Religion and Theology: Search Tips

To find books that discuss a book of the Bible or a particular scripture passage, you should follow these steps to search the Greenville College Library Catalog and the I-Share Catalog.

1. In the drop down box, choose "Subject".  
2. In the blank box, type "Bible" followed by "N T" for New Testament or "O T" for Old Testament and then the book of the Bible you wish to find. For example, you might enter a search like these:

• Bible O T Exodus
• Bible N T Acts

When searching for books on scripture, you will usually have the best results when you search by the book of the Bible you want rather than a specific passage.  Always be sure to browse the subject list to identify all appropriate subject headings for passages that fit your research.

The best way to search for a specific passage of scripture in the ATLA Religion Databse is with a "Scripture Citation" search. To perform this type of search, follow these steps:

1. Choose “SC Scripture Citation” from the drop-down menu on the right side of the search box.


2. Enter the scripture passage enclosed in quotation marks in the search box. Put the title of the book of the Bible first; then follow it with a space and the chapter number you want. (If there are multiple books of the same name, follow the book name by a space and then 1st or 2nd or 3rd before another space and the chapter number.) The examples below demonstrate this.
   
   
   • Example: "Galatians 3" (Scripture Citation)
   • Example: "Corinthians 1st 14" (Scripture Citation)


3. You can add specific verses to your search by adding another space or a colon and the verse number(s).
   
   
   • Examples: "Corinthians 1st 11 2-16" or "Corinthians 1st 11:2-16"

Please note that if you specify particular verses, you may miss other citations that include the verses you want. The index may not group verses in exactly the same way as you. To do the most comprehensive scripture search, you should a) search more generally by chapter or b) use the Scriptures index at the top of the screen to identify relevant passage breakdowns.