True variety of resources?

Hi. I'm in the process of entering the clergy with the ELCA, and I'm having some trouble figuring out which of the resources you offer are going to be helpful to me.

When I look at resources about empowering women in the church, it's frankly impossible, usually, to figure out if the books are for or against female ordination from the advertising copy- which, as you might imagine, would have an impact on whether I'd be interested in them. (By the way, I notice that female authors rarely seem to have their degrees listed after their names, whereas almost all the male authors do. Someone might want to look into that, it just looks weird.)

The copy about a lot of the books is clearly just straight from the publisher- which means it's full of claims to be "Christ centered" but has little information about the background of the author and their approach to the text. If an author was on the conservative side of the Seminex disagreement, for example, and doesn't use social-historical criticism, that information would be useful to me when evaluating resources, but figuring that kind of thing out is kind of impossible from the advertising copy.

And it might just be me- I'm still poking around and all, kind of new- but on the surface it looks like there are a lot more books from the fundamentalist side of things than otherwise. I'm having trouble finding books on liberation theology, world Christiantiy, the emerging church, etc. And most of the Lutheran stuff seems to be either from Martin Luther himself (which, hey, great!) or from the WELS (which doesn't help me much). And I'm just not here to buy books by John Piper, you know?

Any tips on better search words to find what I'm looking for? Any links to places where Logos talks about how they find and choose resources to add to the collection? Thanks!

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DMB

Welcome to the forum, Katie!

And a very good summary of what you found, I must say. Kind of like someone from Boston arriving in Houston (or visa versa).

Pretty slim pickings; I go mainly by the publishers, and then of course the authors. I most enjoy the ones that discuss the text:

http://www.logos.com/product/6523/women-and-men-in-the-fourth-gospel-a-genuine-discipleship-of-equals

http://www.logos.com/product/3090/woman-in-the-bible

http://www.logos.com/product/2960/discovering-biblical-equality

Not much to brag about though. You ask about search tips; I'm somewhat at a loss. I look for various forms of 'women' and then weed out the publishers.

Hopefully others can offer additional tips. There's a pre-pub out there 'Womens Commentary' but I don't think it's going anywhere (needs more 'votes'). It's good.

Rosie Perera

Hi Katie, welcome!

Other than the brief author bio that is usually included on the resources pages on Logos.com, there's no place on Logos's site that you can go to find out what theological positions the authors have on various issues. You can sometimes get a feel for it by looking at the sample pages in the book (most books now have a "See Inside" button on the cover image on the website). Otherwise you'll have to discover that info yourself by Googling the author's name.

You will be hard-pressed to find Logos resources specifically about empowering women in the church. Logos's target audience has historically been conservative evangelicals, and they've only recently been broadening to incorporate a wider range of resources in their catalog. But still by far the majority will come down on the conservative side of the role of women in the church and family. I am starting to develop a small collection of "Women, Feminist Theology & Gender Studies" books, including such titles as Feminist Interpretation of the Bible and the Hermeneutics of Liberation (so far only available as part of the Gender and the Bible Collection), but it's pretty meager.

There's also not much yet (in terms of full-book treatments) on liberation theology, world Christianity, or the emerging church, though you might find the Missional Theology Collection of interest to you. You might also want to consider the journal Semeia. It's more towards the liberal/progressive side of the spectrum.

Logos does seek suggestions from users as to what new resources to bring out. Post your ideas in the Suggestions forum, or email them to suggest@logos.com. I know others have been requesting books on liberation theology and such. You could add your voice to one of those threads or start your own. See http://community.logos.com/forums/t/28987.aspx, http://community.logos.com/forums/t/37163.aspx (note this latter isn't likely to be seen by Logos though, as it's in the General forum; best to post in Suggestions).

They've hired a Catholic product manager, so they've really been ramping up on Catholic resources. It seems they could use a Liberal/Progressive Protestant product manager as well.

William

Is not fortress press an ELCA publisher? I do know of some WELS materials but there is some Concordia Publishing House......(That probably won't help either)....

I am not sure but I am sure Presbyterian Church of the United States (PCUSA) has a publisher that it uses.....you could find out if they publish much with Logos.....I just say this because I think the ELCA are in fellowship with them.

I have seen other people talk about writing letters to some of the publisher's and see if deals can't be worked out between the publisher's and Logos.....to get things published....

