Saturday, April 21, 2012

There is a recent development in the Logos Community that deserves emphatic attention--

The inclusion of two of Dr. Twelftree's acclaimed resources,
Jesus the Miracle Worker: a Historical and Theological Study and  
People of the Spirit: Exploring Luke's View of the Church!!!

These world-acclaimed resource comes in two different outstanding packages which I will name here:

Set #1--SPCK New Testament Studies collection (6 vols, 1,280 pages, $98.05 academic price)

http://www.logos.com/product/10049/spck-new-testament-studies-collection

Other great scholars in this set include:
Richard Bauckham--The Bible in Politics
Terence L. Donaldson--Jews and Anti-Judaism in the New Testament
Bruce Chilton--Starting New Testament Study

Set #2--IVP Jesus Studies collection (15 vols, 5,147 pages, $199.05 academic price)


http://www.logos.com/product/17716/ivp-jesus-studies-collection

Authors in this set alongside Dr. Twelftree include:

Ben Witherington III--The Jesus Quest
Craig Evans--Fabricating Jesus
Craig Blomberg--Interpreting the Parables

You will  not want to miss out on this chance to include these world-renowned resources in your library!
The sooner you put these on a reading plan, the better

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

I applied for the Logos Scholarship myself,

And They encourage anyone who does not have the software to apply!

Going to Seminary is expensive. On top of that, finding a scholarship can be really difficult. That's why I was so excited to find this http://www.seminaryscholarship.com website today. Not only are they giving away a $1,000.00 scholarship and a digital theological library, all I had to do to apply was watch a short video and answer a few questions! It took less than 15 minutes. What is best of all is that if you're in seminary and apply for the http://www.seminaryscholarship.com Seminary Scholarship, and put my name as the person who referred you, if you win the scholarship, so do I! We could both get a $1,000.00 scholarship and digital theological library. So, do us both a favor and go apply for the http://www.seminaryscholarship.com Seminary Scholarship  today.

Friday, April 6, 2012

How To Customize Your Own Personally Created Study Bible . . .

What is your favorite Study Bible? ESV? NIV? NKJV?
Now, what are your favorite commentaries? Word? New American? New International Greek Testament? Some other? Like most of us, I'll bet all of your favorite comments are in different commentaries that make up some combination of each one, right?
What if you could take all the best notes from a combination of each commentary for a compact, personally created note on every Scripture? Logos empowers you to do this.
Having your own Digital Library not only opens the doors to reading your commentaries while you read your Bible (in any version too) but did you know you can actually create YOUR OWN commentary footnotes right in the Bible version? And with the click of a button, you also can control whether or not they appear or not appear. Sound too good? Let's go through it.

First, you just open your favorite Bible version (whether Greek, ESV, NIV, NRSV, or whatever you like). As you well know now, it will open in a window of its own, you'll see the version at the top, with the reference of where you are in it. Lets say we opened it to Phil 2:5--"have this mind in you that was also in Christ Jesus." (ASV).

How many different ways can we dig the treasures out of this passage? How many can you think of? We could start by naming off all the different types of commentaries, couldn't we? Socio-rhetorical, historical-critical, discourse analysis, socio-linguistic, we could consult grammars, lexicons on key words, syntactical analyses (with graph visualizations). There are just too many to count! Clearly we all have our favorites, and only certain types will help us on any given task, right? We certainly don't need all of them all at once.

HERE'S HOW-->
Now, open up a brand-new "Notes" document from the "File" menu above and here is where you begin to craft your own Study Bible right in you Logos System!! Click into the label and name this document "My Phillipians Study". Now Just right click the first word in the Scripture (Phil 2:5) and you'll see a menu pop up. It's this pop up menu that is the key to ALL your best work in Logos. All you have to do is select the top menu option called "reference" (note your choices: "headword, lemma, manuscript, selection, etc") and then choose the bottom action on that same menu called "add note to My Phillipians Study." What Logos does is attach whatever you put into the note file (whether copy-and-pasted from any resource, or hand typed) and allow you to see that note (for each Scripture) as you scroll through your Bible (and in any other resource that Scripture appears, e.g. lexicons, etc.)  You could type anything, you could copy and paste a key commentary section on that passage or, if you want, you could have different notes from different commentaries attached to that same Scripture--each one color coded (just choose the color you want from the menu of options on the yellow square)! You even have the option to hide any one of them while you read through. (at the top of the resource in the tri-circle symbol, "visual filers" menu)
That's pretty powerful stuff.  You like socio-rhetorical commentaries? attach those--color them blue. (or whatever color you want) Maybe you like ICC's commentary material--attach that and color them red. If you want, you could copy and paste out of various commentaries/grammars/resources and combine it into one solid commentary of your own!! Color that green, if you want. Maybe you have some material not in your Logos that would make a great addition (and you have sent it to Logos already using suggest@logos.com see post below) but since it's not in your library you want it included but don't have the resource--well, then you can add that in as well, hand type it, name that particular note with the bibliographic data and color that blue! All the notes files can be stored in your "Favorites" menu (we'll teach that later) for later changes if needed.

