Seminary Apps & Resources
Below find a list of tools and apps that I have found helpful during my time in seminary. The list will continue to grow as I learn of new items to add. If you have any suggestions please comment below. Most of these tools are free, while some suggestions carry a fee. Affiliate links help support this blog so don’t be shy :)
Have any more suggestions? Feel free to comment below, and if you wish to support my theological education or this blog, please consider a donation!
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Table of Contents:- General Academic
- Vocation
- Educational Partnerships for POC
- Biblical / Ancient Language Studies
- Education (Coming Soon!)
- History
- Leadership
- Pastoral Care
- Preaching (NEW!)
- Theology (NEW!)
- Worship (NEW!)
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General Academic | |
 | Zotero (FREE) Zotero is a free, easy-to-use tool to help you collect, organize, cite, and share research. A must for the serious academic and those who are just trying to make sure they follow the proper format for citing sources, take the guesswork and the legwork out of the picture. |
 | Grammarly (FREE and Subscription for Advanced Features) Grammarly makes sure everything you type is clear, effective, and mistake-free. Instrumental in writing academic papers (and also useful for business and personal use). The advanced features include helping you write succinctly and checking for accidental plagiarism. |
Vocation | |
  | Nobody Cries When We Die: God, Community, and Surviving to Adulthood ($9.99 - $15.81) By Patrick B. Reyes The summer after my first year, I wondered to myself if I belonged in seminary, trying to survive in a Latinx-less space. This book changed that mentality and gave me the motivation I needed to return (while reminding me of my call). I highly recommend to all Latinx and People of Color in ministry (or considering ministry), especially those of us second+ generation (Third Culture) folk. From Amazon: When the screams of innocents dying engulf you, how do you hear God’s voice? Will God and God’s people call you to life when your breath is being strangled out of you? For people of color living each day surrounded by violence, for whom survival is not a given, vocational discernment is more than “finding your purpose” — it’s a matter of life and death. Patrick Reyes shares his story of how the community around him — his grandmother, robed clergy, educators, friends, and neighbors — saved him from gang life, abuse, and the economic and racial oppression that threatened to kill him before he ever reached adulthood. A story balancing the tension between pain and healing, Nobody Cries When We Die takes you to the places that make American society flinch, redefines what you are called to do with your life, and gives you strength to save lives and lead in your own community. |
Educational Partnerships for POCThese institutions offer seminarians of color opportunities for continued education, discernment, and vocational support. | |
 | Fellowship for Theological Exploration (FTE) The Forum for Theological Exploration (FTE) is a leadership incubator that inspires young people to make a difference in the world through Christian communities. Since its founding in 1954, FTE has provided resources, events, networks, grants and fellowships to cultivate tomorrow’s leaders, pastors, and theological educators. FTE provides a forum through which gifted, purposeful students, young adults, and partners explore their passion, purpose and call. |
 | Hispanic Theological Initiative (HTI) The Hispanic Theological Initiative’s mission is cultivating Latina/o PhDs for leadership positions in the academy, the church, and the world. |
 | Hispanic Summer Program (HSP) & Through Hispanic Eyes (THE) HSP’s mission is to supplement and enrich the theological and ministerial education being offered in ATS seminaries and universities, with academic courses and other activities directly addressing Latinx history, ministry, and theology. Through Hispanic Eyes (T.H.E.) is a cross-cultural program created over a decade ago to help expand the reach and impact of the Hispanic Summer Program as a program of theological education that is shaped by a truly Latino/Hispanic perspective. While the Hispanic Summer Program sessions held each year are primarily for first degree masters level Latina/o students enrolled in ATS schools, T.H.E. seeks to engage and gather in constructive and critical conversation non-Latino seminary presidents, academic deans, faculty, as well as those very important staff members who work with students—admissions officers and student life directors. The main goal of the T.H.E. workshop is to focus on the issue of theological education from a Latino perspective while holding in tension some other important related issues—the hire and retention of Latina/o faculty, curriculum needs of Latina/o students, race, gender, immigration, student retention, and the reality of the U.S. Latino church. |