I have also been told that if your looking for a particular book or "type" of book send a letter to suggest at logos dot com.

Rosie Perera

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/344557#Comment_344557

I think Westminster/John Knox Press is one of the ones that PCUSA is connected with. Search the website for publisher:westminster. It's not a perfect search; it might pick up some other stuff or leave out some. You might also find some others by clicking on the publisher name under one of the books you do find. SPCK sometimes has some good stuff too (e.g., SPCK New Testament Studies Collection; published in conjunction with Westminster John Knox). Another keyword to search for is ecumenical. Eerdmans and Baker sometimes publish things that are more ecumenical and open. Also Yale University Press (Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary, Anchor Yale Bible, and Anchor Yale Bible Reference Library (29 vols.)).

Ken McGuire

Some obvious resources:

Anchor Yale Bible items. The Dictionary, Commentaries, and Reference Library are available

New Interpreters Series. - Last I saw both Dictionary and Commentary were on pre-pub.

Interpretation Commentaries.

Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church

Fortress has many good items as well, including Her Story and many strong biblical commentaries.

Emerging Church - I seem to recall a few titles of Leonard Sweet and Brian McLaren over at Vyrsio.

While WELS is challenging to deal with, you in the ELCA say that you view yourselves as in union with all churches that accept the teachings of the Unaltered Augsburg Confession. That being the case, shouldn't you listen to the concerns of those who have concerns about the ELCA?

Pastor Kay

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/344580#Comment_344580

DMB, Rosie, and William, thank you for the links and the search information. Searching by publisher should be a great help, excellent! And yes, I'm very fond of several resources that the Westminster Press and the link publish.

Kenneth- I'm afraid several of those resources, while delightful to dream about, are slightly too rich for my blood at the moment, but yes, I do look forward to them. Regarding listening to the concerns of those who have concerns with the ELCA, believe me I have, and I have little choice but to continue to do so even if I didn't want to. While spending a year with a congregation that was considering leaving the ELCA, I did a great deal of research on several topics of concern to them, and since they did leave in the end, I suppose their concerns would be valid enough for you? But of course if I want to listen to people who have concerns with the ELCA, all I have to do is turn on the news, or read a blog post- and I do those as well, and they're free. Because my resources are rather limited at the moment, I have little interest in funding people like John Piper, who, if he likes his sense of Christianity to have a "masculine feel", is perfectly welcome to enjoy my not reading his books and leaving them safely un-feminized by my touching them, even in a cyber-sense.

Short version: Of course I listen to those concerns, but I see no reason to pay money to do so. When I need to do that kind of research, that's what libraries are for.

MJD

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/344744#Comment_344744

I have little interest in funding people like John Piper, who, if he likes his sense of Christianity to have a "masculine feel", is perfectly welcome to enjoy my not reading his books and leaving them safely un-feminized by my touching them, even in a cyber-sense.

Katie,

John Piper is a true man of God who preaches from the BIBLE. He does not bend to modern day pressures. He stays true to the context of the WORD. It is not John Piper that creates a "masculine feel", this comes directly from the text.

I would recommend one really good resource for you to start with -- it is the ESV Study Bible.

Mitchell

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/344900#Comment_344900

Oh boy, here we go again... it's all I can do right now not to feed the troll.

Rich DeRuiter

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/344900#Comment_344900

I have little interest in funding people like John Piper, who, if he likes his sense of Christianity to have a "masculine feel", is perfectly welcome to enjoy my not reading his books and leaving them safely un-feminized by my touching them, even in a cyber-sense.

Katie,

John Piper is a true man of God who preaches from the BIBLE. He does not bend to modern day pressures. He stays true to the context of the WORD. It is not John Piper that creates a "masculine feel", this comes directly from the text.

I would recommend one really good resource for you to start with -- it is the ESV Study Bible.

I hope we can please stay off the topic of the role of women in the home, society and/or the church. Such a discussion, to be valuable, would go far beyond the purpose of the forums, and violate the forum guidelines.

I would say that many resources, while not overtly for or against an egalitarian view of men and women, are quite compatible with such a view, and most (though not all) that stand on the complementarian side of this debate do struggle honestly and respectfully with the textual and cultural issues. I have found it to be quite rare to find commentaries (e.g.) that "stack the deck" one way or the other, though they do exist.

