Subject Guides - Ministry

Ministry

Below are some suggested databases for Ministry.

Databases

Core Databases

ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials (EBSCO)

Atla Religion Database with AtlaSerials combines the premier index to journal articles, book reviews, and collections of essays in all fields of religion and theology.

EBSCOhost Religion and Philosophy Collection

Religion & Philosophy Collection is an essential full-text database for theology and philosophy research. It includes hundreds of full-text journals and magazines covering many religious and philosophical topics, including world religions, religious history, political philosophy and philosophy of language.

Multidisciplinary Databases

EBSCOhost Academic Search Elite

Covering all major academic disciplines, Academic Search Elite is a rich resource spanning a broad stretch of academic subjects with thousands of full-text journals and abstracted and indexed journals.
 

Journals

Core Journals

Bibliotheca Sacra

For over 175 years Bibliotheca Sacra’s studies in theology, Bible exposition, ministry, and current issues have provided an invaluable resource for serious Bible students. Its articles by respected theologians and reviews of the latest publications will enhance your ministry and deepen your theological insights.

Studies in Religion

Studies in Religion / Sciences Religieuses is a peer-reviewed, bilingual academic quarterly, serving scholars who work in a wide range of sub-fields in religious studies and theological studies. It publishes scholarly articles of interest to specialists, but written so as to be intelligible to other scholars who wish to keep informed of current scholarship. It also features articles that focus, in a timely and critically reflective manner, on intellectual, professional and institutional issues in the scholarly study of religion, as well as notices that inform scholars of activities and developments in religious studies and theological studies across Canada and throughout the world.

Theological Studies

Founded and sponsored by the Society of Jesus in the United States of America, Theological Studies is a Catholic scholarly journal that serves the Church and its mission by promoting a deeper understanding of the Christian faith through the publication of research in theological disciplines. Through refereed articles and reviews of noteworthy books, the journal aims to recover and to help make accessible the riches of the theological tradition, and to present significant developments in current theology.

Theology Today

Founded in 1944 at Princeton Theological Seminary, Theology Today is a peer-reviewed, quarterly journal whose contributors include both emerging and established scholars. The editors seek to introduce to an ecumenical readership of academics and religious leaders significant new figures and movements in Christian theology, to foster intellectual encounters between Christianity and the other Abrahamic faiths, and to bring theological reflection and assessment into dialogue with emerging forms of church life and mission.

 

Trinity Journal

The Trinity Journal is a theological journal published twice each year by the faculty of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Since 1980, the Trinity Journal has served scholarship and the church worldwide by offering thought-provoking essays and reviews to libraries, pastors, scholars, missionaries, and interested Christian laypeople. Articles deal with classic biblical, historical, and theological issues, many of pastoral importance and most of timeless significance to Christians. Authors are aware of the most recent research, and write for fellow scholars and informed Christians alike who want to keep their theological basis for ministry fresh and growing.

Reference Resources

Encyclopedias

Encyclopaedia Judaica

Print resource: REF DS102.8 .E496 1972 

Handbooks

The Oxford Handbook of Catholic Theology

Print resource: BX1751.3 .O94 2019 

Books

Physical Collections

  • BL1-50 Religion (General)
  • BL74-99 Religions of the world
  • BL410 Religions in relation to one another
  • BL660-2680 History and principles of religions
  • BR1-1725 Christianity
  • BR130-133.5 Christian antiquities. Archaeology. Museums
  • BR140-1510 History

Keywords

  • Discipleship
  • Pastoral care
  • Theology
  • Biblical studies
  • Canon
  • Liturgy
  • Pastoral council
  • Sacraments

Subjects

  • Pastoral theology
  • Church work with youth
  • Church work with teenagers
  • Baptism, Eucharist, and ministry
  • Older people — Religious life
  • Catholic Church
  • Church — Biblical teaching
  • Prayer — Christianity
  • Christian life

Web Resources

Congregational Resource Center

This resource comes from the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA) strives to democratize access to the best data on religion. The targeted audience and the data collection now include American and international collections and developing features for educators, journalists, religious congregations, and researchers. Data included in the ARDA are submitted by the foremost religion scholars and research centers in the world.

 

 

Citing & Writing

Citation Styles

APS (American Physical Society)

Print resource on Course Reserve. Please visit the Library information desk. 

Council of Science Editors Style Guide

Print resource on Course Reserve. Please visit the Library information desk. 

Chicago/Turabian

Print resource on Course Reserve. Please visit the Library information desk. 

IEEE Style Manual (PDF)

This style is commonly used for Electrical and Computer Engineering.

MLA (Modern Language Association)

Print resource on Course Reserve. Please visit the Library information desk. 

Writing Resources for Subject

From topic to thesis : a guide to theological research

Print resource: General Reserves   BR118 .K53 2016

Other Resources

The Purdue Online Writing Lab

The Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University houses writing resources and instructional material, and we provide these as a free service of the Writing Lab at Purdue. Students, members of the community, and users worldwide will find information to assist with many writing projects.

Research Tips

Primary Articles

Original Research Articles

These are articles reporting on original research and include elements such as a hypothesis, background studies, literature reviews, detailed methodologies, results, interpretations of findings, and discussions on possible implications and future research. Original research articles are typically longer, ranging from 3, 000 – 12, 000 words. These articles are peer reviewed and cite relevant publications from other authors that relate to the research being conducted.

Case Studies

These articles report on the in-depth study of a specific person, group, or event. They are used in a variety of fields such as psychology, medicine, education, political science, and social work in order to seek patterns and causes of behaviour.

Secondary Articles

Literature Reviews

A literature review is a systematic summary and synthesis of what has been published on a topic by accredited scholars and researchers. They frequently convey what knowledge and ideas have been established on a topic, as well as critically assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the field. They will often lack a ‘Methods’ section, though they are often peer reviewed.  

Systematic Reviews

These reviews are often designed to provide an exhaustive summary of current evidence in relation to a specific research question, synthesize findings qualitatively or quantitatively, and critically appraise research studies. Systematic reviews use rigorous and transparent review methodologies with the aim of assessing and minimizing bias in the findings. 

Meta-analyses

A meta-analysis is a statistical analysis that combines the results of multiple scientific studies addressing the same question. The primary aim is to use statistical analyses to determine common truths. Meta-analyses can be part of a broader systematic review.

Special Articles

Including letters to the editor, correspondences, short communications, editorials, pictorial essays

Tertiary/ Gray Literature

Broadly speaking, gray literature is information produced outside of the traditional academic publishing and distribution systems such as academic journals and monographs. Gray literature can include reports, policies, working papers, newsletters, speeches, government documents, and more.

As grey literature is produced directly by an individual or organization, for their own either use or wider sharing, it is often more current than academic publications as it is not subject to the delays found in traditional publishing processes.

As grey literature does not go through a rigorous peer review process the quality can vary significantly, and it is recommended that these sources be critically evaluated.

Technical reports

These can include scientific studies conducted by Government agencies and NGO which are often not peer reviewed. These types of reports can be found in both scholarly databases and freely on the web.