Commentaries | Dictionaries/Encyclopedias | Online Journals | Digital Libraries | Research Guides
This guide includes links and descriptions to online religion, theology, and Bible resources. These resources include classic commentaries and reference works, current journals available online, and digital collections of resources of all types.
Commentaries
- The Biblical Illustrator
An illustrative commentary intended primarily for pastors, “the Biblical Illustrator brings Scripture to life in a unique, illuminating way. While other commentaries explain a Bible passage doctrinally, this work illustrates the Bible with a collection of illustrations, outlines, [etc.]…for nearly every verse in the Bible.”Studylight.org - Calvin’s Commentaries on the Bible
John Calvin’s (1509-1564) commentary on the Bible. Calvin was a theologian and pastor, whose “writing and preachings provided the seeds for the branch of theology that bears his name.” Studylight.org - Clarke’s Commentary
Bible commentary written by British Methodist theologian Adam Clarke (1760-1832). - International Critical Commentary
“The International Critical Commentary…has long held a special place among works on the Bible. It brings together all the relevant aids to exegesis: linguistic and textual, archaeological, historical, literary, and theological, with a comprehensiveness and quality of scholarship unmatched by any other series.” Logos.com - MacLaren’s Expositions of Holy Scripture
An expositional commentary written by pastor and Bible scholar Alexander MacLaren (1826-1910). - Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary on the Bible
Bible commentary written by Matthew Henry (1662-1714). “Instead of critical exposition, Henry focuses on practical suggestion, and his commentaries contains rich stores of truths.” Studylight.org - The Pulpit Commentary
A homiletical commentary that includes exposition and commentary to aid pastors and ministers in preparing sermons and biblical illustrations. Includes “detailed information on biblical customs as well as historical and geographical information, and translations of key Hebrew and Greek words.” Studylight.org - StudyLight.org
The full list of freely available commentaries on StudyLight.org.
Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias
- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
“The ISBE is a classic Bible reference…In addition to the encyclopedia articles, all of the major words of the Bible are represented and defined.The historical, cultural, and linguistic information in the ISBE can be of great value in Bible study and research.” Internationalstandardbible.com - Smith’s Bible Dictionary
“Over 4,500 subjects and proper names are defined and analyzed with corresponding Scripture references. ’Smith’s Bible Dictionary‘ has been used by students of the Bible since its introduction in the 1860’s.” Biblestudytools.com - StudyLight.org
StudyLight.org has collected a number of public domain and freely available Bible Study tools and made them available on their website. Choose a resource type to find:
Concordance
Bible Dictionary
Bible Encyclopedia
Lexicons
Online Journals
Journals on theology topics. Each entry includes a short description and links either to the online journal or to the journal in the library databases.
- Asian Journal of Pentecostal Studies online / database
Publication of the Asian Pacific Theological Seminary, a “cooperative ministry of the Assemblies of God national churches of Asia, Pacific Oceania, and the Assemblies of God World Missions-USA.” apts.edu - Biblica database
Research journal published since 1920 by the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome - Bibliotheca Sacra database
Research journal published by Dallas Theological Seminary for over 165 years. Topics include theology, Bible exposition, ministry and current issues in theology. - Crux database
Quarterly journal that publishes articles on the basic tenets of the Christian faith and to the relationship of Scripture to the whole of life. - Canadian Journal of Pentecostal-Charismatic Christianity online
This journal publishes “innovative and constructive research that is multidisciplinary, contextual and comparative…[and] that reflect the growing scholarship on Pentecostal-Charismatic Christianity from a range of disciplines, methodologies, and theoretical viewpoints.” Homepage - European Journal of Science and Theology online
EJST publishes articles on the topics of Science and Theology with the aim of helping scholars in both fields better understand the relevance of new scientific discoveries and studies to their own field. - HTS Theological Studies online / database
“HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies is an influential and frequently cited accredited peer reviewed, Open Access journal, published since 1942, that promotes multidisciplinary, religious, and biblical aspects of studies in the international arena.” Focus and Scope - Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society (JETS) online / database
The publication of the Evangelical Theological Society, JETS publishes scholarly Bible and theology articles. The JETS archive includes all but the last two years of published articles. - Journal for the Study of Religions and Ideologies online
J.S.R.I. is a “peer-review academic publication [that] encourages interdisciplinary approaches of religions, engaging the following domains: religious studies, philosophy of religions, ethics, political philosophy and political science, anthropology, sociology, interreligious dialogue and communications theory.” Homepage - The Pentecostal Educator online
“The Pentecostal Educator biannually e-publishes scholarly and practical articles related to theological education within the Pentecostal tradition to encourage the continuing maturation of Pentecostal theological education. It is intentionally practical, applied and international.” Title page: Aim and Scope - PneumAfrica online
“PneumAfrica Journal exists to advance the cause of Christ in Africa through theological reflection on Pentecostal thought and practice.” Homepage
For a more complete list of journals on religion and theology topics, see our guide to Religion Journals
Digital Libraries of Biblical Resources and Sacred Texts
- Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA)
The ARDA collects and provides data on religion, which is provided by religion scholars and research centers around the world. The data is meant to be a resource for scholars, educators, journalists, and religious congregations. It is presented in a wide variety of tables, spreadsheets, summaries, etc. - A concise exegetical Grammar of New Testament Greek by J. Harold Greenlee
- Biblical Studies ArchiveTheological Studies Archive
Two complementary archives with the purpose of making “high quality theological material available throughout the world, thus providing Bible teachers and pastors with the resources they need to spread the Gospel in their countries.” Theologicalstudies.org: About this site - British Library Sacred Texts Archive
A digital collection of the sacred texts held by the British Library. Over 78 beautifully digitized texts are available to view, along with descriptive and background information for each item. - Center for Jewish History
“The Center Digital Collections catalog provides access to the digital assets of the Center for Jewish History and its five partner organizations, the American Jewish Historical Society, the American Sephardi Federation, the Leo Baeck Institute, Yeshiva University Museum, and the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research.”Home page - Door 43
“An openly-collaborative platform for creating, translating, and distributing open-licensed discipleship resources in any language.” Resources include Bible stories, a Bible lexicon, and a library of Biblical resources. door43.org - Early Christian Writings
An archive of writings by early Christian theologians and patriarchs. - Elementary New Testament Greek by Joseph R. Dongell
- Gramatica Exegética del Nuevo Testamento en Griego by J. Harold Greenlee
- Hathi Trust Digital Library
Hathi Trust is a partnership of many libraries from around the world that provide free access to their digital libraries of public domain resources. Browse through collections or search by keyword to find many types of resources on religion and theology. - Intermediate Ancient Greek Language
A series of Lessons and Exercises intended for students who have already covered most of an introductory course in the ancient Greek language. It aims to broaden and deepen students’ understanding of the main grammatical constructions of Greek. Further attention is given to grammatical forms to illustrate their functions. - Internet Sacred Text Archive
An archive of texts from many world religions. Includes sacred texts, folklore, religious writings, and much more. - Princeton Theological Commons
A digital collection of over 80,000 items on religion and theology collected and hosted by Princeton Theological Seminary. - World Digital Library
The World Digital Library, published by the Library of Congress, includes primary materials from around the world, including ancient religious and Biblical manuscripts. Explore this site by the topic of “religion” or “philosophy”.
Other Research Guides to Online Bible Resources
- Equipping the Equipper
A guide to academic, open-source journals, articles, and resource archives on the topics of theology and education. - Pentecostal Journals
Rick Wadholm’s list of online Pentecostal journals. - Torreys Biblical Studies guide
Research guide for early Christian literature and Biblical studies.