The citations below are examples of the most common types of resources used. SBLHS has many other examples for more complex and specialized resources. You can find all the example citations on pages 84-108 of the handbook.
Note: SBL prefers that the print edition is cited only because pagination and stable links to electronic versions are not as fixed as a print edition. That said, a PDF ebook that is identical to the print edition can and should be cited as if it were the print copy.
1. Author Firstname Lastname, Book Title: Subtitle (Publication City: Publisher, Publication date), page(s) used.
2. Author Lastname, Abbr. Book Title, page(s) used.
Author Lastname, Firstname. Book Title. Publication City: Publisher, Publication date.
1. Matthew Levering, Jesus and the Demise of Death: Resurrection, Afterlife, and the Fate of the Christian (Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2012), 106.
2. Gabriel N. E. Fluhrer, ed., Atonement (Philipsburg, NJ: P&R, 2010), 20.
13. Levering, Jesus, 195.
14. Fluhrer, Atonement, 22.
Levering, Matthew. Jesus and the Demise of Death: Resurrection, Afterlife, and the Fate of the Christian. Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2012.
Fluhrer, Gabriel N. E., ed. Atonement. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R, 2010.
1. David Rhoads, Joanna Dewey and Donald Michie, Mark as Story: an Introduction to the Narrative of a Gospel, 3rd ed. (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2012), 78.
2. Kelly R. Iverson and Christopher W. Skinner, eds., Mark as Story: Retrospect and Prospect (Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2011), 12.
13. Rhoads, Dewey and Michie, Mark as Story, 82.
14. Iverson and Skinner, 14.
Rhoads, David, Joanna Dewey and Donald Michie. Mark as Story: an Introduction to the Narrative of a Gospel. 3rd ed. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2012.
Iverson, Kelly R., and Christopher W. Skinner, eds. Mark as Story: Retrospect and Prospect. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2011.
1. Michael F. Bird et al, How God became Jesus: The Real Origins of Belief in Jesus' Divine Nature--A Response to Bart Ehrman (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2014), 28.
2. Raymond E. Brown et al., eds., Mary in the New Testament: A Collaborative Assessment by Protestant and Roman Catholic Scholars (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1978), 12.
13. Bird et al., How God became Jesus, 23.
14. Brown et al., Mary, 16.
Bird, Michael F., Craig A. Evans, Simon J. Gathercole, Charles E. Hill, and Chris Tilling. How God became Jesus: The Real Origins of Belief in Jesus' Divine Nature--A Response to Bart Ehrman. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2014.
Brown, Raymond E., Karl P. Donfried, Joseph A. Fitzmyer, and John Reumann, eds. Mary in the New Testament: A Collaborative Assessment by Protestant and Roman Catholic Scholars. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1978.
1. Albert Schweitzer, The Mysticism of Paul the Apostle, trans. William Montgomery (Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998), 199.
13. Schweitzer, Mysticism 105.
Schweitzer, Albert. The Mysticism of Paul the Apostle. Translated by William Montgomery. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998.
Note: If the series has an abbreviation, use it in place of the full series title in both the first footnote and the bibliography. E.g., use WUNT instead of Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament.
2. Brian C. Small, The Characterization of Jesus in the Book of Hebrews, Biblical Interpretation Series 128 (Leiden; Boston: Brill, 2014), 34.
14. Small, Characterization, 109.
Small, Brian C. The Characterization of Jesus in the Book of Hebrews. Biblical Interpretation Series 128. Leiden; Boston: Brill, 2014.
Note: If the reference work has an abbreviated form of the title, use it in place of the full title. E.g., use DNTB instead of Dictionary of New Testament Background.
1. A. Trapè, "AUGUSTINE of Hippo," in Encyclopedia of Ancient Christianity, ed. Angelo Di Berardino (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2014), 1:293.
13. Trapè, "AUGUSTINE," 1:296.
Trapè, A. "AUGUSTINE of Hippo." Pages 292-298 in vol. 1 of Encyclopedia of Ancient Christianity. Edited by Angelo Di Berardino. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2014.
Note: Use the abbreviated form of the journal title both in the footnote and in the bibliography. E.g., use JBL instead of Journal of Biblical Literature.
