Online Scripture Study Tools

Basic Web Sites for Scripture Study Here Father Paul Couture—a professor of religious studies at Saint Michael’s College in Colchester, Vermont—provides an enormous, annotated list of links to a wide range of Web sites that will be of interest to anyone studying the Scriptures. Sites linked range from general and comprehensive sites about the Old and New Testaments to searchable versions of various translations of the Bible; from sites dealing specifically with one or more of the gospels to sites devoted to the letters of Saint Paul or the parables of Jesus; and from sites offering background information on such topics as the ancient Greek and Roman worlds, Judaism, and biblical archaeology to sites devoted to images of Jesus in art. Recommended for seniors in high school and above.

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops: The New American Bible Here, on the official Web site of the U.S. bishop’s conference, you will find the complete text of the New American Bible. The text is nonsearchable, but the site provides individual hyperlinks to every book, chapter, and verse. Here, too, are the Lectionary readings and psalms for every day of the year, accessible by date through a series of monthly calendars. There’s also a “Frequently Asked Questions” (FAQ) page, where you will find the answers to such common queries as “What’s the difference between a Bible and a Lectionary?” as well as a useful glossary. Additionally, the USSCB site offers a link to a site from which you can download the daily Mass readings, Scriptural reflections, feast day information, and more to your personal digital assistant.

Bible Study Tools at Crosswalk.com This site offers searchable access to a number of different English translations of the Bible and to the Latin Vulgate. The site also features a selection of searchable online commentaries, concordances, and dictionaries; a biblical encyclopedia; and a variety of historical texts including the works of Flavius Josephus and writings of many of the Fathers of the early Church. The site is maintained by the for-profit Crosswalk.com, an online corporation “with a focus on providing practical information, inspiration, and interaction for Christians worldwide.”