The possiblities are endless, and you have the control at your fingertips.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

 Build Your Library Your Way with suggest@logos.com!!

So far, we've discussed all the various benefits that accrue to those who choose to own their personal Digital Library with Logos Digital Resources. We've discussed hyper-linked note taking abilities (leading to personal e-book creations), creating an unlimited inventory of Digital Resource reading plans, as well as the stress relief students gain with 24 hour, 7 day a week access to the same books in any seminary library on their own laptop, and many others.

But what if certain resources you enjoy are not available in Logos? Well I am here to tell you that they have created an answer to that as well! All you have to do is tell Logos about the resources you want them to offer by emailing their team at suggest@logos.com, and they go and get the publishers themselves to include those resources for you to add! Sound too good? Countless people are doing it. Here's my story...

First, when I came to own a Digital Library, I was already reading some of my all-time favorites in hardbound, binder-and-page, book format: St. Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologica, and Norman Geisler's 4 Volume Systematic Theology Series. I was so excited to download those resources and put them on a reading plan over the next year (at least that's what I wanted to do) I couldn't sit still. But I went to Logos' website and found they did not even offer these resources. I was shocked and distressed. For a couple of weeks I felt depressed because I could not add the most valuable resources in my life at the time to my Logos Digital Library, but then my professor at Assemblies of God Seminary gave me an answer: contact Logos via email at suggest@logos.com to get them included.

"You can do that?!" voice raised in disbelief, "Will it do any good?" He told me that many people contact Logos  through emailing suggest@logos.com about including new resources and that I should give it a shot. From there, I went to their website and found the contact info for the department that makes these additions and I found something very encouraging. Logos really wants to hear from their people to enhance their own library with resources which their people express and interest in because that's what makes their business grow! They simply contact the publishers, appeal to include those resources in Logos' Digital Library and offer these resources to the Logos crowd! That business aspect is why it made sense to me. So I contacted them at suggest@logos.com gave them the bibliographic info on Summa and Systematic Theology and guess what? They both were on their prepublication specials not more than a few months later and now I have them in my library on reading plans!! The process could not have been easier.

 Ever since then I have been emailing new resource suggestions to suggest@logos.com and I have been watching my own Digital Library Resources multiply according to what I want in my library ever since. It's pretty nice to be able to build a Digital Library with what you want, when you want, and access all of those resources any way you want to customize your education your way. Not to sound too much like Burger King, but that has been my life and the lives of many others for years now. Join the crowd.

Friday, March 9, 2012

THE GENEROSITY OF LOGOS

As a Logos user with your own digital library, you have a direct connection back to the company with notices of just what they are up to and updates that make you software easier and easier to use all the time.

But beyond this, as a Logos user you also get to take exclusive advantage of the generosity of Logos Bible Software's ability to offer books throughout every month for absolutely no cost to you! That's right--FOR FREE! Free books every month, you could build an entire library just on that alone!

Take a look at THIS MONTH'S (March) FREE BOOK DOWNLOAD--

Authentic Christianity

by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

 

 And for all you Logos users out there, here is the link for you to take advantage of it:

http://www.logos.com/free-book-of-the-month?utm_source=logos.com&utm_medium=homepageslide&utm_campaign=fbotmmarch

Keep in touch to keep filling up your library, your ministry, and your family with education, resources, and God's perfect will for your lives!!

 

Monday, February 27, 2012

Discover YOUR Research Interest and Make Your Impact. . . Keep Reading the Signs!

One aspect of Logos Bible Software that I love the most is that the "Piggy Bank of Reading Plans" (see the post) operates on the principle of "Compounding Interest"! How so? Glad you asked (and it has nothing to do with money!)

