Recommended Database Search Engines
- MLA International Bibliography This link opens in a new windowMLA International Bibliography offers a detailed bibliography of journal articles, books and dissertations. Produced by the Modern Language Association, the electronic version of the bibliography dates back to the 1920s and contains over 2.2 million citations from more than 4,400 journals & series and 1,000 book publishers. The indexed materials coverage is international and includes almost 60 titles from J-STOR’s language and literature collection as well as links to full text.
- Literature Resource Center This link opens in a new windowFind up-to-date biographical information, overviews, full-text literary criticism and reviews on nearly 130,000 writers in all disciplines, from all time periods and from around the world.
Journals
- Journal of Biblical Literature Articles written by members of the Society of Biblical Literature(SBL) are published on a quarterly basis. The members are scholars of biblical studies in specific disciplines such as literature and history.
- Prooftexts "Forum for the field of Jewish literary studies. Attempts to bring together the study of modern Jewish literatures (in Hebrew, Yiddish, and European languages) with the literary study of the Jewish classical tradition as a whole."
- The Jewish Bible Quarterly "Devoted entirely to the TANAKH. Provides studies on biblical themes & is a source of information for anyone studying the Bible."
- Biblical Interpretation "Provides articles on various aspects of current biblical criticism. Provides a practical demonstration of how a particular literary approach may be instructively applied to a biblical text. Includes feminist and post-structuralist readings among others."
- New Testament Studies "New Testament Studies is an international peer-reviewed periodical whose contributors include the leading New Testament scholars writing in the world today. The journal publishes original articles and short studies in English, French and German on a wide range of issues pertaining to the origins, history, context and theology of the New Testament and early Christianity. All contributions represent research at the cutting edge of the discipline, which has developed a wide range of methods. The journal welcomes submissions employing any such methods in recent years. The periodical embraces exegetical, historical, literary-critical, sociological, theological and other approaches to the New Testament, including studies in its history of interpretation and effects."
- Journal for the Study of the Historical Jesus "Provides a forum for academic discussion of Jesus within the context of first-century Palestine; accessible to the very wide non-scholarly readership interested in the way this topic is, & has been, investigated & presented."
- Currents in Biblical Research "Summarizes the spectrum of recent research on particular topics or biblical books."
Relevant Books
- WorldCat Local This link opens in a new windowWorldCat Local provides Web access to WorldCat.org and GLOCAT as well as other databases including ArticleFirst, GPO, Medline, ERIC, GeoRef, MLA
The Hebrew Bible As Literature: a Very Short Introduction by
The Hebrew Bible, or Christian Old Testament, contains some of the finest literature that we have. This biblical literature has a place not only in the synagogue or the church but also among the classics of world literature. The stories of Jacob and David, for instance, present the earliest surviving examples of literary characters whose development the reader follows over the length of a lifetime. Elsewhere, as in the books of Esther or Ruth, readers find a snapshot of a particular, fraught moment that will define the character. The Hebrew Bible also provides quite a few high points of lyric poetry, from the praise and lament of the Psalms to the double entendres in the love of poetry of the Song of Songs. In short, the Bible can be celebrated not only as religious literature but, quite simply, as literature. This book offers a thorough and lively introduction to the Bible's two primary literary modes, narrative and poetry, foregrounding the nuances of plot, character, metaphor, structure and design, and intertextual allusions. Tod Linafelt thus gives readers the tools to fully experience and appreciate the Old Testament's literary achievement. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
ISBN: 0195300076Publication Date: 2016-05-10
Reading Hebrew Bible Narratives by
Reading Hebrew Bible Narratives introduces readers to narrative traditions of the Old Testament and to methods of interpreting them. Part of the Essentials of Biblical Studies series, this volume presents readers with an overview of exegesis by mainly focusing on a self-contained narrative to be read alongside the text. Through sustained interaction with the book of Ruth, readers have opportunities to engage a biblical book from multiple perspectives, while taking note of the wider implications of such perspectives for other biblical narratives. Other select texts from Hebrew Bible narratives, related by theme or content to matters in Ruth, are also examined, not only to assist in illustrating this method of approach, but also to offer reinforcement of reading skills and connections among different narrative traditions. Considering literary analysis, words and texts in context, and reception history, this brief introduction gives students an overview of how exegesis illuminates stories in the Bible.
