A Short Guide to Writing Research Papers in Biblical ...

1 A Short Guide to Writing Research Papers in Biblical Studies and Theology The follow ing notes and references are meant to he lp you t o orga nize and compose a traditional academic Research paper in Biblical studies or related theological topics. You may find the bas ic sequence and resources helpf ul in other disc iplines, too, espec ia lly in religious studies , philos ophy, and his tor ica l studies. Short or long, your Research paper can be crafted in five steps: Contents 1. Choos ing a Topic 2 2. Researching Your Topic 4 3. Outlining Your Argume nt 9 4. Writing Your paper 11 5. Reworking Your Draft 12 1. Choos ing a Topic Your topic may be chosen f or you, but, if not , a im for one that is (1) interesting t o you, (2) manageable (with readily available sources) and ma lleable (so you can narrow in on an especially interesting or important aspect), and (3) arguable.

2 Your Research paper will essentia lly be an argument based on t he available pr imary and secondary sources and author it ies. Specific topics might be suggested by points in the chapters of Encounter with the New Testament, by quest ions posed in your c lassroom, by the fur ther readings , by your ow n religious or historical interests, or others. For example, in the area of New Testament studies, s uch topics as these might suggest themselves: Papias and Matthew Matthew s Birth Narratives as a Summary of Matthew s Theology The Wome n in Matt hew s Genealogy The Gos pe l of Mark and t he Destruction of the Temple The Messianic Secret in the Gospel of Mark The Secret Gospel of Mark and Canonical Mark The Dedicat ion of L uke and Acts John t he Bapt ist as P recursor of Jesus Jesus as P rophet in the Gospe l of L uke Evolving Ima ges of P ont ius P ilate in t he New Testament Gospe ls The Jews in the Gospe l of John The Be loved Disc iple in the Gospe l of John P aul s Vis ion of Jesus in Acts and in Ga lat ians Women in the Book of Acts The Designated Messiah in the Book of Acts Just if ication by Wor ks in t he Letter of

3 Romans? The Governing Aut hor it ies in Romans 13 1 Cor inthians 5:1-8 and P aul s Se xua l Ethics Melchizedek in Hebrews The Woman C lothed w it h the S un in t he Book of Revelat ion Marcion s Canon Res ources for Choos ing a Topic and Beginning a Rese arch Pape r P rint resources Boot h, Wayne, Gregory C. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams. The Craft of Research . Chicago: Univers ity of C hicago P ress, 1995. Kennedy, J. Library Research Guide to Religion and Theology: Illustrated Search Strategy and Sources. 2d ed. Ann Arbor : P ieran, 1984. Luey, Beth. Handbook for Academic Authors. 3rd ed. Cambridge : Cambr idge Univers ity P ress, 1995. Preece, Roy. Starting Research : An Introduction to Academic Research and Dissertation Writing .

4 New York: S t. Martin s , 1994. 2. Researching Your Topic Materia l about your t opic may res ide in a s ingle text or an array of texts by severa l authors or in the conf lict ing opinions of contemporary t heologians. In most cases, you can build your Research by moving from general t o specif ic treatme nts of your topic. One caution: In your Research , it is vita l t hat you not allow your expa nding know le dge of what others think about your t opic t o drow n your ow n cur ios it ies , sensibilit ies, and ins ights. Instead, as your init ia l quest ions expand the n diminis h w ith increased know ledge from your Research , your own deeper concerns, ins ights , and point of view should emerge and grow. A.

5 Consult Standard Sources and Build Bibliography Encyclopedia articles, Biblical commentaries, theological dictionaries, concordances, and other standard t heologica l reference tools contain a wealth of material-a nd he lpful bibliographies-to or ient you in your t opic and its his tor ica l or the ological context. Look for the best, most aut hor itat ive, and up-to-date treatments. Checking cross-references will deepen your knowledge. Some of t he most w ide ly used resources, ava ilable in most college libraries, are: Encyclopedia of Religion. Mircea Eliade, ed., et al. 16 vols. New York: Macmillan, 1993. Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. F. L. Cross and E. A. Livingst one, eds. 3rd ed. New York: Oxfor d Universit y P ress, 1997.