I love the fact that all of my books can  be added directly to my laptop: where it takes no space in my house, it takes no effort to sift through them, and makes no problems to set reading plans for all of them where I can read any book in just a small portion every day, and finish entire volumes in weeks! What a difference this tiny application has made in my understanding, awareness, and depth of knowledge in such a short time! It's no wonder the Greeks were so smart--all they had was books with no television!!

Psychology has proven that increasing your knowledge does more than just add a piece of previously unknown material--it effects every other piece of knowledge you already have around it! and thereby changing the way you now see each of those pieces, starting a domino effect in your life. Here's a good example--a man named Timothy in the deep woods of North Carolina has never experienced conventional schooling--no reading or writing. Timothy loved hunting deer and boar with his bow and arrow, traveled back to town and, being drawn by the picture of money above the door, walked into the local pawn shop and sold the hides for a modest sum. All the while, wondering what the rest of the buildings were that he passes by everyday, but keeping his interest in the one that pays him. One day on his way through town, he meets a beautiful girl, they fall in love, and she finally teaches him how to read. He took it reluctantly, challenging the need for it, but kept on because of his love for her. Then, one day, as he walked through town with his usual hides, he got reading the signs and found some of these buildings he was passing every day was a slaughter shop, a hunting store (probably a Bass Pro, right?! lol), and taxidermist. So he went in to see what they would offer and suddenly he became a big hit! Now, instead of tiny prophets from the pawn shop, he got paid what he was really worth for everything he hunted--the carcasses, the meat, & the skins--for a much better price, was featured in the paper for the largest hunted animals, became a local town celebrity, and began his own hunting school.  He took what he was already interested in, and through the understanding he gained in reading the signs, his personal interest compounded into success for everyone: both the taxidermist's and hunter's shops became national franchises through the success of Timothy's hunting school, the slaughter shop turned out the best deer meat for everyone around town and each of the owners, once struggling to keep their doors open, now could retire because of Timothy's success.  

In reality, what really changed? His travel route? No. Did the buildings change? No. It was his understanding he gained through (however reluctantly at first, mind you!) reading the signs! This didn't create new doors, it just opened his eyes to the doors that were already there, directing him to take his interest that God had already given him and compound it alongside the right people (i.e., not the pawn shop) who had the same. That is the way that big things happen.

Now apply this same principle of how reading the signs opens our eyes to our study of God's Word--we may know how we already understand it, but how many different ways to see it are we missing by not reading the signs from countless scholars (i.e., books) who have already opened their shops of expertise to us? Just look at all the different signs which the Scriptures give us to read--rhetorical, sociological, textual, literary, historical, and many countless others! If we don't keep reading the signs, we can't benefit, or be benefited by, the service each of these contribute. How many times do we pass by these open doors sitting on a shelf because we feel we just don't have the time to devote to these large tomes. But just imagine if every church had one expert in reading the signs for every area of Scripture's journey? My, My, My. . .

As one philosopher said, "the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Just imagine a tool that allows you to take these gargantuan volumes and easily and conveniently digest them little by little each and every day--that's the Logos Reading Plans. Each of us are scholars in the chrysalis, while no one scholar can be motivated by everything--the day YOU start reading the signs that click with YOUR interest, you are off to the races with a team of scholars! Imagine an entire country of people who simply took out 1 single hour every day of TV time (God forbid, right?) and devoted that time to an actual reading plan? How much difference would that make in their lives? In the lives of their family? Church? Community? Town? State? You get the picture. How many incredible scholars have we lost simply because we aren't intentional about reaching out to people? Maybe we would actually turn a depressed country into an interested one. Maybe we would turn ignorance, and apathy, into knowledge, and ambition. 

God has success for all of us. We just need to keep reading the signs to compound our interest into a team working endeavor of knowledge and service--having your own Digital Library encourages this everyday.  

Thursday, February 23, 2012

FREE 1100 VOLUME DIGITAL RESOURCE STARTER KIT
 
Hello My beloved "Scholars-of-the-Twenty-First-Century"!!
I finally have put together a deal that allows Digital Resource Scholars to start out their library without
having to spend a single dime!! You'll start out with a Greek NT, English OT/NT Lexham English Bible, an OT Lexicon, and 1,100 original Greek Classics collection . . . For FREE!! Then once pay-day rolls around you can work on expanding your library to scholarly resources.

