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Libraries Without Walls
Every new technology brings blessings and curses. We are aware of the problems the Internet has introduced to society, but one of its blessings is that it makes classic biblical and theological works accessible to students all over the world—assuming they have a computer and Internet access. You might think the world of cyberspace and the world of ancient texts have little in common, yet there are several sites that allow us to access classic works in Bible and theology.
Christian Classics Ethereal Library
www.ccel.org
The sheer volume of material at this site is astounding. The Web site claims, "There is enough good reading material here to last you for a lifetime." It is correct.
The director of CCEL is Harry Plantinga, professor of computer science at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Calvin College provides technical support, but the writings cover the spectrum of theological thought—just like any library.
It is difficult to describe the number and variety of books available. It would be like trying to describe everything in your public library. This electronic library contains homiletical and expositional works, theological works, commentaries, devotional classics, works of the church fathers, church histories, and much more. Do you think Augustine could have imagined his confessions being accessible in such a dramatic fashion?
The site is neither elaborate nor fancy, but it is easy to navigate. You might have fun browsing, or you could use the helpful search feature. I typed "Spurgeon" into the search feature and it revealed 61 books written by him. At this site, you can find such diverse writers as Chesterton, Bunyan, Edwards, Chambers, Luther, Pascal, Whitfield, and countless others.
www.dabar.org
This site, which offers similar material, is administered by my friend and colleague Dan Dyke. Dan is an Old Testament professor at Cincinnati Christian University. Dabar is the Hebrew term for "word."
This collection, while not as extensive as CCEL, has some features the other does not. It has excellent materials on archeology and the Bible along with Greek and Hebrew tools. The photo collection of Bible places is a particular pleasure. For members of the Christian churches and churches of Christ, there are books available from scholars of this movement, past and present. There are many surprises at this site as well.
Don’t surf aimlessly. Focus on these and other Web sites that will enhance your knowledge of the Bible. The only way to do better than visiting the sites is to build a full library in your backyard. Both of these sites are labors of love for the administrators. They will welcome your visits.
Mike Shannon is dean at Cincinnati (Ohio) Bible Seminary.
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