If you have a question about how a commentary or other resource handles a particular Bible passage, or topic, feel free to ask.

Dave Moser

I'm having trouble finding books on liberation theology, world Christiantiy, the emerging church, etc.

What exactly are you looking for? Are you looking for historical studies on these issues, commentaries from those within those positions or something else?

Philana Crouch

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/344917#Comment_344917

You might find this helpful:

http://vyrso.com/product/13250/beyond-sex-roles-what-the-bible-says-about-a-womans-place-in-church-and-family

Pastor Kay

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/344907#Comment_344907

Thank you Richard, Dave and Philana.

Much as I always appreciate the thoughtful inquiry into my own background, education, and reasoning behind favorite English translation choice, I am happy to acknowledge that this is neither the time nor the place for such a conversation, and will simply say that I did manage to take a good long look at a number of translations- including the ESV- and quite happily settled on the NRSV for standard use well before I finished my M.Div. The introduction to the translation explains why very well, and coincides with my own studies in Hebrew and Greek.

Richard- I find it, frankly, odd, that such a major company (I mean, as far as I'm aware, it's mostly Logos and Bibleworks, right, and Bibleworks doesn't do the variety of resources that Logos does by design) chooses not to have an equal balance of resources from both the egalitarian and complementarian point of view. I'd be happy with half. You'd think the company would be interested in such a large market share, frankly, aside from the fact that Logos itself doesn't seem to have a theological stance itself, or at least I haven't found one on their website. (For all we know I suppose the entire company's staffed with atheists and, I don't know, Scientologists.) As "thoughtful" a discussion as complementarian books may give any related issue (and you know, that's an awful lot of issues) they still, fundamentally, don't do a lot for me. I'm from a denomination which had predecessor bodies- pretty much all of them, actually- who were ordaining women in the 1970's. Frankly, there are a lot of books out there, and I only have so much time and money, and I'm going to concentrate my time and money on reading books by people who don't see my answering my call to ministry as an affront to God and who therefore don't really want to talk to me anyway (except to tell me I'm imagining said call- and yeah, that's happened).

As to what kind of resources I'm looking for- well, when it comes to Liberation Theology, I've read Guitierrez, but I'd love some further exploration of what that movement has done elsewhere on the globe. I've attended an emergent church service in Minneapolis, and it wasn't really my thing, but I would be interested in finding out more about the movement, particularly the motivations behind it. My favorite books are the ones written by pastors "on the ground" about their experiences, with theological reflections arising from them. Thanks for asking!

MJD

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/344970#Comment_344970

Maybe this will be helpful; here is a passage from my favorite resource, ESV Bible -- Matthew 7:21-23.

²¹ “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²² On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ ²³ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Michael Birney

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/344982#Comment_344982

edited no use starting something while trying to keep it from being started.

Thanks.

Pastor Kay

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/344982#Comment_344982

And the NRSV version is:

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?’ 23 Then I

MJ. Smith

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/344970#Comment_344970

I find it, frankly, odd, that such a major company ... chooses not to have an equal balance of resources from both the egalitarian and complementarian point of view.

As a member of the Logos minority (ACELO - Anglican, Catholic, Eastern Church, Lutheran, Orthodox) I understand your frustration. The president, Bob P., has explained that the majority of their income comes from the Evangelical groups. This is in part because of differences in how ACELO customers approach Scripture and because of shortcomings in handling the larger canons of the ACELO churches in versions prior to Logos 4. However, Logos has committed to a major thrust into the Catholic market. As I was taught "Lutherans for Bible studies, Anglican for liturgy and Catholic for theology" this should result in broader resources for a number of interests and backgrounds. So, no, there is not resource equality but progress is being made at a speed that stretches my pocket book.

tom

Hi. I'm in the process of entering the clergy with the ELCA, and I'm having some trouble figuring out which of the resources you offer are going to be helpful to me.

When I look at resources about empowering women in the church, it's frankly impossible, usually, to figure out if the books are for or against female ordination from the advertising copy- which, as you might imagine, would have an impact on whether I'd be interested in them. (By the way, I notice that female authors rarely seem to have their degrees listed after their names, whereas almost all the male authors do. Someone might want to look into that, it just looks weird.)