I don't blame you for not believing me, so the  proof is in the pudding-->

Ok, this link will set you up with latest updated Logos engine for free and that sets all the capabilities, like searches (basic, bible, morph, and syntax), Digital Library shelf, reading plans, and everything else that Logos sets in place. 

Now Let's build you FREE Digital Library here, I put together for you the over 1100 resources that Logos offers for free to get you started. 

1 vol, (Old and New Testament) Lexham English Bible (LEB):

1100 vols, Perseus Greek/English Original Greek Classics Collection (e.g., Plato, Aristotle, Plutrach, Cicero, et al.) :

1 vol, The abridged Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB) Hebrew-English Old Testament Lexicon

1 vol, Your very own Society of Biblical Literature Greek New Testament

There you have it! Your FREE starter kit Digital Library. All you need to do from here is
Get trained in class on Tues 930 in RH 113, set your reading plans, get studying, and add to your resources a little at a time from here on.

See you all in class!
Blessings,
Justin W.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

NOTE TAKING ON STEROIDS. . .

As many of you well know, Logos has the ability to create within the software note files. Now, what is the advantage to a note file over a simple Word doc? Glad you asked--hyperlinked references make your personally created note file a part of your Digital Library intranet!

HYPERLINKED NOTE FILES!
Everything you note in your note file that quotes a resource in you personal Digital Library is hyperlinked to that resource in your library with an automatic footnote!! How amazing is that. That way, when you are finished, and you go back to look them over, any time you want to pop back to that original resource that you are quoting, you just need to click the link in your note file.

Check out these notes taken on Martin-Asensio's, Transitivity Based Foregrounding in the Book of Acts where every single box represents an expandable section of my personally created notes, and each blue-highlighted link is a hyperlink back to that specific section highlighted from the resource:

Transitivity Based Foregrounding in Acts Resources

 TBFAA:FGALP    Matthieson and Nesbitt
 TBFAA:FGALP    any comparison of the language
 TBFAA:FGALP    Rhetorical Criticism: The Case of Foregrounding
 TBFAA:FGALP    George Kennedy
 TBFAA:FGALP    application of argumentation,
 TBFAA:FGALP    all human communication is rhetorical
 TBFAA:FGALP    it is a … definition of them.
 TBFAA:FGALP    Malinowski’s work
 TBFAA:FGALP    context of situation
 TBFAA:FGALP    variety of language … use or function
 TBFAA:FGALP    impossibility of establishing … sense and reference
 TBFAA:FGALP    relativization of the linguist’s metalanguage.
 TBFAA:FGALP    ‘macro-functions’: the ideational, … and the textual.
 TBFAA:FGALP    its lexicogrammatical features
 TBFAA:FGALP    The elements of theme
 TBFAA:FGALP    aspect is a common means of foregrounding in the epistolary literature of the New Testament
 TBFAA:FGALP    central or invariant meaning of aspect
 TBFAA:FGALP    an author’s overall rhetorical/literary agenda
 TBFAA:FGALP    functional correspondence between the writings of St Paul and the rhetorical manuals of Graeco-Roman antiquity
 TBFAA:FGALP    exciting area of linguistic reasearch
 TBFAA:FGALP    key contributions to foregrounding theory
 TBFAA:FGALP    every item of lexico-grammar
 TBFAA:FGALP    ‘markedness’
 TBFAA:FGALP    no reference to causation
 TBFAA:FGALP    Nida’s is a socio-semiotic approach
 TBFAA:FGALP    Functional Descriptions: Theory in Practice
 TBFAA:FGALP    John C. Lentz’s 1993 monograph
 TBFAA:FGALP    Bibliography
 JETS 30      study of the larger units

PERMANENT EASY ACCESS . . . 
Now, if that wasn't enough, the quickest way to make sure you have permanent easy access to the note file in you system is through the "Favorites" menu (an option under your "Tools" menu in the top). Once you open your favorites menu, you will see a blank area above many different "book mark" sections below. That blank area allows you to create as many "new folders" as you like, and as deep as you want to set each of them. It is recommended that you start out creating one "new folder" for every letter of the alphabet and then set other "new folders" within each letter. For instance, if you are copying and pasting the bibliography lists from your commentaries and dictionaries (a topic for later discussion), then you can store these lists in your "Bibliographies" folder, under the letter "B". All your "Notes" files, can be saved in the "N" folder, and within that notes folder, you can have various topics as well. That way, every doc you save can be directly accessed through the favorites menu anytime you open your software or need to see it again--you literally are creating your own, personalized databank of resources/research topics as you study more and create more note files!!