Biblical/Language Studies | |
 | The Bible Project (FREE) The Bible Project is a non-profit animation studio that produces short-form, fully animated videos to make the biblical story accessible to everyone, everywhere. These videos were instrumental aids during my Old Testament Studies as well as preparing for the Bible Content Exam (PCUSA). I will continue to utilize them for New Testament studies and even for facilitating Bible study. There are two sets of videos, image map versions (Labeled Read Scripture) which are most helpful in learning the structure, direct storyline, and characters. Check them out: The other type is their Series Videos. These are more commentary focused and include videos on the individual books of the Bible plus other studies. I found the Read Scripture videos the most helpful for my studying, and the Series videos the most helpful for my theological reflection. |
 | Logos Bible Software Academic Version (FREE) For Students. For Scholars. For Free. This tool is for serious Biblical and Hebrew / Greek scholarship. I *survived* Greek Exegesis because of this program and found it especially helpful for Old Testament Class and in preparing my sermons. With Logos Academic Basic, you’ll discover insights that would remain forever hidden in a paper library. Logos hunts down every word you need in every resource, taking you to the right page in the right book—every time. And you can use it anywhere: mobile, web, or desktop. *Warning* Logos has a steep learning curve but luckily they have released the Logos 8 Academic and Theologian Study Video Training Series. A fantastic resource. Suggested Add-ons:
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Education | |
| Coming Soon! | |
History | |
 | The Story of Christianity, Vol. 1: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation ($13.99 - $14.66) By Justo González From Amazon: In The Story of Christianity: Volume 1, Justo L. González, author of the highly praised three-volume History of Christian Thought, presents a narrative history of Christianity, from the Early Church to the Dawn of the Protestant Reformation. From Jesus’ faithful apostles to the early reformist John Wycliffe, González skillfully traces core theological issues and developments within the various traditions of the church, including major events outside of Europe, such as the Spanish and Portuguese conquest of the New World. This updated and expanded edition incorporates recent archaeological discoveries about the life of Early Christian Communities, as well as important contemporary research revealing the significant role of women throughout the history of the church. With lively storytelling, The Story of Christianity provides a fascinating and panoramic history of the dramatic events, colorful characters, and revolutionary ideas that shaped the first fifteen centuries of the church. |
 | The Story of Christianity, Vol. 2: The Reformation to the Present Day ($15.99 - $17.55) By Justo González From Amazon: Beginning with the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century, this fully revised and updated second volume of The Story of Christianity continues the marvelous history of the world's largest religion. Award-winning historian Justo Gonzalez bring to life the people, dramatic events, and theological debates that have shaped Protestantism, Catholicism, and Orthodoxy. From the monk Martin Luther, who dared to stand up to a corrupt pope, to the surprising spread and growing vitality of today's church in Africa, Asia, and South America, The Story of Christianity offers a complete and up-to-date retelling of this amazing history. With new information on the important contributions of women to church history as well as the latest information on Christianity in developing countries, Gonzalez's richly textured study discusses the changes and directions of the church up to the twenty-first century. The Story of Christianity covers such recent occurrences as the fall of the Soviet Union and the return of the Russian Orthodox Church; feminist, Africa-American, and Third-World theologies; the scandals and controversies facing the reign of Pope Benedict XVI; interfaith dialogue; and the movement toward unity of all Christian churches. This revised and updated edition of The Story of Christianity concludes with a thoughtful look at the major issues and debates facing Christianity today. |
Leadership | |
