From Topic to Thesis - by Michael Kibbe (Paperback)

About the Book

Every theology student has to write a research paper, but many do not know how to go about doing theological research. In this brief guide, Michael Kibbe introduces students to the basics of academic research, including how to gather and engage different sources, use online databases and bibliography software, and avoid common mistakes.

Book Synopsis

While courses in Bible and theology typically require research papers, particularly at the graduate level, very few include training in research. Professors have two options: use valuable class time to teach students as much as they can, or lowertheir standards with the understanding that students cannot be expected to complete tasks for which they have never been prepared.From Topic to Thesis: A Guide to Theological Research offers a third option. This affordable and accessible tool walks students through the process, focusing on five steps: finding direction, gathering sources, understanding issues, entering discussion and establishing a position. Its goal is to take students directly from a research assignment to aresearch argument--in other words, from topic to thesis.

Review Quotes

"Kibbe's From Topic to Thesis is a concise but complete course in the art and science of theological research and writing, complete with five sharply focused aims and objectives: find, gather, understand, enter into discussion, establish.Unlike assembly instructions for things like bookshelves, Kibbe's directions are easy to follow, providing everything one needs to know to write and sustain a theological thesis (except the theology). I said 'thesis' and not 'topic' because Kibbe encourages me not to confuse them (a topic is a subject area; a thesis is a specific claim about that area). This is only one of the many practical bits of wisdom readers will find herein."

"This is a short review for a very short book, but I don't want that to overshadow the fact that no book may be more important for the seminary student than Michael Kibbe's From Topic to Thesis: A Guide to Theological Research. This goldmine of an instruction manual, clocking in at 148 pages with the extra valuable appendices, provides step-by-step instructions for assembling a research paper.Finding, processing, and communicating information are the essential skills in theological research, Kibbe writes, but the process entails moving from identifying a set of information (topic) to making an argument (thesis). Kibbe not only tells the reader how to get there, he also provides clear examples and warns against common mistakes. And if the book couldn't offer more bang for the buck, Kibbe's six appendices introduce the reader to specific research tools, like databases and citation managers."

About the Author

Michael Kibbe is associate professor of Bible and academic dean at Great Northern University in Spokane, WA. He received his PhD in New Testament from Wheaton College, and taught previously at Wheaton College and Moody Bible Institute. His other books include From Topic to Thesis, From Research to Teaching, and Godly Fear or Ungodly Failure: Hebrews 12 and the Sinai Theophanies. He and his wife, Annie, live in Spokane with their three children.