CREATE AND SHARE!
Now, I know what you're saying, crowd--"what good do they do me in Logos alone?" I hear you, and that is why Logos has created the ability to "export" your notes to any Microsoft application appropriate (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, etc.). Now you can create, export, email, and share your notes amongst your other classmates!! Instantly!! Amazing. 

MOTIVATED YET? 
So, there you have it, Note Taking On Steroids! With your own personal Digital Resource intranet, the possibilities are endless!! And can I tell you a secret? . . . After you have your own little digital library of note files on various topics (or various notes on a single topic if you are digging into your research interest) Logos also has an application available to create from them your VERY OWN BOOK!!! This book will be searchable, hyperlinked, and listed in your system the same way every other book you own is!! (But that is a topic for another day) Check out Logos' free training to make your very own book . . .


Overview of Basic Personal Books

Keep reading out there!! Keep studying, keep note taking!

Thursday, February 16, 2012

#1 SEMINARY RECOMMENDATION FOR DIGITAL SCHOLARS

Hello my fellow scholars of the Twenty-First Century!!

I need to straighten out an issue when it comes to choosing your own digital library and the resources that you will need to make sure you are getting the best BANG! for your buck. After all, isn't the whole point of having the advantages of digital resources is to hone-in on those specific areas of research that you need and want for your education, right? Of course. So, out in the best interests of you students out there, I need to give you some advice that will save you thousands of dollars, hours of time and effort, and a lot of heartache in disappointment, here it is--

The #1 Caveat of Digital Resource Scholarship with purchasing your initial Logos Library iiiiiiiss. . . (drum roll please. . . )

#1 SEMINARY RECOMMENDATION FOR DIGITAL SCHOLARS WITH LOGOS: 
                                                                                                                                              
**If you are purchasing your library for Seminary research purposes, DO NOT spend your money on the higher "base packages" (i.e., Silver, Gold, Plantinum, or (God forbid!) Portfolio). Get the lower packages (e.g., Original Languages, or Scholars) and use the difference in price to grab the recommended scholarly resources at the end of this post.**
                                                                                                                                             

The reason for this strong recommendation is because the upper base packages are designed for ministers & preachers more than for a specific Seminary research focus. These higher base packages do not have the resources you need (mostly) that will give you enough breadth and depth of research to quote from for your papers, or projects. Now, having that said, people, I do know that sheerly in terms of print value they are still phenomenal deals (between 8k-13k dollars in print value), so as far as worth goes, and purchase price goes, they are great, but when you are in Seminary, you need more that just a great deal for the money--you need focused, scholarly research. This will not be accomplished by the larger packages, but, with the same funds it takes to get them, you can achieve a tremendous level of research-focused resources if you go with the lower-level initial base packages and the recommended resources below.

WHAT "BASE PACKAGES" ARE NOT
I want to make sure that the term "base package" is clear. These packages are not, I repeat. . . NOT different versions of the software. The versions are designated by number (i.e., version 3.0, 4.0, 4.5, etc.) and the versions are automatically downloaded and updated directly from the Logos server every time you Log into the software. From the perspective of capabilities, it makes no difference if you get the "Gold," or "Scholars" or "Platinum," or any other package. The difference is in the included books.

WHAT "BASE PACKAGES" ACTUALLY ARE
So what is the difference between these packages, you ask? Great question--THE ONLY DIFFERENCE is simply this--the number of books included with it, and the type of books that are included with it. Sometimes the names of the packages reflect their focus of books, for instance, can you guess what type of books are included with the base package, "original languages"? You got it, books that focus on defining and identifying the meanings of the original Greek and Hebrew of the Scriptures. What about "Scholars" well, this includes most of the original language package with a few more scholarly commentaries added in.

