Friday, December 24, 2010

A Great Reference Tool



"Nelson's Biblical Cyclopedic Index, the Best Bible Subject Index Ever" by Thomas Nelson inc. is a great Bible resource to have on hand when studying the Bible, preparing sermons or Bible studies. It has over 8,000 subjects, names, places, etc. plus it has 300 word studies throughout including phrases from the Bible which are all listed in the first few pages and placed in alphabetical order. The word studies go in depth with info such as the pronunciation, where the word came from, different usage or translation of the word. They give the topic then the book, chapter, and verse of where to find what you're looking for. I enjoyed the subject references that provided more than just a word about the passage you were to look up. In the Ten Commandments section, listed are references “divine origin, Christ sums up, love fulfills” (110). These references give you a fuller grasp of the passage you are going to look up before you begin your search.

The word study sections provided in the text are immensely helpful giving a basic definition of the word but also leading you into a broader contextual understanding of the word through both testaments.

I can see this index being of value to small group bible studies, large group studies, sermon preparation, research writing, and in other contexts. This book is a great addition if you already a scholar or just starting out and want a book that is well organized and not threatening in any way. I will use this book often and look forward to it be a great addition to my library.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers for an advance reading as part of their Booksneeze bloggers program . I was not required to write a positive review and therefore, the book review is 100% my own opinion.

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