The course research guide for BIBL 323 - John is intended to help you complete your course assignments (discussion board and papers) by providing general directions for using the library and its resources, and by directing you to recommended resources.
This page is organized by the format of the information sources you may need:
The final section, "Citations," will provide some guidance for correctly citing the information sources you use.
As you begin, please refer to your course assignment instructions and instructor announcements so that you are certain to use appropriate types of resources. You also want to pay attention to materials you are not allowed to use, such as Wikipedia, blogs, etc.
Please feel free to contact me if you need additional assistance.
Theological Dictionary of the New Testament
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Subject-specific dictionaries and encyclopedias are ideal for providing an overview and introduction to key concepts and terms. Not only do they orient you to a topic, but they can lead often to additional resources.
These titles are only available in print; however, you can gain access to content within them by using the library's Interlibrary Loan services. Selected articles can be scanned and delivered to you digitally. Please note: be sure to allow sufficient time to have requests processed. It may take up to several days to receive scanned documents.
Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels
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The Gospel of John: A Commentary
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To find physical books and e-books on John, including commentaries, click on "Books" under "Finding Resources." Under the search box you will see a default search for “Print,” "E-book” and "Audiobook." I recommend that you search in the print and e-book format so be sure to keep the box check next to these formats.
The best way to find highly relevant books is to use the authoritative subject for your topic. Although the search "John Commentaries" will provide some good titles, by using the established subject, Bible. John--Commentaries, your search will return the most relevant titles. By clicking the subject link in the catalog, similar titles are listed. Think of the subject link as a "Get More Like This Book" feature.
As you look through the results, be on the lookout for noted scholars (Köstenberger, Marshall, Stott, etc.) and reputable publishers (Baker, Eerdmans, IVP, etc.)
Please note: because of publisher restrictions, immediate access to e-books is not guaranteed.
The premier database for locating religious and theological journal article content is Atla Religion Serials Plus.
This database has a unique Scripture index that allows you to quickly locate relevant articles on a biblical text down to the verse. It is found on the far-left side of the screen, at the very bottom of the Research tools.
Another tactic is to search for the biblical book of John by using a special EBSCO code of "Bible. John" and then add in a second search line with "I am". Both have quote marks to search for the full phrase inside the quoted area. The code of <bible. X> is the special ATLA code for limiting to the biblical book of John, as opposed to an article written by someone named John.
Next, add in any desired filters. These include options such as: peer review, full text, date or range of publication, English language, source type as journal articles only, and so on. Use the All Filters button just under the search box and then select as needed.
Always cite your sources, whether you summarize, paraphrase or directly quote from them. Plagiarism is a serious academic offense with serious consequences. Use the links below for help in creating correct citations in Turabian format.
Many online resources, including Atla Religion, have citation generators. However, these are machine-generated citations and must be verified for accuracy against the style manual.