I can already hear the next question: "Well if the only difference is the number and the type of books that I receive, how am I supposed to figure out the differences in those books before I purchase my Digital Library?" That is an excellent question, boy, you really are sharp, and here is the answer: All the differences between the base packages can be seen in one, single spot on Logos' webpage which is called "Base Package Comparison Chart" I'll go ahead and give you the link so you can check it out for yourself, and then when you're done browsing that over, come back for the "Recommended Seminary Resources" that I'll show you at the end of this post. None of this is copy written on this blog site, so feel free to copy and paste, print it up and keep it through your education so you have a constant reference to check off every time you have the chance to add another resource, ok? I wish I had that starting out, cause I wasted a LOT of money and time buying the higher base package first, then other devotional and expository (i.e., non-scholary) resources when I started out. I simply offer for you all to learn from my mistake. Keep in mind my recommended resources have also been checked by other resources that evaluate their level of scholarship, so you can rely on these resources to get you through. (as they did me through my MDiv education):

Comparison Chart Link at Logos: 
http://www.logos.com/comparison

So, which base package appealed to you? I can say the the two best packages for seminary students are these: Original Languages, or Scholars. Then you add to them from there and before you know it, you'll have a daunting library that can help anyone, on any topic, any time!! For instance, over the last five years of seminary school, my digital library has accumulated over 4,200 resources!! (I just look for good deals) Do you think I'm ever stuck for scholarly research on any topic? Please. And there is not one day I don't use a reading plan, or generate reports for students, or look up something from my regular book reading for better understanding.

So, with that said, folks, I now give you the list of resources that actually are recommended for scholarly research. Feel free to copy, and print this, and use it as your personal reference as you go through seminary, and don't forget to use the no-interest payment plans as I did (not to mention financial aid from school--just $1,000 extra dollars of financial aid can boost you books by several hundreds!!)
And don't forget to enjoy your time with these resources and, also don't forget--to come back to us so you can post your official "Digital Resources Scholarship" testimony for all to see!!



Digital library . . . Revolution
Enjoy these. . .
Recommended Resources for Seminary Students by category

! XXX ! = Must have resources!!
Diciontaries/Lexicons:
New Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible
Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (ABD)
!Essential IVP Reference Collection!
!IVP Dictionary of the Old Testament!
New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology (NIDNTT)
New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis (NIDOTTE)
!Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament (EDNT)!
!Theological Dictionary of New Testament (TDNT)!
BDAG/HALOT bundle (see Original Language Supplement below)

Scholarly Commentaries:
!Word Biblical Commentary (WBC)!
Anchor Yale Commentary of the Bible (AYCB)
Expositor's Bible Commentary
Tyndale Bible Commentary
Hermeneia Bible Commentary
Socio-Rhetorical Commentary Series
Baker Exegetical Commentary of the New Testament (BECNT)
Black's New Testament Commentary
!New International Commentary of the NT and OT (NICNT, NICOT)!

Theological Journals:
!Studies in NT Greek and Journal for the Study of the New Testament (JSNT) Collection!
!Theological Journals Volumes 1-10! (also volumes 11-13 & Religious and Theological Abstracts set)
!Sheffield Reader Collection!
Library of NT Studies: JSNTS on Paul/Gospels

Original Language Studies:
Greek NT Discourse Bundle
Idioms of the Greek NT (by Stanley Porter)
!Original Language Supplement (includes BDAG/HALOT Bundle)!

Historical Studies:
Biographical Dictionary of Evangelicals
Christian History and Biography Magazine vols 1-99
The New Testament in the Apostolic Fathers (by Oxford Society of Historical Theology)
Apostolic Fathers in Greek and English (by Holmes)
Early Church Bundle (59 vols: includes BDAG, and Apostolic Fathers)
Ante-Nicene Fathers vols 1-10

Jewish Studies:
Tanakh (OT Scriptures by Jewish Publication Society)
Qumran Biblical Dead Sea Scrolls Database
Encyclopedia of Judaism (by Neusner)
JPS Tanakh Commentary
A Commentary on the New Testament from the Talmud and Hebraica (by Lightfoot)
History of Old Testament Interpretation Collection
Works of Josephus

Simply Great Deals for Your Library:
Catholic Library Builder (276 vols)

                                                                                                                              

PERSONAL NOTE:

This list is just one big goal to reach toward for your library!
Also Remember the no interest payment plans—to help the monthly cash flow.
As Dr. Twelftree declares in Regent's "Biblical Miracles" Class:
Lifelong reading equals lifelong growing!!
                                                                        Stay in touch!
                                                                       Justin R. Woods
                                                                                                JUSTIN R. WOODS
                                                                                               

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

PIGGY BANKS OF POWER: non-stop knowledge on-the-go 

This post represents the most glorious, and profitable gold-mine of the entire existence of the software that I can convey--reading plans. Don't be fooled, though, I'm not just talking about making one, it's a heck of a lot better than just that!

