you will be prompted to log in with your seminary credentials.
For more information and troubleshooting tips, see our Off-campus Access to Library Resources page.
Presentations and Handouts
Handouts
- 2023-2024 Library Orientation Handout
- Online Resources for Doctor of Ministry Students
- Orientation to Online Resources
New Student Orientation Presentations
- Seminary Sojourn (PPT)
Provides a brief overview of some of the challenges students will face in seminary and how the library can ameliorate them.
Provides a brief introduction to the library’s role in theological research, and why Wikipedia and Google alone will not suffice.
- Sources: Types (PPT)
Provides a brief introduction to the types of sources students will encounter and use in seminary: primary, secondary, and tertiary.
- Sources: Formats (PPT)
Provides a brief introduction to some of the formats of sources students will encounter and use in seminary: monographs, articles, essays, commentaries, book reviews, etc.
- Library Website Tour (PDF)
Offers a guided tour of the library’s website, highlighting parts of the website that can save students’ time.
Uses the analogy of a fresh food preparation and delivery service to illustrate ways in which the library serves students by helping them find and use good information sources more effectively and efficiently.
Print Sources
- Library building maps
- Understanding Wright Center locations and call numbers (PDF)
- Policies for borrowing and renewing books
- Live outside of Austin and want to see if a print book is available in your area? Try searching on WorldCat.org
Research and Writing
Research
Provides a brief introduction to the library’s role in theological research, and why Wikipedia and Google alone will not suffice.
- Sources: Types (PPT)
Provides a brief introduction to the types of sources students will encounter and use in seminary: primary, secondary, and tertiary.
- Sources: Formats (PPT)
Provides a brief introduction to some of the formats of sources students will encounter and use in seminary: monographs, articles, essays, commentaries, book reviews, etc.
Videos from Credo Reference (off campus access requires login)
Writing
English Grammar Crash Course (PPT)
For additional help with writing for Seminary classes, see Theological Writing Resources
Videos from Credo Reference (off campus access requires login)
Citations
Guides on Using Specific Research Tools
- Accordance
- Atla
- Blue Letter Bible
- Credo Reference
- E-books
- Encycl. Bible & Its Reception
- Lumina NET Bible
- Ministry Matters
- Print Sources
- Sophi Search
- STEP Bible
- TLG
Accordance
Accordance Bible software (available on select computers on campus) draws together a panoply of texts and sophisticated tools necessary for in-depth study of Biblical texts, both original language texts and translations, in a clean, intuitive interface.
- Accordance User Guide
- Brief Introduction to Accordance Bible Software (PDF)
- New Testament Word Studies Using Accordance Mark 4.35-41 (PDF)
- Properly Citing Accordance Bible software (PDF)
- Using Accordance for New Testament Exegesis: 2 Corinthians (PDF)
- Using Accordance for New Testament Exegesis: John (PDF)
- Using Accordance for Old Testament Exegesis: Exodus (PDF)
Atla
Atla Religion Database with AtlaSerials PLUS
The Atla Religion Database is the premier resource for journal articles, book reviews, and collections of essays in all fields of religion with the largest collection of full text religion and theology journals. This database is produced by Atla, a membership association of collectors and connectors in religion and theology.
Atla Scripture Search Handout (PDF)
Three Methods to Search for Scripture Citations in Atla (MP4)
Other Atla Guides
Blue Letter Bible
Blue Letter Bible (BLB), created and maintained by a non-profit ministry grounded in conservative, historical Christian faith, provides a free online Bible study tool that includes a robust search interface integrated with several older, public domain dictionaries, lexicons and encyclopedias.
Blue Letter Bible: New Testament Handout (PDF)
Blue Letter Bible: New Testament Overview (MP4)
Credo Reference
Credo Reference provides access to several good academic reference works in a single search interface and is thus an excellent place to begin one’s research.
Credo Reference Overview (MP4)
Other Credo Reference Guides
E-books
The library at Austin Seminary provides access to almost 500,000 e-books to our researchers. This page on the library's website offers an overview of the process of finding, using, and downloading e-books from the library.
E-books Handout: Regarding E-books (PDF)
Discusses some of the features (and challenges) of e-books and offers an overview of the process of finding, using, and downloading e-books from the library.
Discusses some of the features (and challenges) of e-books and offers an overview of the process of finding, using, and downloading e-books from the library.
Quick guide to downloading and using EBSCO e-books (PDF)
Quick guide to downloading and using e-books on the EBSCO platform (the majority of our e-book collection).