The copy about a lot of the books is clearly just straight from the publisher- which means it's full of claims to be "Christ centered" but has little information about the background of the author and their approach to the text. If an author was on the conservative side of the Seminex disagreement, for example, and doesn't use social-historical criticism, that information would be useful to me when evaluating resources, but figuring that kind of thing out is kind of impossible from the advertising copy.

And it might just be me- I'm still poking around and all, kind of new- but on the surface it looks like there are a lot more books from the fundamentalist side of things than otherwise. I'm having trouble finding books on liberation theology, world Christiantiy, the emerging church, etc. And most of the Lutheran stuff seems to be either from Martin Luther himself (which, hey, great!) or from the WELS (which doesn't help me much). And I'm just not here to buy books by John Piper, you know?

Any tips on better search words to find what I'm looking for? Any links to places where Logos talks about how they find and choose resources to add to the collection? Thanks!

Hi Katie,

As someone who has just graduated from an ELCA seminary (TLS), I can tell you that you will find very very very few text books here that will help you with your seminary studies outside your biblical classes. Here is what I have, and it works great.

1. Original language package

2. Luther Works

3. Yale Anchor Bible dictionary

4. Word Biblical Commentary Series

5. Herminia Series

6. BDAG

7. HALOT

8. Exploring the New Testament World

9. Socio-Rhetorical Commentary Series

FYI... seminary students get the above items at a very good discount.

You are exactly right, and as others have noted, about not finding resources that comes from feminist theology like Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza, womanist theologians like Delores S. Williams, or black liberation theologians like James Hal Cone.

To get a grasp of Logos’ main users, just look at the forums concerning the publications that come from a Roman Catholic point of view.

This being said, Logos’ is trying to expand who uses their software; they just have a very very very long way to go.

Rev Chris

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/344989#Comment_344989

Although kind of expensive now that it's no longer a pre-pub offering, you may want to check out the Gender and the Bible collection: http://www.logos.com/product/5728/gender-and-the-bible-collection. Again, it would be helpful to know what exactly you're looking for. If you want Bible commentaries and dictionaries that are gender-inclusive (or at least not gender-exclusive), then I suggest the Anchor-Yale series, or the upcoming New Interpreter's series and the Feasting on the Word series. Also, I like the Interpretation Commentary Series. Both the Feasting on the Word and Interpretation are John Knox Press, and New Interpreter's is Abingdon (a United Methodist publication).

If you're looking for books on liberation theology and the like, my suggestion is to use the recommendations of your professors as a starting point and look to see if Logos has the best deals for those books. Logos has some good theology books, but the power of the program is in its ability to do Bible study. For me, when it comes to reading books front to back, I tend to go with whomever has the best price.

You say you're in "process of entering the clergy." I would recommend that you build your Logos library using the base packages as a starting point (going at least to the Scholar's level since that unlocks the database features) and maybe checking out the New Interpreter's or Feasting on the Word since the pre-pub's are at a good price. As for your other books, I wouldn't worry too much. By the time you finish seminary you will have a good library built up of books on theology and other disciplines. Also, you'll have a good idea by then how to look for books that are well-suited to you.

Rosie Perera

Paternoster is another non-fundamentalist publisher. There's some good stuff in their Theological Studies Collection. Their Old Testament Studies Collection is another good one; particularly (for your area of interest) Eve: Accused or Acquitted? A Reconsideration of Feminist Readings of the Creation Narrative Texts in Genesis 1–3, which can be bought apart from the fuller set. They also have a New Testament Studies Collection and a Pauline Studies Collection, and a Trinitarian Studies Collection, if you want to pick up the titles more cheaply than stand-alone. And again, ask for your academic discount, as that will save you a lot. To save even more, check out their Contemporary Issues Collection which is in pre-pub still.

Dan Francis

I was raised in the ELCiC although now call the Anglican Church of Canada home now...

I must recommend looking at

http://www.logos.com/product/8803/new-interpreters-bible

There are more than a few lutheran authors contributing to it (personal note I am trying to get people interested in this series since i really want it in Logos, but it is a very fine series…numerous links to examples are available here http://community.logos.com/forums/t/45235.aspx?PageIndex=1 )

http://www.logos.com/product/6284/fortress-press-luther-studies-collection

Is something i have on preorder looking very interesting to me.

http://www.logos.com/product/8047/hermeneia-and-continental-commentaries

Is a a very fine series some of the vogues are just great gems, but it is a bit technical for my liking.

http://www.logos.com/product/5608/christian-theology-set

is a wonderful 2 volume set.