You see, the software's home page has what they call a "heading ribbon" at the top and this heading ribbon displays different settings like your "preferred Bibles", "Library slide show," and whatever reading plans can fit in the display. (now, technically, it is unlimited since the arrow to the right can scroll continually, but we can avoid this) The way that you can control what appears on this ribbon is determined by the bottom left hand corner of the initial start-up screen called "customize". This pop-up menu is split into two distinct areas for display: "Features" and "Content". It's the "Features" that is your very own veritable bottomless piggy-bank of pure-golden nuggets of knowledge through reading plans.

How so? Well, I'm glad you asked. E-v-e-r-y-o-n-e, and their mother, knows that any Logos Digital resource you want to read, you can set a customized reading plan for via the main menu options under "File" and "Reading Plans", that part is a no-brainer. The only problem is the ribbon can only fit so many of them showing on your screen as you set them in your system, so it seems that you are limited in the number of them you can set.

Ha, Ha! But this is where the gold comes in my friends and scholars: any time you set a reading plan, if it does not fit in the display ribbon, then all you have to do is to click into the "Customize" menu, and un-click for it to display in the ribbon under the "Features" section. It still stays in the list, it just doesn't show in the ribbon until you go back and click it to display again whenever you want to read it. And there is no limit to the number of plans you can set in this menu!! At this point, my friend, I would permit you one sinister "Dr. Evil" laugh because, indeed it is true--"everything is going perfectly to plan!"--Moo ha ha ha--Mooo haa haa haa--MMoooo hhhaaa hhhaaa!! Pure Gold!!

Ahh, that felt good. But seriously, folks, I can already hear the winy objections of the peanut gallery, "But if I set the plan and wait to start it up later, won't I be behind the original settings for the dates of the reading plan?" Oh, hoh, yes indeed, very astute observation, but, my young padewan learner, you have yet to learn the ways of the force of Logos' genius system--all you have to do to change it to the current dates, while keeping the same amount of reading per day, is simply right click the plan in the display ribbon and choose the second option in the pop-up menu, "adjust plan from today," and this will readjust the entire plan automatically for you starting from the current date. (P.S., just make sure you AVOID the fist option on that same menu saying, "catch up to today," cause that will check off all the readings from the original date until the current one, hence missing all those readings).

Ba-Da-Bing! There you have it. You could set reading plans for every-single-stinkin'-book (if you wanted) in your entire Digital Library and simply keep them "piggy-banked" in your "Customize" menu until you decide you are ready to read them. As you complete them one-at-a-time, you simply click the next one, adjust it from today, and off you go!! You never stop reading, learning, and growing right there with your own laptop/computer anytime you want, as often as you want, and as much as you want to read. Literally your personal bank of knowledge whenever, however, and however much you want to withdraw. Pretty Cool, huh? Well. . . Geez, how much easier can Logos make education? You need a back-rub too? what are you waitin' for-->Go get'em tiger!

So when I found this little jewel, I have never stopped sifting through my library to set the next plan. It has changed my life. I can't wait to see how will also can change yours.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

THE POWER OF DIGITAL RESOURCES: DO MORE WITH LESS

One Regent Student Submitted for this request on 11 February:

Hi Justin,

I was wondering if you could look something up in logos for me (the weekend library staff doesn’t know which computers have logos). I just need the initial listing that logos gives for the Greek word arrabwn.

I have all the lexical/dictionary info, etc. My Professor just wants to show how it comes up in logos when you’re searching for a word (to put in a slide on ppt).

Thanks!
Regent Student

This request was a real soft-ball! You want to hear about my 30-second research task on this one word? Be glad to relay it, here it is:

First, I popped into the "Bible Search" (spy-glass at the top left) in 4 different versions to find where this was used in the Greek NT by using the transliteration she gave (I typed the command-- g:"arrabwn" where "g:" tells logos that "its sounds this way in the Greek"). Here's a snapshot of the search results:


From there I clicked into one of them, in this case, 2 Cor 5:5, so I could get the Scripture to open up which allows me to right click the word to look up the lemma in my dictionaries: BDAG, NIDNTT, TDNT, EDNT, Louw-Nida, et al. Since all the lexicons/dictionaries are set in a customized "parallel resources" set, I simply hit the right-arrow key to jump to the next resource when I'm done reading each article. (Logos automatically jumps to the specific article in that resource regarding that word every time I arrow to the next lexicon)

As I arrow through each and every one of the articles, I simply highlighted them and right-clicked them directly into a single "clippings" document in the software (a doc that resembles individual 3x5 cards where each highlight is quoted, the resource is noted, and you can add personal notes to each one), then "exported" the entire 7-page document with all the articles on the word into a word doc. file (one of the functions of Logos Library). 