ISBN: 0190246529Publication Date: 2018-10-18
The Oxford Handbook of Biblical Narrative by
Comprised of contributions from scholars across the globe, The Oxford Handbook to Biblical Narrative is a state-of-the-art anthology, offering critical treatments of both the Bible's narratives and topics related to the Bible's narrative constructions. The Handbook covers the Bible's narrativeliterature, from Genesis to Revelation, providing concise overviews of literary-critical scholarship as well as innovative readings of individual narratives informed by a variety of methodological approaches and theoretical frameworks.The volume as a whole combines literary sensitivities with the traditional historical and sociological questions of biblical criticism and puts biblical studies into intentional conversation with other disciplines in the humanities. It reframes biblical literature in a way that highlights itsaesthetic characteristics, its ethical and religious appeal, its organic qualities as communal literature, its witness to various forms of social and political negotiation, and its uncanny power to affect readers and hearers across disparate time-frames and global communities.
ISBN: 9780199967728Publication Date: 2016-06-29
The Literary Qur'an by
The novel, the literary adage has it, reflects a world abandoned by God. Yet the possibilities of novelistic form and literary exegesis exceed the secularizing tendencies of contemporary literary criticism. Showing how the Qurʾan itself invites and enacts critical reading, Hoda El Shakry's Qurʾanic model of narratology enriches our understanding of literary sensibilities and practices in the Maghreb across Arabophone and Francophone traditions. The Literary Qurʾan mobilizes the Qurʾan's formal, narrative, and rhetorical qualities, alongside embodied and hermeneutical forms of Qurʾanic pedagogy, to theorize modern Maghrebi literature. Challenging the canonization of secular modes of reading that occlude religious epistemes, practices, and intertexts, it attends to literature as a site where the process of entextualization obscures ethical imperatives. Engaging with the Arab-Islamic tradition of adab--a concept demarcating the genre of belles lettres, as well as social and moral comportment--El Shakry demonstrates how the critical pursuit of knowledge is inseparable from the spiritual cultivation of the self. Foregrounding form and praxis alike, The Literary Qurʾan stages a series of pairings that invite paratactic readings across texts, languages, and literary canons. The book places twentieth-century novels by canonical Francophone writers (Abdelwahab Meddeb, Assia Djebar, Driss Chraïbi) into conversation with lesser-known Arabophone ones (Maḥmūd al-Masʿadī, al-Ṭāhir Waṭṭār, Muḥammad Barrāda). Theorizing the Qurʾan as a literary object, process, and model, this interdisciplinary study blends literary and theological methodologies, conceptual vocabularies, and reading practices.
ISBN: 0823286355Publication Date: 2019-12-03
Background Resources
- Gale Virtual Reference Library This link opens in a new windowEncyclopedias, almanacs, and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary and subject specific research in areas such as art, business, education, history, etc.
The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Bible and Theology by
The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Bible and Theology (OEBT) is a new encyclopedic treatment of major theological issues and themes in the Bible that surpasses all similar reference works in scope and significance. Leading scholars provide extensive overviews of key topics, offering analyses ofthe trajectory and reception history of theological issues as well as critical assessment of Near Eastern and Greco-Roman antecedents for Old and New Testament perspectives. While many entries address the Bible's historical context, including traditional theological perspectives on creation, sin,covenant, grace, and forgiveness, others are more rooted in modern issues, featuring biblical perspectives on contemporary concerns such as wealth and poverty, gender/race discrimination, and market economics.The two-volume OEBT contains 168 entries ranging in length from 2,000 to 8,000 words. With bibliographic references and suggestions for further reading, each entry affords students and scholars a comprehensive topical and methodological summary of the topic that serves as both a go-to reference anda starting point for original research. The OEBT's distinctive approach and range of entries make it a unique resource that fills a void in biblical scholarship.
