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From individuals to institutions, many are embracing the use of Bible software technology for studying, interpreting, and preaching the Bible, but not fully understanding the impact and implications for the exegetical process or classroom pedagogy. The ease of accessibility and integration of these advanced study tools are changing the landscape of the sources of information accessed, the analysis of information processed, and the presentation of information delivered. Due to the advances in the capability of Bible software to aid the exegete, a contemporary exploration is necessary to examine the practical and scholarly uses of these tools and begin to discuss standards and best practices.
This research aims to assist others in using Bible software for efficient sermon preparation by surveying various techniques at each stage of the sermon development process. Using a historical-grammatical-literary hermeneutic, the research will demonstrate using the Logos Bible Software platform to exegete two biblical texts to form an expository sermon.
This dissertation’s research question is as follows: How can Logos Bible software improve the sermon preparation process from exegesis to exposition? This dissertation argues that the Logos Bible Software platform is beneficial for sermon preparation, augmenting the manual processes for researching, exegeting, and proclaiming the biblical text.
One of the challenges for this analysis is the potential for this research to be rendered obsolete due to the software’s ever-changing nature. To mitigate this problem, exegetical data has been separated from the interface to focus on the operating principle behind the technology so that future iterations of technology can find a point of applicability from the research. Instructional videos are associated with and accessible for this project.
I argue and demonstrate that Bible software is a viable scholarly tool for sermon preparation that is recommended for integration into the methodological practices of moving from exegesis to exposition at an individual, pastoral, and institutional level.