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REL 221: The Hellenistic-Roman World

Class resource guide for the Spring 2023 section of REL 221: The Hellenistic-Roman World

Welcome!

Welcome to the class research guide for REL 221: The Hellenistic-Roman World with Dr. Johnson. This guide will provide recommended library resources including definitions, reference materials, and databases for your research paper. 

You can find information on creating citations with SBL style at Snowden's Online Citation Station or at the in-person station on the first floor of the library. You can also use the Pitts Theology Citation Builder to help generate SBL citations! 

A Few Definitions

The following definitions are important concepts to understand as you locate sources and work on your research papers: 

  • Reference Resources: a great place to start your research! Entries in reference resources tend to be short and can help you gather background information and define unfamiliar terms from your readings. Our physical reference materials can be found on the first floor of Snowden Library and include encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, and handbooks.
     
  • Scholarly Journal Articles: these sources are written by experts in their field to communicate research and findings with other scholars and students studying that subject. Scholarly journal articles often use more technical and/or subject specific language, so it is good practice to first build an understanding of your topic through reference resources and books before reading. If you're having difficulty locating an item immediately, it might be necessary to request an article through InterLibrary Loan.
     
  • Peer-Review: also known as refereed, this is the process of submitting an article for publication through an external review of other subject experts that evaluates the quality of scholarship and validity of the methodology and procedures. 

Reference Resources

The Anchor Bible Dictionary
Encyclopedia of Early Christianity
The New Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible
Encyclopedia of Ancient Christianity

Books and eBooks

Use the online catalog or browse the stacks to locate both print and eBooks on your topic. Remember, you will not be reading an entire book! Identify one chapter that is related to your topic or use the subject index to locate relevant information. 

The general categories for books on religion can be found on the third floor of Snowden Library. 

  • BJ: Ethics
  • BL: Religions
  • BM: Judaism
  • BR: Christianity
  • BS: Biblical Studies

Library Databases for Scholarly Articles