# Good resources for theological research & thesis/dessertation?



## thistle93 (Jan 20, 2014)

Hi! I am about to start working towards my THM at Southern Seminary and looking for some resources that may be helpful in doing theological research and writing a thesis/dissertation. Any recommendations? Can be a book, article, audio/video and/or just personal advise.

For His Glory-
Matthew


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## Tim (Jan 20, 2014)

Any academic library will have several books devoted to thesis writing. These will provide mostly generic advice on how the manuscript is to be presented. If you haven't yet produced any lengthy manuscripts, such works will be useful for you by introducing the skills required to manage the content that comprises a thesis. The universities in SLC will be the place to start. If you can't get borrowing privileges, then you might check with your local public library to see if they can arrange an intralibrary loan to acquire some titles for you. Going through a book like this before you enter your program will go far to de-mystify what seems at the beginning to be a daunting process.

My academic work is in the sciences, so I can't recommend a theology-specific volume.

By far my best advice as someone who has completed a masters thesis and doctoral dissertation is to pursue excellence in _active_ reading and persuasive writing. From your posts on the PuritanBoard, you appear to be an avid reader, so this should be a great aid to your future success. I suspect that your theological research might require you to digest literature that is more technical and perhaps deeper than what you would normally work through as a pastor. But, since I am not a theologian, I will leave this to others to elaborate. 

What area of theology do you wish to pursue?


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## Tim (Jan 20, 2014)

Also, will you be a distance student or will you be in residence at your seminary? If the former, then you will want to hone your research skills (computer databases and the like) to maximize your productivity when you visit your seminary's library (and perhaps other libraries in the country) in person.


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## thistle93 (Jan 30, 2014)

Thanks for advise! Most likely NT study with emphasis on Romans. For His Glory- Matthew


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## SolaScriptura (Jan 30, 2014)

Matthew - 

If I remember correctly, Southern requires a class of all ThM and PhD students covering how to do serious academic research. So just hold on and be patient... 

Blessings,
Ben


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## reaganmarsh (Jan 30, 2014)

SolaScriptura said:


> Matthew -
> 
> If I remember correctly, Southern requires a class of all ThM and PhD students covering how to do serious academic research. So just hold on and be patient...
> 
> ...



Ben is right. And if I recall correctly, you take it either just prior to, or as part of, your first semester.


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