ISBN: 9780199858699Publication Date: 2015-04-01
Dictionaries
HarperCollins Bible Dictionary - Revised and Updated by
The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary, revised and updated edition, is the most complete, up-to-date, and accessible guide for the study of the Bible available today. With more than 4,000 lively, informative, and reader-friendly entries, this essential reference book provides all the information you need to understand the Bible. Whether you are a pastor, layperson, or a student of scripture, you will find every important name, place, and subject that makes Bible study come to life. From Aaron to Zurishaddai, here are all the people, events, and ideas of biblical times. This third edition continues in the rich tradition of its predecessors but has been thoroughly updated and revised by a new editorial team under the direction of the premier international scholarly body, the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL). More than half the articles in this book are new, and several dozen charts and tables have also been added as well as updates on recent archaeological discoveries. Over 200 contributors to the HarperCollins Bible Dictionary, from a diverse group of authorities, represent an ecumenical and non-biased viewpoint of scripture from different positions--Roman Catholic, Jewish, mainline Protestant, and evangelical. Filled with explanations of biblical beliefs, language, and insights into the culture and customs of the people who lived in biblical times, this resource will help anyone interested in scripture to more fully appreciate the meaning and message of the Bible.
ISBN: 9780061469060Publication Date: 2011-03-08
Concordances
The New Strong's Expanded Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Supersaver by
The Best Bible Study Tool Available Only one concordance includes the best of Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words: The New Strong's Expanded Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. The Hebrew and Greek dictionaries now have three times more word study information than any other edition. Plus additional cross-references from leading dictionaries make this the ultimate reference tool for pastors, teachers, and all students of the Bible. Features Include: The only Strong's that includes Vine's Complete Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words Words of Christ in red Complete topical index of the Bible Hebrew and Greek dictionaries now have three times more word study information than any other edition Additional cross-references and word study helps from leading dictionaries
ISBN: 9781418542375Publication Date: 2010-04-12
Niv Exhaustive Bible Concordance by
Only this concordance provides a complete index of every appearance of every word in the NIV Bib≤ it's a must-own for every serious reader of the Scripture. More accurate and comprehensive than online searches and Strong's concordances, and offering complete access to the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek words from which the Bible was translated, this award-winning resource promises to make your Bible study the very best. Features include the following: (1) Complete alphabetical listing of every word in the Bible, with book/chapter/verse Bible references, context line, and the G/K number for the word translated by the NIV; (2) Dictionary-indexes that define every Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek word in the Bible, including the possible meaning of every proper name; (3) Frequency counts given for each biblical word, both in the original languages and in English; (4) Special index of articles, conjunctions, particles, prepositions, and pronouns; (5) Unique numbering system developed by Goodrick and Kohlenberger (G/K) that eliminates the inherent gaps, flaws, and inaccuracies of the old Strong's numbering system and refers the user to the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek words that are translated by the NIV.
ISBN: 9780310262930Publication Date: 2015-03-31
Textbook Resources
The HarperCollins Study Bible by
The HarperCollins Study Bible--Student Edition is the landmark general reference Bible that offers the full text of the New Revised Standard Version as well as in-depth articles, introductions, and comprehensive notes by today's leading biblical scholars for the Society of Biblical Literature. Completely revised and updated, this edition incorporates the latest scholarship and findings as well as incorporating new diagrams, charts, and maps--25% revised or new material.
ISBN: 9780061228407Publication Date: 2006-08-22
The Cambridge Companion to the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament by
This Companion offers a concise and engaging introduction to the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament. Providing an up-to-date 'snapshot' of scholarship, it includes essays, specially commissioned for this volume, by twenty-three leading scholars. The volume examines a range of topics, including the historical and religious contexts for the contents of the biblical canon, and critical approaches and methods, as well as newer topics such as the Hebrew Bible in Islam, Western art and literature, and contemporary politics. This Companion is an excellent resource for students at university and graduate level, as well as for laypeople and scholars in other fields who would like to gain an understanding of the current state of the academic discussion. The book does not presume prior knowledge, nor does it engage in highly technical discussions, but it does go into greater detail than a typical introductory textbook.
