DID YOU KNOW: You can search the ATLA Religion Database by scripture passage? Take Matthew 26:17, for example, click "Scriptures" then find "Matthew." Hit expand to limit articles to just your assigned passage.
Looking for more information? Check out our Bible Commentaries page here.
Biblical commentaries are a vital part of many assignments at the School of Theology. Search the below subject headings in BU Libraries Search to find biblical commentaries, or see a selection by toggling through the tabs.
In addition to searching our catalog, the commentaries are also easily browseable on our shelves. In the Library of Congress call number system, subclass BS is assigned to Biblical Studies.
Please visit our course reserves page to see textbooks and course readings.
The following are Biblical Commentaries available online through BU Libraries.
The Holy Bible : New international version, containing the Old Testament and the New Testament. Ref. BS 195 .N37 1978
The NIV study Bible, New International Version. General editor, Kenneth Barker ; associate editors, Donald Burdick … [et al.]
Ref. BS 195 .N37 1985
The New English Bible, with the Apocrypha. Ref. BS 191 .A1 1976 N48
Good news Bible : the Bible in Today’s English version. Ref. BS 195 .T63 1976
Once you have found background resources on your paper, start looking for books and other library material in our library's catalog, available on our home page (www.bu.edu/sthlibrary). If you have an idea of what you want (a title, author, or relevant subject heading, perhaps information from background articles you read) begin your search there!
However, there's a chance you may not know where to start. Don't worry! Start with a keyword search of your topic. Let's start with the term "Elijah." There are over 13,000 entries for Elijah in our catalog. That's very overwhelming! To limit your search, add another word to your search (for example, "fire.). Now, the catalog will search for records that contain both the words "Elijah" and "fire." There's a lot less results now (under 1,000). You're on the right track!
You can use filters to limit results to exactly what you're looking for! Prefer books? Limit resource type to books on the right side. Do the same for date of creation, library, language, etc. as you prefer! On the top, you can limit books to available in library or available online. BU has 10 books or e-books to browse that contain both "Elijah" and "fire" in the record. That's a little more manageable.
Your search may have missed others on your subject, though. Did you find the perfect source in your search? Use the "subject headings" under the More Information tab; here, librarians group together books under the same heading- making it easier for you to find alike resources! If a book is available on shelf, always browse around the area, too. We use Library of Congress Classification, and books are shelved according to subject, meaning other useful resources may be really close by!
Always check the footnotes, references, and bibliographies from resources you found useful! This footnote hoping may find you the perfect resource for your paper!
Finding journal articles isn't difficult, either! Applying the sleuthing techniques you learned by finding books, you can also find the perfect journal article for your research!
Our library's catalog includes full-text journal articles from many of the e-journals and databases BU owns. Start your search there, limiting your search to "articles" on the left side. That said, not every e-journal and database article that we have access to appears in a keyword search. Note that you should directly search our databases (for example, you should get very familiar with the ATLA Religion Database. Learn more about it on our box just to the left!) Check Boston University's complete list of databases to determine which is most helpful to you and your paper writing needs. When searching databases, you may find the perfect journal article, but BU doesn't have access to it online. Search for the journal title in our online catalog- we may have it in print format! If we don't, you may want to request the article as an interlibrary loan- see the tab "What if BU Doesn't Own What I Need" for more information!