Here's a sample page of the exported 7-page clippings document I sent her which only covers two articles on the word: Theological Dictionary of the NT (TDNT) and a partial one (because it extended onto the next page) from the New International Dictionary of the NT Theology (NIDNTT):
ἀρραβών

TDNT: ἀρραβών
ἀρραβών*1
A loan word from the Semitic, Heb. צֵרָבוֹן.2 Gn. 38:17 ff. (LXX, ἀρραβών), Lat. arrha or arrhabo (B Gn. 38:17 ff.). The word is a commercial term (Isaeus 8:23: Aristot. Pol., I, 11, p. 1259a, 12; esp. pap.). It signifies a “pledge” which is later returned (only Gn. 38:17–20); a “deposit” which pays part of the total debt and gives a legal claim (BGU, 947, 6; Ostraka, II, 1168); “earnest-money” ratifying a compact (P. Oxy., 299, 2 f.; BGU, 446, 5). It always implies an act which engages to something bigger.3 It occurs figur. in Antiph. Fr., 123, 6 (CAF, II, 60): ἔχοντες ἀρραβῶνα τὴν τὲχνην τοῦ ζῆν; Menand. Fr., 697 (ibid., III, 200): τοῦ δυστυχεῖνἀρραβῶνʼ ἔχειν.
Paul uses it figuratively at 2 C. 1:22: δοὺς τὸν ἀρραβῶνα τοῦ πνεύματος ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν; 5:5: ὁ δοὺς ἡμῖν τὸν ἀρραβῶνα τοῦ πνεύματος ( πνεῦμα). In the latter τοῦ πνεύματος is gen. appos.: “the earnest, i.e., the Spirit” (like ἀπαρχὴ τοῦ πνεύματος in R. 8:23). The Spirit whom God has given them is for Christians the guarantee of their full future possession of salvation. Similarly in Eph. 1:14: τῷ πνεύματι …, ὅς4 ἐστιν ἀρραβὼν τῆς κληρονομίας ἡμῶν.
In 2nd century Christian literature it is found only in Pol., 8, 1: τῷ ἀρραβῶνι τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἡμῶν ὅς ἐστι Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς, Christ by His death is a pledge that Christians will attain to righteousness at the last judgment.

Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Edited by Kittel, Gerhard, Geoffrey W. Bromiley and Gerhard Friedrich. electronic ed., V 1, p 475. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1964-.
Tags: G728
Clipped: February 11, 2012

NIDNTT: ἀρραβών
ἀρραβών G775 (arrabōn), first installment, down payment, deposit, pledge, earnest.
CL & OT The Gk. word arrabōn (borrowed from the Semitic, cf. Heb. ‘ērāḇôn) is a legal concept from the language of business and trade. It is found only rarely (Isaeus, Aristotle and later grammarians such as Suidas) and means: (1) an instalment, with which a man secures a legal claim upon a thing as yet unpaid for; (2) an earnest, an advance payment, by which a contract becomes valid in law; (3) in one passage (Gen. 38:17ff.) a pledge. In each case it is a matter of payment by which the person concerned undertakes to give further payment to the recipient (Arndt, 109). A metaphorical use is also possible (e.g. skilfulness as an arrabōn of life, Antiphon, Frag. 123, 6).
Brown, Colin. New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, V 2, pp 39–40. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986.

As you might imagine, her project is well on its way now, and we'll be sitting down very soon to discuss the best way for Samantha to be able to do this at her own home, on her own laptop,  with her own digital library. 
Now that she has experience with TDNT, and NIDNTT, do you think she'll be intimidated by these resources when entering the library? No. I'll tell you what will happen--the same thing that happens to everyone else--> she becomes more confident with her experience, more proficient with their use, gets her own digital library, and ends up becoming the leader for the both the next generation of scholars AND those who want to become scholars but are too scared to get their own digital library!! LOL!!

Way to go Samantha, we'll always be routing for you!
Either way, having your own digital library cannot be beat--either for scholarship, ministry, or personal development. There's just no two-ways around it. Amen. 
Be blessed. 
JW.