ISBN: 9780521883207Publication Date: 2016-07-12
The New Testament As Literature: a Very Short Introduction by
The words, phrases, and stories of the New Testament permeate the English language. Indeed, this relatively small group of twenty-seven works, written during the height of the Roman Empire, not only helped create and sustain a vast world religion, but also have been integral to the larger cultural dynamics of the West, above and beyond particular religious expressions. Looking at the New Testament through the lens of literary study, Kyle Keefer offers an engrossing exploration of this revered religious text as a work of literature, but also keeps in focus its theological ramifications. Unique among books that examine the Bible as literature, this brilliantly compact introduction offers an intriguing double-edged look at this universal text--a religiously informed literary analysis. The book first explores the major sections of the New Testament--the gospels, Paul's letters, and Revelation--as individual literary documents. Keefer shows how, in such familiar stories as the parable of the Good Samaritan, a literary analysis can uncover an unexpected complexity to what seems a simple, straightforward tale. At the conclusion of the book, Keefer steps back and asks questions about the New Testament as a whole. He reveals that whether read as a single document or as a collection of works, the New Testament presents readers with a wide variety of forms and viewpoints, and a literary exploration helps bring this richness to light. A fascinating investigation of the New Testament as a classic literary work, this Very Short Introduction uses a literary framework--plot, character, narrative arc, genre--to illuminate the language, structure, and the crafting of this venerable text. About the Series: Combining authority with wit, accessibility, and style, Very Short Introductions offer an introduction to some of life's most interesting topics. Written by experts for the newcomer, they demonstrate the finest contemporary thinking about the central problems and issues in hundreds of key topics, from philosophy to Freud, quantum theory to Islam.
ISBN: 9780195300208Publication Date: 2008-10-24
The Qur'an by
'Read! Your Lord is the Most Bountiful one who taught by the pen, who taught man what he did not know.'The Qur'an, believed by Muslims to be the word of God, was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad 1400 years ago. It is the supreme authority in Islam and the living source of all Islamic teaching; it is a sacred text and a book of guidance, that sets out the creed, rituals, ethics, and laws of theIslamic religion. It has been one of the most influential books in the history of literature. Recognized as the greatest literary masterpiece in Arabic, it has nevertheless remained difficult to understand in its English translations. This new translation is written in a contemporary idiom thatremains faithful to the original, making it easy to read while retaining its powers of eloquence. Archaisms and cryptic language are avoided, and the Arabic meaning preserved by respecting the context of the discourse. The message of the Qur'an was directly addressed to all people regardless ofclass, gender, or age, and this translation is equally accessible to everyone.
ISBN: 9780199535958Publication Date: 2008-06-15
Ancient Israel by
To read the books of the Former Prophets in this riveting Robert Alter translation is to discover an entertaining amalgam of hair-raising action and high literary achievement. Samson, the vigilante superhero of Judges, slaughters thousands of Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey. David, the Machiavellian prince of Samuel and Kings, is one of the great literary figures of antiquity. A ruthless monarch, David embodies a life in full dimension as it moves from brilliant youth through vigorous prime to failing old age. Samson and David play emblematic roles in the rise and fall of ancient Israel, a nation beset by internal divisions and external threats. A scattering of contentious desert tribes joined by faith in a special covenant with God, Israel emerges through the bloody massacres of Canaanite populations recounted in Joshua and the anarchic violence of Judges. The resourceful David consolidates national power, but it is power rooted in conspiracy, and David dies bitterly isolated in his court, surrounded by enemies. His successor, Solomon, maintains national unity through his legendary wisdom, wealth, and grand public vision, but after his death Israel succumbs to internal discord and foreign conquest. Near its end, the saga of ancient Israel returns to the supernatural. In Elijah's fiery ascent to heaven many would find the harbinger of a messiah coming to save his people in their time of need.
ISBN: 9780393348767Publication Date: 2014-04-14- Muck by In a Jerusalem both ancient and modern, where the First Temple squats over the populace like a Trump casino, two young poets are about to have their lives turned upside down. Struggling Jeremiah is worried that he might be wasting his time trying to be a writer; the great critic Broch just beat him over the head with his own computer keyboard. Mattaniah, on the other hand, is a real up-and-comer--but he has a secret he wouldn't want anyone in the literary world to know: his late father was king of Judah. Jeremiah begins to despair, and that despair yields a vision: that Jerusalem is doomed, and that Mattaniah will not only be forced to ascend to the throne but will thereafter witness his people slaughtered and exiled. But what does it mean to tell a friend and rival that his future is bleak? Can the very act of speaking a prediction aloud make it come true? If so, does that make you a seer, or just a schmuck?Dramatizing the eternal dispute between haves and have-nots, between poetry and power, Dror Burstein's Muck is a brilliant and subversive retelling of the book of Jeremiah: a profoundly funny comedy with apocalyptic stakes.* For readers of David Grossman and Etgar KeretISBN: 9781250234872Publication Date: 2019-11-19