http://www.logos.com/product/4292/augsburg-commentary-on-the-new-testament

This series is a great little commentary on the new testament, lenski is available too but when i looked at it I could not see how it was going to be of much value to me.

http://www.logos.com/product/7988/preaching-liberation

Should be of interest to you too..

http://www.logos.com/product/15719/preaching-from-the-lectionary-an-exegetical-commentary

is very brief but insightful and might give you some good jumping off points.

http://www.logos.com/product/6751/interpretation-a-bible-commentary-for-teaching-and-preaching

While I do not like this series as well as the New Interpreter's Bible it is a very fine series.

http://www.logos.com/product/9330/the-peoples-bible-complete-set

And while i know it is far more conservative usually than I would like, I do value this set by Northwestern and have found some absolute gems of truth in many volumes.

Here are a couple examples...

We become little stones, and it is Christ’s goal to mortar us together into a grand building called the holy Christian church. Isn’t it interesting that we are called stones rather than bricks? Bricks are all alike; stones are all different—in color, texture, size, and shape. But there is a place for us all in God’s building. All the different believers are joined together in a dazzling and beautiful mosaic for [God’s] glory. --M. A. Jeske, James, Peter, John, Jude. People's Bible

Abstain from sinful desires and live good lives.…Twenty-first century Christians, especially those in developed countries like America, need these words even more. It is easy to get comfortable here and to spend our time and resources trying to get even more comfortable. Having many things is a worse problem than having few. --M. A. Jeske, James, Peter, John, Jude. People's Bible

Blessings to you and I hope you found a resource or two of interest in this list.

-Dan

Keep Smiling 4 Jesus :)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/345022#Comment_345022

http://www.logos.com/product/9330/the-peoples-bible-complete-set

Noticed set is included in a bundle => The Northwestern Publishing House Electronic Library: Collection One (albeit 100 volume bundle is more expensive)

Searching my Logos library for: women WITHIN 24 WORDS empower found many results:

Looking at Logos comparison => http://www.logos.com/comparison noticed "Semeia: An Experimental Journal for Biblical Criticism (91 vols.)" is included in Scholar's Gold and higher. By the way, Scholar's Gold also has my favorite commentary series => UBS New Testament Handbook Series and => UBS Old Testament Handbook Series

http://www.logos.com/product/7988/preaching-liberation

Noticed resource is included => Master Library Builder

Combing Scholar's Gold and Master Library Builder results in an extensive digital library with a variety of views. Note: depends on resource usability whether to consider upgrade to Scholar's Platinum or Portfolio. The Master Library Builder includes many resources in Platinum and Portfolio (along with two partial collections included in Scholar's Gold for 24 volumes) so estimating Scholar's Gold plus Master Library Builder to be ~ 2,900 volumes (about $ 1.33 per volume at regular price). In contrast, Porfolio regular price per volume is $ 2.68 (plus regular price is $ 410 more than Scholar's Gold plus Master Library Builder).

Keep Smiling [:)]

Rosie Perera

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/345031#Comment_345031

http://www.logos.com/product/7988/preaching-liberation

Noticed resource is included => Master Library Builder

It is also included in a much smaller collection, Fortress Press Homiletics Collection. At this point, until Logos comes up with a more broad church library builder bundle, I'd recommend against the Master Library Builder or higher base packages. For someone not coming from a conservative evangelical position, even though the savings are substantial with the larger bundles, I'm guessing you'd be so frustrated with much of the content in them that it wouldn't serve you well to spend your money there. However, you could take the time to make yourself a spreadsheet listing all the titles in the MLB and decide whether you'd want them or not. That would be very time consuming, but could be worth it for you if you end up getting it.

Note: You can always hide books that you're not interested in. See http://wiki.logos.com/Hiding_Books

Matthew C Jones

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/344970#Comment_344970

As to what kind of resources I'm looking for- well, when it comes to Liberation Theology, I've read Guitierrez, but I'd love some further exploration of what that movement has done elsewhere on the globe. I've attended an emergent church service in Minneapolis, and it wasn't really my thing, but I would be interested in finding out more about the movement, particularly the motivations behind it. My favorite books are the ones written by pastors "on the ground" about their experiences, with theological reflections arising from them.

