I thought I would get some feedback from those who know much more than I do. This isn't scientific, just curious for those more familiar with the tools than I am, what would you pick as the top few items in each category if that is all you had to work with. What would be your top English translations, top study Bibles, your top one-volume commentaries, your top commentary series sets, your top dictionaries, and encyclopedias, etc?
Thanks for any input. I plan to use the info to look at what resources I should prioritize and get more familiar with resources that people deem valuable. (I am a youth pastor and in my first year of MDiv studies.)
Bibles, I likeNIV/TNIVLexhamESVHCSBHopefully you have a good sense of the original languages, so you can add the Biblica Hebraica and a Greek NT. Books I really like DA Carson's Exegetical Fallacies. Commentaries I like Life Application Bible Commentary series. Mobile Ed I like Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Mark Futato and will be going through Introduction to Biblical Greek Mark Schwandt, and am hoping Introducing the Old Testament: It's Structure and Story will be a good refresher course on how the OT is structured (as the title implies), because understanding how the OT is written, it's various styles has made a profound difference in my understanding how to interpret the Bible, and what's going on "behind the scenes". For example, had I not known of it's parallel and thematic arrangement, I would never have realized that Joshua 15 and Judges 1 are the same story, and happen after Joshua had died, since his death is not recorded until Joshua chapter 24. As far as many of the Guides, Datasets, and other things Logos offers, well, I've not been able to grasp how to make use of them, but have broke down and am paying to learn the software. I've done some with MP Seminars, and some with John Fallahee's LearnLogos. programs. Hope that helps.
Tony Walker: I thought I would get some feedback from those who know much more than I do. This isn't scientific, just curious for those more familiar with the tools than I am, what would you pick as the top few items in each category if that is all you had to work with. What would be your top English translations, top study Bibles, your top one-volume commentaries, your top commentary series sets, your top dictionaries, and encyclopedias, etc? Thanks for any input. I plan to use the info to look at what resources I should prioritize and get more familiar with resources that people deem valuable. (I am a youth pastor and in my first year of MDiv studies.) ×
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I've not offered feedback because my top 3-5 resources vary depending upon the task I am trying to complete. None of those tasks are youth oriented as Logos doesn't have much support for youth liturgical ministers.
Orthodox Bishop Hilarion Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."
Here are some favourites and go-to's that might fit your bill:
Top English translations: NIV2011; CSB
Top study Bibles: CSB study bible, NET notes
Top one-volume commentaries: Africa Bible Commentary; New Bible Commentary
Top commentary series sets: Hard to say because I am currently working on a custom-curated bible commentaries series based on BestCommentaries.com, Top Challies' best commentaries blog, Ligonier's best commentaries blog series, and personal preference. It is still a work in progress (hence a large number of Tyndale volumes) but here is what I have so far.
Top Dictionaries: Hands down, the IVP Reference Collection
I hope that helps.
Carpe verbum.
Tony Walker: What would be your top English translations, top study Bibles, your top one-volume commentaries, your top commentary series sets, your top dictionaries, and encyclopedias, etc?
What would be your top English translations, top study Bibles, your top one-volume commentaries, your top commentary series sets, your top dictionaries, and encyclopedias, etc?
Top English Translations:
NIV84, NASB95, LEB, NKJV, ESV, ISV
Top Study Bibles:
CSB Study Bible: Notes, ESV Study Bible, The NET Bible First Edition Notes
Top One Volume Commentaries:
Baker Illustrated Bible Commentary, Baker Illustrated Bible Handbook, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible.
Top Multi-Volume Commentaries:
NICOT/NT, Word, Expositor’s Bible Commentary, UBS Handbooks, OT/NT Library Series, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the OT/NT.
Top Specialty Commentaries:
Acts: An Exegetical Commentary – Keener, Baker Academic Handbook on the Old Testament Series, Commentary on the New Testament use of the Old Testament.
Top Dictionaries/Encyclopedias:
Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible, Dictionary for Theological Interpretation of the Bible, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia – Bromiley, The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary, Collins English Dictionary – 8th Edition, The Encyclopedia of Christianity.
Logos Series X Pastor’s Library | Logos 3 Leader’s Library | Logos 4 Portfolio | Logos 5 Platinum | Logos 6 Feature Crossgrade | Logos 7 Essential Upgrade - Large | Logos 8 Methodist & Wesleyan Platinum and Academic Professional
Here’s an old thread that might help: https://community.logos.com/forums/t/126444.aspx
Hey Tony,
I think the people who would help you best in growing your library are those who are shaping your ministry future through their teaching and guidance in your M.Div program. I would give them more weight then us. Back when I started in ministry, an M.Div was more of a rarity then the norm among the pastors and teachers I knew. Most of us learned on the fly. Ministry, at least among the Restoration Movement churches is a different game today. What churches want and expect in the area of graduate degrees has changed. We all have different book needs and emphasis that fit us personally in our own studies and ministry. So don't lean too much on our advice. God bless your studies for your degree. And keep,up with your humility in wanting others with experience to help you. If you are always teachable, that's a good thing that will take you far. Let your professors be your guide to a better library. They are your experts.