2. Samuel Sandmel, "Parallelomania," JBL 81 (1962): 5.
14. Sandmel, "Parallelomania," 10.
Sandmel, Samuel. "Parallelomania." JBL 81 (1962): 1-13.
3. Archie C. C. Lee, "Scriptural Translations and Cross-Textual Hermeneutics," in The Oxford Handbook of Christianity in Asia, ed. Felix Wilfred (New York: Oxford University Press, 2014), 125.
15. Lee, "Scriptural Translations," 130.
Lee, Archie C. C. "Scriptural Translations and Cross-Textual Hermeneutics." Pages 121-133 in The Oxford Handbook of Christianity in Asia. Edited by Felix Wilfred. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014.
Definition: A stand-alone commentary in a titled series; e.g., a commentary in the New International Commentary on the New Testament (NICNT), or in the Word Biblical Commentary (WBC). View series abbreviations.
1. Douglas J. Moo, The Epistle to the Romans, NICNT (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1996), 106.
13. Moo, Romans, 110.
Moo, Douglas J. The Epistle to the Romans. NICNT. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1996.
Definition: A multivolume commentary set where multiple commentaries with different authors are found within each volume; e.g., The Expositor's Bible Commentary, The New Interpreter's Bible, and The Cornerstone Biblical Commentary.
2. Richard B. Hays, "Galatians," in The New Interpreter's Bible, ed. Leander E. Keck (Nashville: Abingdon, 1994-2004), 11:215.
14. Hays, "Galatians," 239.
Hays, Richard B. "Galatians." Pages 181-348 in vol. 11 of The New Interpreter's Bible. Edited by Leander E. Keck. Nashville: Abingdon, 1994-2004.
E-reader formats: A book file formatted for an e-reader or e-reader app such as a Kindle or Nook (usually in Kindle or EPub format). These formats do not have stable pagination. Thus, you should indicate the chapter and section as precisely as possible after stating the format (e.g., ch. 1.3 or ch. 1, "Conclusion").
Note: A PDF ebook that is identical to the print edition can and should be cited as if it were the print copy. In this case, there is no need to indicate the format of the book.
1. Scot A. McKnight, Community Called Atonement (Nashville: Abingdon, 2007), EPUB edition, pt. 3, ch. 13, "The Paschal Homily."
13. McKnight, Community, pt. 3, ch. 13, "Recapitulation."
McKnight, Scot A. Community Called Atonement. Nashville: Abingdon, 2007. EPUB edition.
Website formats: A book hosted on a website where the book is displayed like a normal webpage or series of webpages. Citations of online versions should include a DOI or stable URL. This is especially appropriate for a reference work (i.e., an encyclopedia or dictionary) that has been virtually converted into a website (see the below example).
Note: A PDF ebook that is identical to the print edition can be cited as if it were the physical copy. In this case, there is no need to indicate the format of the book.
2. Moshe J. Bernstein, "Pesher Habakkuk" in Encyclopedia of the Dead Sea Scrolls, eds. Lawrence H. Schiffman and James C. VanderKam (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000), http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780195084504.001.0001/acref-9780195084504-e-390.
14. Bernstein, "Pesher Habakkuk."
Bernstein, Moshe J. "Pesher Habakkuk." In Encyclopedia of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Edited by Lawrence H. Schiffman and James C. VanderKam. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780195084504.001.0001/acref-9780195084504-e-390.
Note: If citing a website in general, just place the main URL in the footnote (e.g., www.csntm.org). If citing a specific webpage on a website, follow the examples below.
1. "The New City Catechism," The Gospel Coalition, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/new-city-catechism/.
13. "The New City Catechism."
"The New City Catechism." The Gospel Coalition. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/new-city-catechism/.
Note: SBLHS does not require blog entries to be listed in the bibliography. However, if the blog entry is a substantial source for the paper, it should be included.
2. Mark Goodacre, "Jesus' Wife Fragment: Another Round-Up," NT Blog, 9 May 2014, http://ntweblog.blogspot.com.
14. Goodacre, "Jesus' Wife."
Goodacre, Mark. "Jesus' Wife Fragment: Another Round-Up." NT Blog. 9 May 2014. http://ntweblog.blogspot.com.