These type of resources are few and far between in Logos but they are virtually non-existent in other Bible software. I will hazard a guess here that the bottom line is the demographics that Logos has developed on the customer base says the established buyers of resources are not keen on the minority writings. Most users tend to buy what they already agree with. (I actually buy mostly from perspectives I do not agree with so that I can learn the what & the why of others' doctrinal views.) The demographics could be flawed because the liberal-inclined customers can not buy what is not offered. With the recent release of many Catholic resources in Logos we may see a continuing broadening of offerings. I personally have purchased many Fortress Press titles and found quite a bit of the content you seem to be looking for. Unfortunately most are thrown in with unrelated subjects in a bundle that gets very expensive after it leaves Pre-Pub.

As Logos continues to break up collections and bundles it may someday be possible to gather together many individual titles of particular personal interest and get some kind of HUGE discount for a "pick-your-own" Eclectic Bundle. Give me some more books by Korean writers, something from Desmond Tutu, and some Liberation Theologians. It is often easy to dismiss them out of hand when their Christianity is not our Americanized Christianity. I also want to give them a fighting chance to explain why their theology didn't work so well for their stated goals. Or maybe it did. I won't know until we have their voices in Logos too. [;)]

MJD

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/345047#Comment_345047

These type of resources are few and far between in Logos but they are virtually non-existent in other Bible software.

Logos is a Bible Study Software company and it's mission is to help study the Bible. Therefore, when resources are limited (in a mature Bible Software Company) one must weigh out why are they limited? I think the answer is CLEAR!

tom

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/345098#Comment_345098

Logos is a Bible Study Software company and it's mission is to help study the Bible. Therefore, when resources are limited (in a mature Bible Software Company) one must weigh out why are they limited? I think the answer is CLEAR!

First thing first, Logos has stated time and time again that they are a for profit company. Like all for profit companies, the mission of the company is to make a profit. There is nothing wrong with this at all, it just needs to be stated before any theological understanding can be placed on what any company offers.

I believe with you that the answer is very clear about the sources that Logos provides. It is very likely that we disagree on the answer. Not to sound brash, but the answer is money.

Logos has a consumer base that has a particular theological understanding. Now, when Logos offers a new product, it goes through the pre-pub process. If there are not enough customers, the product does not get produced. Therefore, any book that is written by an author that has a different theological understanding than the customer base will have a difficult time getting into production.

Dan Francis

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/345111#Comment_345111

Logos has a consumer base that has a particular theological understanding. Now, when Logos offers a new product, it goes through the pre-pub process. If there are not enough customers, the product does not get produced. Therefore, any book that is written by an author that has a different theological understanding than the customer base will have a difficult time getting into production.

This is the major problem. It is also a major problem for Logos. If they wish to grow their customer base. It's frustrating that one of the most popular commentaries in the "mainline churches" the New Interpreter's Bible, it has yet to make it to production level. And while i have talked to several people who would love to see NIB in a good software to use on their iPhone or iPad but usually I hear that until it's shipping they are not interested in signing up for something that they have no idea when they would have it.

-dan

Rosie Perera

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/345098#Comment_345098

These type of resources are few and far between in Logos but they are virtually non-existent in other Bible software.

Logos is a Bible Study Software company and it's mission is to help study the Bible. Therefore, when resources are limited (in a mature Bible Software Company) one must weigh out why are they limited? I think the answer is CLEAR!

Look at all the books Logos sells on Vyrso.com and ask yourself whether any of them is designed to help people study the Bible better. There are plenty on the main Logos.com site that aren't exactly Bible study books either. They are open to publishing other works, it's just a question of gauging customer interest and prioritizing what they think will sell better.

MJD

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/345251#Comment_345251

These type of resources are few and far between in Logos but they are virtually non-existent in other Bible software.

Logos is a Bible Study Software company and it's mission is to help study the Bible. Therefore, when resources are limited (in a mature Bible Software Company) one must weigh out why are they limited? I think the answer is CLEAR!

Look at all the books Logos sells on Vyrso.com and ask yourself whether any of them is designed to help people study the Bible better. There are plenty on the main Logos.com site that aren't exactly Bible study books either. They are open to publishing other works, it's just a question of gauging customer interest and prioritizing what they think will sell better.

Who brought up Vyrso.com? I am speaking about Logos. How do you dispute what Bob Pritchett said himself?

