About
These are free and open databases with materials for biblical studies, theology, homiletics and more.
Do you have another favorite you don't see here? Let me know, and I can add it to the list to share with other Kesler members.
Alumni Access
If you have graduated from seminary, you may have alumni access to subscription-based databases like ATLA.
Contact your seminary library for more information about how to log in.
Free Online Resources
Internet Guide to Religion
Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion’s Internet Guide to Religion is a treasure trove of resources, fully searchable and browsable and organized by subject (Pedagogy, Archaeology, etc.) as well as type (journals, blogs, dissertations). Its scope is a bit wide, but because of its ease of search, you should be able to find what you need without issue--and perhaps happen upon something you didn’t know you needed.
STEP Bible Study Software
STEP is a free online software by Tyndale House that has over 400 versions and translations of the Bible, including Greek and Hebrew. It is a powerful tool for word study, displaying meanings, related words, and occurence counts. The software also has over 20 commentaries, including those by Martin Luther, John Wesley, and CH Spurgeon.
Review of Biblical Literature
The Review of Biblical Literature database is a great companion resource to the Kesler Library. It is maintained by the Society of Biblical Literature, which is an authoritative organization in the field. Search 7000 reviews by title, author, subject, and publisher, and read reviews of books before requesting them from us. The site has a helpful FAQ page, as well as Search Tips to help users construct a useful search.
Christian Classics Ethereal Library
The Christian Classics Ethereal Library, maintained by Calvin College, is a large collection of medieval and early church writings (and secondary sources thereto pertaining), most of which accessible as PDFs and in plain text, as well as downloadable for iBooks and Kindle. It’s easily searchable (by text within books, author, title, subject, scripture) and browsable (by most of the same parameters). While church history may be more a scholarly pursuit than a minister’s interest, there is still much material that could be formative and normative that preachers may use for sermons or Sunday school.