6 New Encyclopedia of Judaism. Geoffrey W igoder , ed., et al. New York: New York Univers ity P ress, 2002. Encyclopedia of Early Christianity. Everett Ferguson, ed. 2nd ed. New York: Garla nd, 1998. New Catholic Encyclopedia. Edited by the Catholic Univers it y of Amer ica. 18 vols. plus supple ments. McGraw-H ill, 1967-. Encyclopedia of Theology: The Concise Sacramentum Mundi. Karl Rahner, ed. New York: Seabur y, 1975. Multipurpose Tools for Bible Study. Frederick W. Danker. Rev. and exp. ed. M inneapolis : F ortress P ress, 1993. Anchor Bible Dictionary. David Noel Freedman, ed., et al. 6 vols. New York: Doubleday, 1992. Women s Bible Commentary. Carol A. Newsom and Sharon H. R inge, eds. Exp. ed. Lou is v ille : Westminster John Knox, 1998.

7 Harper Collins Bible Commentary. James L. Mays, gen. ed., et al. Rev. ed. San Francisco: Harper San Francisco, 2000. Harper Collins Bible Dictionary. Paul J. Achtemeier, gen. ed., et al. Rev. ed. San Francisco: Harper San Francisco, 1996. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Gerhard Kitte l and Gerhar d Fr iedr ich. Trans. Geoffrey W. Bromile y. Grand Rapids , M ich. : Eerdmans , 1985. Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament. G. Johannes Botterweck and Helmer Ringgren. Trans. John T. W illis. Rev. ed. 10 vols. Grand Rapids, M ic h.: Eer dmans , 1977. Interpreter s Dictionary of the Bible. G. A. Buttric k, gen. ed., et al. Nashville : Abingdon, 1976. The New Interpreter s Dictionary of the Bible.

8 Katharine Doob Sakenfe ld, ge n. ed., et al. Nashville: Abingdon, 2006 . An excellent addit iona l list ing of A ids for t he Study of Theology, including source collect ions , hist or ies, ma jor theologies from a ll per iods , dict ionar ies and encyc lopedias, and collections of creeds and confessions , appears in Christian Theology, after the Introduct ion. Online : A lthough not a ll Web sources meet scholar ly standards , some very good theological reference tools do appear online. Some of them are collected or linked here: Glossary of T heologica l Terms for student use from B lackwe ll P ublis hers: ligion/glossary. jsp. D ict ionary of The ology, from Chr ist ian Apologet ics and Research Minis try: m.

9 D ict ionary of M odern Western The ology, from Wesley Wildman s site at Boston U n ive r s ity : ildman/ Weir dW ildWeb/c ourses/mwt/ dict ionary/ mwt_the Mark Goodacre s New Testament Gateway, a wealth of links to the best NT-related sites: Scholar ly Collect ions on the Web have been linked by Douglas E. Oakman at ~ oakma nde. Theologians , Short biogra phica l and inte llectual prof iles : la Theologians , wit h links to biogra phies, bibliographies , and online writ ings : ie/theologs. htm. Theology and Religion Resources, a compendium of links to journa ls , bibliographies , and inst itut ions, collected and reviewed by A lista ir McGrat h, Oxf ord Univers ity: llpublis ligion.

10 It s wise to start list ing t he sources you ve consulted r ight away in standard bibliographica l for mat (see section 5, be low , for examples of usua l for mats). Assigning a number to each one facilitates easy reference later in your work. B. Check Periodical Literature Even if you are writ ing on a single Biblical or historical text, you ll be able to place your interpretat ion in contemporary context only by referr ing to what ot her scholars in this generation are saying. The ir wor k is largely publis hed in academic journa ls and periodica ls. In cons ult ing the chief art icles dea ling w ith your t opic , you ll learn where agreements, disagreements, and open questions stand, how older treatments have fared, and the latest relevant t ools and ins ights.