Per Bob Pritchett in an interview with "Bible Software Review"

BP: We are focused on supporting and encouraging "serious Bible
study." We want to build tools that help everyone go deeper into the
Word...Going deeper in your study is
something we want to make as easy as possible.

Pastor Kay

Okay! Thank you to everybody who provided links and advice, it looks like I have a lot of good stuff to sort through. I really appreciate the help, it looks like a lot of this is exactly the kind of thing I was looking for. (I love wish lists, they're such happy things.)

I'm going to unsubscribe from the thread now- I believe it's served its purpose well, and personally I don't have a lot invested in the current set of side conversations. Thanks again, this has been a very helpful introduction to the forums and Logos for me.

ETA: I appreciate everyone's comments about seminarian discounts with a certain winsomeness- alas, for I have already graduated! And was consistently broke throughout, for a variety of reasons. Oh well.

fgh

Any tips on better search words to find what I'm looking for?

The only tip I can think of is to use the left column to your advantage. You can, for example, see all resources tagged as Lutheran. But I presume you had already figured that out.

Logos itself doesn't seem to have a theological stance itself, or at least I haven't found one on their website

Mission statement.

Publishing Philosophy. (Updated just a week ago, it seems.)

Short version: "Logos Bible Software is a member of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, and we subscribe to the Statement of Faith of the Association (http://www.ecpa.org/?page=about_ecpa)."

I find it, frankly, odd, that such a major company ... chooses not to have an equal balance of resources

1,5 years ago it was a lot worse, believe me.

you could take the time to make yourself a spreadsheet listing all the titles in the MLB and decide whether you'd want them or not. That would be very time consuming, but could be worth it for you if you end up getting it.

No need to do something that's already been done. I'm too tired now to look for the right thread, but the spreadsheet is here somewhere.

EDIT: Guess I wasted my time posting that...[:S]

Mike Aubrey

Discovering Biblical Equality is truly unmatched as an egalitarian handbook: http://www.logos.com/product/2960/discovering-biblical-equality

I buy copies for friends regularly.

Josh

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/345281#Comment_345281

Simple math: m ≠ w [:P]

Keep Smiling 4 Jesus :)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/345279#Comment_345279

you could take the time to make yourself a spreadsheet listing all the titles in the MLB and decide whether you'd want them or not. That would be very time consuming, but could be worth it for you if you end up getting it.

No need to do something that's already been done. I'm too tired now to look for the right thread, but the spreadsheet is here somewhere.

EDIT: Guess I wasted my time posting that...

Internet search for:

site:community.logos.com christmas master 2010

has link to => Christmas 2010 Master Collection (2,010 vols.) A GREAT Bargain! that includes a spreadsheet done by Praiser in 2010. Personally downloaded, then added a column: placed number 1 in each row for resources already in my Logos library (Scholar's Platinum plus additional purchases), estimated MLB would add a ~ 1,525 titles. so choose a Logos payment plan for purchase. MLB additions has a wealth of Biblical topics that interest me, including original language resources, Jewish history, plus more.

Keep Smiling [:)]

tom

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/345302#Comment_345302

Joshua,

Just to let you know that I did take offence to your statement. While men are women are not the same, we are equals.

Keep Smiling 4 Jesus :)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/345376#Comment_345376

In December 2010, a thread was started => Why less women? (now has 282 items) after a Logos facebook post:

Logos Bible Software Give us your input! Studies show that women are more likely to read, but only account for about 7% of Logos users. What are we missing?

As a customer, am seeing Logos, the company, striving to broaden product mix for wider appeal and usage for many. Looking forward to more resources being offered on Logos.com and Vyrso.com plus awesome Bible Study capabilities on a variety of platforms, including sharing stuff with groups.

Note: humanly am glad to not have all the various authors in my Logos library in my living room at the same time (suspect peace on earth is currently not possible). Thankful for an incredible amount of resources that are available to study, ponder, and prayer. Thankful for many friendly forum discussions about using Logos Bible Software and resource information.

Keep Smiling [:)]

Dan Francis

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/345397#Comment_345397

Note: humanly am glad to not have all the various authors in my Logos library in my living room at the same time (suspect peace on earth is currently not possible). Thankful for an incredible amount of resources that are available to study, ponder, and prayer. Thankful for many friendly forum discussions about using Logos Bible Software and resource information.