Encycl. Bible & Its Reception
Encyclopedia of the Bible and its Reception Online
A comprehensive reference work on the Bible, its development, and its reception by Jewish, Christian, and other faith communities and in societies and cultures, including depictions of and allusions to the Bible in literature and media.
Encyclopedia of the Bible and Its Reception Online Handout (PDF)
Encyclopedia of the Bible and Its Reception Online Overview (MP4)
Lumina NET Bible
Lumina, produced by the Biblical Studies Foundation, is an online study program that includes the NET Bible and its thousands of notes, along with the ESV, HCSB, KJV, ISV, Message, and NASB. It also provides the NET Greek NT (based on Westcott and Hort) with parsing information, word definitions drawn from Thayer's lexicon, and a word search function based on Strong's numbers.
Lumina NET Bible Study Suite: New Testament - Handout (PDF)
Lumina NET Bible Study Suite: New Testament - Overview (MP4)
Ministry Matters
Ministry Matters provides online access to essential Bible reference works such as The New Interpreter's Bible and The New Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible, as well as the Bicentennial edition of Wesley's Works and resources for preaching and church ministry.
Print Sources
- Library building maps
- Understanding Wright Center locations and call numbers (PDF)
- Policies for borrowing and renewing book
- Live outside of Austin and want to see if a print book is available in your area? Try searching on WorldCat.org
Sophi Search
A guide to all things Sophi Search including what it is, how to search it, and how to access what you find.
Introduces Sophi Search, the library’s main search interface for finding books, journal articles, e-books and other sources for learning in seminary.
Introduction to Sophi Search (MP4)
Introduces Sophi Search, the library’s main search interface for finding books, journal articles, e-books and other sources for learning in seminary.
Finding Journal Articles (PDF)
Provides guidance on deciphering journal article citations and using this information to track down the full text of an article.
STEP Bible
STEP Bible is a free, online Bible study tool created and maintained by Tyndale House, Cambridge with “features to help people study the Bible text, from reading and comparing different versions of the Bible to grappling with original language words.”
STEP Bible: New Testament Handout (PDF)
STEP Bible: New Testament Overview (MP4)
TLG
Thesaurus linguae Graecae: a digital library of Greek literature
PDF Guides
- Register and create a TLG account
- Canon Search
- Canon Tags and Work Classifications (short)
- Canon Tags (from B&S Canon) (long)
- Browse
- Text Search
- Lexica
- Intertextual Phrase Matching (N-Grams)
- Statistics
- Vocabulary Tools
- Saved Searches
Video Tutorials
A series of short video tutorials are available here, to help you explore the new online TLG.
Other Helpful Guides
- Class Session Handouts and Recordings
- Exegesis Resources for those taking the PCUSA Ordination Exam
- Helpful resources
Class Session Handouts and Recordings
- Acts (PDF)
- Lamentations Handout (PDF)
- Lamentations (recording, 05/07/2020)
- Library Research for Love in the Hebrew Bible Handout (PDF)
- Library Resources for Introduction to the New Testament
- MAYM Introduction to the New Testament (PDF)
- Old Testament and Immigration Handout (PDF)
- Old Testament and Immigration (recording, 05/01/2020)
- Online Exegesis Resources for Esther (PDF)
- Online Exegesis Resources for Jonah (PDF)
- Online Exegesis Resources for Ruth (PDF)
Exegesis Resources for those taking the PCUSA Ordination Exam
Old Testament
New Testament
- Exegesis Resources for PCUSA Ordination Exam: Matthew (PDF)
- Exegesis Resources for PCUSA Ordination Exam: John (PDF)
- Using Accordance for New Testament Exegesis: John (PDF)
- Exegesis Resources for PCUSA Ordination Exam: 1 Corinthians (PDF)
- Exegesis Resources for PCUSA Ordination Exam: 2 Corinthians (PDF)
- Exegesis Resources for PCUSA Ordination Exam: Titus (PDF)
- Exegesis Resources for PCUSA Ordination Exam: Hebrews (PDF)
Helpful resources
- Off-campus Access to Library Resources
- Copyright and Fair Use (PDF)
- Finding and Accessing Austin Seminary DMin Projects (PDF)
- FullText@AustinSeminary: Linking your Google Scholar account to Stitt Library (PDF)
- Finding free-to-use images for presentations and papers (PDF)
- Finding articles in newspapers and popular magazines (PDF)
- Finding Sermons in the Stitt collections (PDF)