Locating Sources
Tuesday, August 22, 2023
8:00 PM
Most people's impulse in defining a term is to do a basic Google Search and uncritically accept the first definitions that we find that make sense.  If at all possible, avoid this impulse.  Instead, locate the print and internet resources that provide you with the most adequate resources. I would recommend that you create a page in your OneNote Notebook where you store the links to cites you have found helpful.  
As you look at resources, pay attention to the theological perspective of the work.  There really are no objective, neutral definitions of theological terms.  Just because something was published, doesn't mean it is accurate.  
Begin with Confessing the One Faith, Notice that there is a glossary in the back that is a good place to start.  
The Following Recommendations will require you to use your Phillips-issued Microsoft Single Sign-On (SSO).  [link] 
"Student Login" (Right Menu)
Phillips Seminary Library A-Z Database List
ACLS Humanities Ebook
From the "Access" Menu select "Only Content I can Access."  
Credo Reference
Go to the "Menu" (the three line "hamburger" in the top left.  
Select "All Titles.
Examine these Titles:
Christianity:  The Biography--Is a history of Christianity (mostly Western Christianity and leaning heavily Protestant).
Dictionary of Luther and Lutheran Traditions
Evangelical Dictionary of Theology
Atla and EBSCO Databases
"Electronic Books"
The Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms, Second Edition: Revised and Expanded
Religion and Theology Databases.  If you'll select all databases to search and search for the term you're seeking to define (e.g., "Almighty God") you may find survey articles that will describe the theological development of that term.  
Oxford Handbooks
In the Oxford Handbook of Systematic Theology, which you can find by going to the Phillips Theological Seminary Databases-->Oxford Handbooks-->Oxford Handbook of Systematic Theology, there are articles under the "Sources" chapter on "Revelation," "Scripture," "Tradition," "Worship," "Reason," and "Experience."  Under the heading of "Doctrines" you will see articles for "The Trinity," and other articles relevant to your study.  
However, there is also an Oxford Handbook of the Trinity, which will be more helpful than the article on the Trinity in the Systematic Theology Handbook.  The Oxford Handbook of the Trinity, also has a helpful article on the "Canonization of Scripture in the Context of Trinitarian Doctrine."  
In the Oxford Handbook of African American Theology, which you can find by going to the Phillips Theological Seminary Databases-->Oxford Handbooks-->Oxford Handbook of African American Theology, the first section is entitled "Sources."  There you will see articles about Scripture, Experience, and Reason, along with other articles that describe commitments of African American theology and the contextual influences of African American Theology.  
In the Oxford Handbook of Evangelical Theology, which you can find by going to the Phillips Theological Seminary Databases-->Oxford Handbooks-->Oxford Handbook of Evangelical Theology. You will find that the opening chapter is, "The Bible and Theological Method."  There you will see articles about "Scripture and Hermeneutics," "Faith and Reason," "Faith and Experience," and "Faith and Tradition."  
Later some handbooks that could be helpful to you would be--Handbooks for Christology, Ecclesiology, Eschatology, Sacramental Theology, and Theological Ethics.  
Internet Archive is a non-profit organization that will give you access to PDF versions of several resources. These resources will likely be dated, but can still provide some helpful historical context.  You "Borrow" the resource for up to an hour at a time.  A search of "Theological Dictionary" will give you access to works like, 
Theological Dictionary by Karl Rahner (for a Roman Catholic Perspective)
New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology edited by Verlyn Verbrugge (Evangelical)
Dictionary of Theological Terms in Simplified English, by Debbie Dodd 
Crazy Talk:  a not-so-stuff dictionary of theological terms, edited by Rolf Jacobson (mainline Protestant).  
World Council of Churches.  The World Council of Churches is a global, ecumenical organization.  They provide a wealth of resources without charge including PDF version of Confessing the One Faith.  That said, it is a technological mess. 
TRY:  Go to [link] select "Documents" and in the "Select Document Owner" dropdown menu as part of its search tool, select "Commission on Faith and Order" (that's the Commission most likely to be helpful for our purposes.  In the "Document Type" try "Study Document."  
Also Try: [link] select "WCC Archives and Library"  then "Digital Archive of WCC Documents."  
In addition to Confessing the One Faith, ecumenical Christians should be aware of the Lima Document  more commonly referred to as BEM (Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry) and a more recent document entitled, "Nature and Purpose of the Church."  
The World Council of Churches, Baptism, Eucharist, and Ministry (the Lima Document).   Bautismo, Eucaristía, Ministerio (Documento de Fe y Constitución Nº 111, "Texto de Lima"). 
World Council of Church, paper 198, Nature and Mission of the Church  Naturaleza y misión de la Iglesia - Una etapa en el camino hacia una declaración
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.  This is a very good resource.  However, the entries are long.  For example, the entry on "Trinity" is 25,000 words (nearly 50 pages).  Don't feel like you have to read the whole article every time.  Look at the structure of the article.  Read the parts that matter most to you.  NOTE:  It is a Philosophical Dictionary.  Not a theological dictionary.  So, while it will define most of the terms on our list, it will do so from a distinctively philosophical perspective. 
The Christian Classics Ethereal Library and Project Gutenberg is an online free library that will provide you will a large selection of primary source texts (i.e., Martin Luther's Large Catechism). These may not be the first place you look.  However, if a source references an older theological work that you want to read for yourself, you may be able to find it at one of these two site.  Tech Tip:  When you Find a Web library and want to search for a term only within that cite include the word "site:[the URL of the website]" in your Google or Bing search.  This will limit your search to only that website (for example, typing "Catechism site:www.ccel.org" will result in references to Catechism only in the Christian Classics Ethereal Library.  
You will also want to locate resources specific to your denomination. For members of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) some resources you should be familiar with include:
Principios Teológicos y 4 Políticas y Criterios 5 para el 6 Orden de Ministerio 7 de la 8 Iglesia 9 Cristiana 10 (Discípulos de Cristo)     Theological Foundations and Policies and Criteria for the Ordering of Ministry in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).  
How Disciples Interpret the Bible  
You can find many more resources by going to the website for the Christian Unity and Interfaith Ministry and search browsing the "Resources" section.  
As with most academic writing Wikipedia should not be a cited source.  This is not because Wikipedia is unreliable.  In most cases, Wikipedia provides a very helpful overview of a term, concept or religious movement.  However, Wikipedia is unstable.  People are constantly editing and changing the entries.  So, information you obtain and cite from Wikipedia today may not be there tomorrow when someone follows your sources for more information.  Wikipedia articles do tend to be meticulously footnoted and following those footnotes will often lead you to stable, credible sources.    