Me too Smiling… I am not as theologically conservative as most of what i find on Logos, but I do find inspiration even when i vigorously disagree with what I have just read. Thank God the Spirit can move in wonderful ways.

-Dan

MJD

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/345376#Comment_345376

Joshua,

Just to let you know that I did take offence to your statement. While men are women are not the same, we are equals.

You said it yourself, man and woman are not the same. God created us to be different for his purpose. Joshua's comment is accurate.

Rich DeRuiter

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/345463#Comment_345463

Please. Let's stop this uh-uh / uh-huh arguing. My denomination battled over this issue for over 30 years and still didn't resolve it. It won't get resolved in this forum.

If you must debate this, take it elsewhere.

Josh

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/345376#Comment_345376

Joshua,

Just to let you know that I did take offence to your statement. While men are women are not the same, we are equals.

Equal in worth, yes. Equal in role, no.

"Fully equal before God, women and men enjoy the same free grace, are called to the same obedience, and are capable of receiving the same spiritual gifts and blessings. Yet woman is not man, and man is not woman. They are equal in worth and personhood as the creation of God but remain functionally different in the role assignments each is to fulfill."

From: Woman's Study Bible (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1997).

Katie was look for Logos resources that focused on "empowering women in the church" - the one I quoted from is one.

Rev Chris

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/345552#Comment_345552

Equal in worth, yes. Equal in role, no.

"Fully equal before God, women and men enjoy the same free grace, are called to the same obedience, and are capable of receiving the same spiritual gifts and blessings. Yet woman is not man, and man is not woman. They are equal in worth and personhood as the creation of God but remain functionally different in the role assignments each is to fulfill."

From: Woman's Study Bible (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1997).

This thread really needs to end. You can't get into these issues without it becoming both theological and offensive, which is off-limits for these forums. Throwing a commentary quote out there does nothing but inflame an issue that never should have come up in the first place.

Josh

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/345554#Comment_345554

This thread really needs to end. You can't get into these issues without it becoming both theological and offensive, which is off-limits for these forums. Throwing a commentary quote out there does nothing but inflame an issue that never should have come up in the first place.

You're right, I should have never quoted from a biased source. [:O][A]

Ken McGuire

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/344744#Comment_344744

Kenneth- I'm afraid several of those resources, while delightful to dream about, are slightly too rich for my blood at the moment, but yes, I do look forward to them. Regarding listening to the concerns of those who have concerns with the ELCA, believe me I have, and I have little choice but to continue to do so even if I didn't want to. While spending a year with a congregation that was considering leaving the ELCA, I did a great deal of research on several topics of concern to them, and since they did leave in the end, I suppose their concerns would be valid enough for you? But of course if I want to listen to people who have concerns with the ELCA, all I have to do is turn on the news, or read a blog post- and I do those as well, and they're free. Because my resources are rather limited at the moment, I have little interest in funding people like John Piper, who, if he likes his sense of Christianity to have a "masculine feel", is perfectly welcome to enjoy my not reading his books and leaving them safely un-feminized by my touching them, even in a cyber-sense.

Short version: Of course I listen to those concerns, but I see no reason to pay money to do so. When I need to do that kind of research, that's what libraries are for.

I have been ill and at the risk of bringing up an old thread and beating a dead horse, I'm going to reply.

First of all I want to apologize for more than a bit of my tone. I am someone who was brought up and educated in the ELCA. I also had to leave it in order to hear people telling me good news about Jesus, largely because of a particularly conflicted congregation and how the Synod involved itself. I stayed in the congregation in which I was planted too long - so long that now I ask, in effect, "are you still beating your wife?" with regards to Law only preaching and "pastoral care" I had to react against.

I certainly understand lack of resources - both in Logos and financially. Because of being out of work and recognizing this lack of things from a Lutheran perspective, I have released a few Personal Books of Lutheran classics. In spite of being LCMS now, most of the books I have released have been from figures in predecessor bodies to the ELCA. I will admit that there is bias in my selections, but they have not at all been from only one perspective.

With regards to John Piper - I have little detailed knowledge of him. In general, I am glad that American "Evangelical Christianity" is distancing itself from many of the figures which frankly sound Pelagian to me and is seriously engaging with the Reformation, even if it is with Calvin, but he has not been an influence on me.

I wish you well with your studies and future ministry. Just please tell people about how Jesus is Good News.

SDG,

Ken McGuire