Bible Study Software Guide
A Revolution In Bible Study -- The Bible On Your Computer
"Why would anyone want to study the Bible on their Computer?" I often hear this question being asked -- and it deserves an answer. A good one. There are actually several excellent reasons for using Bible study software ---
One reason why conducting Bible studies on a computer has become a preferred approach for many people is that Bible study software allows you to do things that would be time consuming and even tedious in a way that is very efficient. For example, in just seconds it is possible to search the entire text of the Scriptures for words or topics that you wish to study further. In fact, certain translations of the Bible that have never had a published exhaustive concordance can be searched just as thoroughly as any other translation when it has been installed on your computer.
Some Bible study software platforms even allow for selective searching and reporting across certain subjects or topics. For example, if you have installed a dozen different Bible dictionaries, you can execute a command to search for the city of Jericho, and your Bible study software will search across all of your reference works and display the results -- in fact, I've come to believe that Bible study software can help you to truly harness all of the "power" of your study resources.
Bible Study Software: How it Works
Typical Bible study software applications are configured this way: you install a central module or platform which gives you your basic search and display functionality. To this "base" module you can purchase additional tools and resources in digital format, which when installed integrate seamlessly into your Bible study software application. This means that, over time, you can acquire an enormously valuable biblical reference library in digital form -- and if you are a person on the go, imagine being able to have a theological reference library of thousands of volumes on the hard drive of your small laptop!
But the news gets even better than that: most Bible study software manufacturers will allow you to purchase large collections of their add on digital resources at a substantial savings over what you would pay for the same set in print. Some of these Bible study digital collections contain the equivalent of thousands of dollars of resources, yet can be purchased for just a few hundred dollars.
And what ad-on modules can be purchased? Depending upon the Bible study software platform that you have chosen to install on your PC, you can purchase additional modules or resources for additional translations of the Bible, aids and helps for the study of the original languages of the Bible (Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek -- and also cognate languages such as Syriac, Coptic and others), Bible dictionaries, Bible encyclopedias, theological and doctrinal reference works, theological journals, collections of sermons or homilies, devotional literature, writings of the early Church fathers -- the list is growing all the time, and more and more printed works are being made available in digital format also.
Some Major Bible Study Software Platforms
There are many Bible study software applications available for purchase today. Some are designed for the scholar and specialist, others are designed for a wider audience. Following is just a very small sample of what is currently available --
Bible Study Library 3 Logos Bible Software DVD-ROM Edition, Logos Research Systems. In my judgment, for overall usefulness as well as for sheer volume of additional resources, the Logos Bible Study Library, version 3, is unmatched. It has reporting features for advanced users, but is accessible enough that a beginner can start using -- and profiting -- from this software immediately. Logos Research Systems makes several editions (or packages) available, with different types of resources -- look into their "Scholars Edition" if you want the most for your money. Highly recommended!
PDA Bible: Catholic Bible Version, Olive Tree Bible Software. Did I mention that Bible study software is now available for PDAs? Yes, if you own a Palm device, or any other handheld or more powerful cell phone, Bible study software is available for those devices as well. A great company making some strides in this area is Olive Tree Bible Software. For example, their Catholic Bible software package includes The New American Bible (with notes) and the New Revised Standard Version, and allows you to do on-screen reading, searching, and even notetaking!
The Zondervan Essential Bible Study Suite for Macintosh. If you are an Apple Macintosh user, and have been stymied by the fact that most Bible study software platforms are designed to run within the Windows operating system, you'll welcome this software from Zondervan. It requires the MAC OSX v10.X family of operating systems. As with the set from Logos, this Bible study software application is also available in different packages, giving you different types of included resources -- various translations of the Bible, concordances, Bible commentaries, dictionaries, etc.
