Books To Start With
The books below are all available in Stamps Library at APU. If 'Theology' is indicated in the call number, the book will be in the circulating collection. If 'Theology Ref' is indicated, the book is in the reference collection. To find these books in other libraries, follow the instructions in the 'WorldCat Catalog' box on this page.
Dictionary for Theological Interpretation of the Bible by Call Number: Theology Ref BS440 .D495 2005ISBN: 0801026946
Dictionary of New Testament Background by Call Number: Theology Ref BS2312 .D53 2000ISBN: 0830817808
Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry & Writings by Call Number: Theology Ref BS440 .D53 2008ISBN: 0830817832
Expository Dictionary of Bible Words by Call Number: Theology Ref BS440 .R525 1985 c.2ISBN: 1598565737
Introducing the New Testament: A Historical, Literary, and Theological Survey by Call Number: Theology BS2330.3 .P67 2009ISBN: 080102868X
IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament by Call Number: Theology Ref BS2341.2 .K445 1993ISBN: 0830814051
IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament by Call Number: Theology Ref BS1151.2 .W35 2000ISBN: 0830814191
The Old Testament: Its Background, Growth & Content by Call Number: Theology BS1140.3 .M35 2007ISBN: 0687039010
Introduction
Libraries are rich sources of information that you can't get anywhere else (not even the Internet!). While your local public library might have some general items relevant to theological research, it would be well worth your while to seek out academic libraries, especially theological libraries. Many university and seminary libraries allow community patrons to use their resources in some way - call the library before you go to see if you are allowed to use the resources there.
On this page, you will find suggested reference books from the APU Stamps Library collection that will help you get started in theological research. You will also find a glossary of various reference resources that you might find in a theological library's reference collection. And lastly, you will find a couple of catalog search boxes that you can use to locate resources - the APU library catalog and the WorldCat catalog.
To find find a list of libraries that are members of the Southern California Theological Libraries Association, click on the SCATLA Libraries tab at the top of the page. Go to the online catalogs to see what these libraries can provide. Before traveling any of the libraries, be sure to call them and ask if they extend priveleges to community patrons. You can also go to directly to the Stamps Theological Library web page by clicking on the Stamps Library at APU tab at the top of the page.
Reference Books Are Your Friends!
Theological reference resources can make your life a lot easier when it comes to your research. Some reference resources will be great places to start your research (dictionaries and encyclopedias), or to refine your research (word study resources and commentaries). Below, you'll find a brief glossary (with examples from the APU library collection) and a list of some general theological reference resources.
| Almanac |
a collection of statistical and general facts on a specific topic Bible Almanac |
| Atlas |
a collection of tables, charts, or maps about a specific topic Atlas Histórico de las Religiones |
| Bible Commentary |
a digest of information about a particular book of the Bible that can include textual criticism, historical and archaeological data, issues involved in interpretation, etc. Word Biblical Commentary |
| Bible Dictionary |
a collection of definitions or identifications of key terms, places, and people in the Bible - most articles include bibliographies Anchor Bible Dictionary |
| Bibliography |
a list of resources for a particular topic The Pauline Writings: An Annotated Bibliography |
| Biographical Source |
a collection of relatively brief articles about a specific group of people Biographical Dictionary of Evangelicals |
| Chronology |
information arranged in order of occurrence or historical relevance to a specific topic Timeline Charts of the Western Church |
| Concordance |
alphabetical index of the principal words of a book or a writer, and a reference to the passage in which each mention of a word occurs together with some indication of context Zondervan NIV Exhaustive Concordance |
| Lexicon |
a wordbook or dictionary of a specific language, or the vocabulary of a particular people Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament |
| Subject Dictionary |
a collection of definitions that are more detailed than those found in a general dictionary - often contains bibliographic references and can closely resemble an encyclopedia Diccionario de Ética Cristiana y Teología Pastoral |
| Subject Encyclopedia |
a collection of articles written by experts giving essential information about a specific field of knowledge or area of interest American Philosophy: An Encyclopedia |
WorldCat Catalog
WorldCat allows you to search the collections of more than 10,000 libraries around the world. Many books may be available in libraries close to you. Use the WorldCat search box and the directions below if you'd like to find library resources in your area.
- If you're interested in finding any of the books in the left column of this page, but want to see if there are any libraries besides APU that have it, copy and paste the ISBN number (look below title and call number) into the search box. Otherwise, enter a title, subject, or author into the search box.
- Click the WorldCat button to the right of the search box.
- Click on the title of the book.
- Scroll down to see the list of libraries.
- When you've identified a library that's close by, be sure to click on the 'Library info' link in the far right column. You'll want to call the library to see what the hours are, and if the library extends privileges to community patrons (if it's an academic/seminary library).