English New Testaments:
As a leader, you want to have on your priority list the English text that most of your people have in front of them, so whatever else I suggest, make sure that whatever else I say and suggest, you include it. It probably can fit one of the roles I am about to list, but make sure you use it - and know what roles it can do.
1) I want a rather literal translation that takes advantage of the text critical work since Westcott-Hort, for which I have a Reverse-Interlinear in Logos. For me currently this is the ESV, but the RSV and NASB would serve this role well.
2) I want a rather literal translation of the Received Text that dominated Protestant biblical studies and piety from the Reformation until the the 20th century. I use the New King James for this.
3) I want a more idiomatic dynamic equivalence translation. For me, this is served by the NIV, but a case can be made for other versions like the New Living Translation or Christian Standard Bible.
4) NABRE because while I am not Roman Catholic, the God that tells me to Love my neighbor has given me a world where Roman Catholics are the largest Christian body in the world.
5) The Message because it is different and makes me think. I may not agree with it, but often its difference does show me something that is indeed in the text that I would otherwise gloss over because it is familiar.
English Old Testaments:
1) ESV for an unapologetic Christian reading of these texts while still being rather literal.
2) NRSV for a more cautious, historical based reading of these texts.
3) NIV or other dynamic equivalence version.
4) NABRE
5) The Message
I should probably add a translation of the Septuagint, but have not yet done so.
Between NRSV and NABRE, I have something that will pick up the varied texts often also included in the Old Testament...
Bible Dictionaries/Encyclopedias:
Anchor (Yale) Bible Dictionary. Yeah, it is uneven. But it has a mountain of information.
Lexham Bible Dictionary. More up to date - but even more uneven than Anchor - although it has improved quite a bit since it first came out.
IVP "Black" Dictionaries. Eight volumes that are divided not based on the alphabet, but rather on books of the bible. Very good information.
If I want a briefer treatment, my one-volume choice would be Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible, although over the years I have also used Harpers (I have not used the updated HarperCollins, but it should be good and indeed better than the Harpers) and the New Bible Dictionary/3ed and both have been useful.
Study Bibles:
I generally find that most study bibles are too short. I use the Concordia Self-Study Bible since it is a version of the quite popular NIV Study Bible and also use the NET Bible notes for brief information.
One volume commentaries have a bit more space, but are still often a bit short to be that useful.
Metzger's Textual Commentary is useful by focusing on why the UBS editors made the textual choices they did for the New Testament.
Unfortunately I was not a Logos user long enough ago to have the New Jerome. I was able to pick up the Oxford Bible Commentary, which is what I currently use. Of what is actually still available, I would recommend the New Bible Commentary.
Commentary sets? There are so many out there, and you can spend a lot of money on them. One of the most important lessons I learned in school was a class that instead of having us all read a particular commentary, had a bunch of commentaries at the reserve desk for us to read, rotating through various commentaries with each student reading different commentaries before class discussions. I found that some of the commentaries I did not particularly enjoy reading were the ones that prepared me the best for those discussions... While there are somewhat useful reviews out there, I have not found anything that is anywhere near as useful as this experience - especially for more technical works.
For non-technical sets, I have found the "For Everyone" series useful - useful enough to get an Anglican base package for them. I have also picked up the NT volumes of Bible Speaks Today and they are useful. I have heard good things about the Tyndale set, but have not have it myself. I have also heard good things about NIVAC, but have barely used it.
The Gospel is not ... a "new law," on the contrary, ... a "new life." - William Julius Mann
L8 Orthodox Silver, Lutheran Starter, Academic Essentials
L7 Lutheran Gold, Anglican Bronze
Bibles
ESV - balance of accuracy and breadth of distribution
NASB95 - accuracy of translation philosophy
NIV - breadth of usage by North American protestants (I prefer NIV84 because it was the base text for BKC and EBC (see below) but settle for NIV11 for those who cannot obtain 84)
"One-Volume" Commentaries
Bible Knowledge Commentary - authored by DTS Faculty who were professors of many of my MBI professors.
New Bible Commentary - I DEEPLY respect Carson
Moody Bible Commentary - authored by some of my MBI professors
Intermediate series
Expositors Bible Commentary (original)
Tyndale Old and New Testament Commentaries
Dictionary/Encyclopedia
ISBE79
IVP "Black" Dictionaries
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