  | Salsa, Soul, and Spirit: Leadership for a Multicultural Age ($11.99 - 19.28) By Juana Bordas From Amazon: One of America’s historic strengths is the ability to incorporate aspects from many different cultures to create a stronger whole. Our music, literature, sports, architecture, food, and fashion have all benefitted. But current leadership approaches are overwhelmingly written by White males and remain distressingly Eurocentric. Juana Bordas has set out to change this. In this influential book, she shows how incorporating Latino, Black, and American Indian approaches can enrich leadership and offers a more viable model for our expanding multicultural society. |
  | Servant Leadership: Jesus and Paul ($24.99) By EfraĂn Agosto From Amazon: Servant Leadership addresses a fundamental concern of the contemporary church by asking pertinent questions of the New Testament: Who became a leader in the Jesus movement and in Pauline Christianity? What was the social status of these leaders in the outside world as compared to the importance of such social status within the faith community? What practices characterized their leadership within the communities they served? The book explores models of leadership in the New Testament's two prime exemplars, Jesus and Paul, and in their respective communities of faith. It studies both Paul's statements and actions with regard to leadership issues with specific church communities, using Thessalonians, the Corinthians, the Galatians, and the Philippians correspondence as case studies in the practice of leadership. It concludes with a discussion of leadership challenges in the modern church and how a Pauline or Deutero-Pauline model can work for us today. The author shows how understanding one's followers, as well as the goals and purposes of the group one leads, is a fundamental function of leadership today, even in the corporate world. Similarly, although we expect Christian leadership to be confrontational and assertive at times, it must also be open to creating opportunities for others to exercise their gifts and, therefore, their leadership. Good leaders move others to respond to their own personal calls and commitments. |
Pastoral Care | |
  | Listen to the Children: Conversations With Immigrant Families / Escuchemos a los ninos: Conversaciones Con Familias Inmigrantes (Spanish and English Edition) ($10.99-$13.99) By Elizabeth Conde-Frazier From Amazon: Parents, pastors, educators, community leaders, and others are invited to eavesdrop on these fictionalized conversations between immigrant parents, their children, and their caregivers. This warm and practical resource offers unique insight into the emotions and perceptions of immigrant families. How do adults make the decision to emigrate from their homeland and why? How does the separation affect the children? What challenges does eventual reunification of the family bring? Explore these and other questions with pastor and educator Elizabeth Conde-Frazier, who is herself an immigrant and an advocate for undocumented residents. Bilingual: Spanish/English. |
  | Pastoral Care And Counseling With Latino/as ($10.99 - $17.00) By R. Esteban Montilla and Ferney Medina From Amazon: The Latino population is a pastorally challenging polyculture. This diversity requires spiritual caregivers to approach every Hispanic individual with humbleness. "Cada persona es un mundo," "every person is a world," says Montilla. To equip professionals in ministry for their ministry with and for Latino/as, Montilla centers his presentation on families and rituals at the heart and soul of the Hispanic community as the key to caregiving. In that context he unfolds a variegated picture of the particular cultural guideposts for Latinas and Latinos in the U.S. today, especially their symbols and rituals, attitudes toward health and healing, abiding faith, and contemporary quest for creative agency and dignity. He closes by exploring pastoral strategies with issues of discrimination and racism, and contemporary issues in providing pastoral counseling with Latinas and Latinos. |
Preaching | |
  | Púlpito: An Introduction to Hispanic Preaching ($10.99 - $13.24) By Justo González and Pablo A. Jiménez From Amazon: In this, the only book available that addresses the distinctive issues and character of preaching in the Hispanic congregation, the authors discuss important historical, theoretical, and methodological issues in Hispanic homiletics. Includes ten sermons. |
 | Rehearsing Scripture ($12.37) By Anna Carter Florence From Amazon: SCRIPTURE. We can study it carefully. We can listen to sermons on it and read what the experts say about it. But in the end, says Anna Carter Florence, Scripture needs to be rehearsed and encountered—and we can do that best in community with others. In this book Florence offers concrete, practical tools for reading and rehearsing Scripture in groups. Suitable for new and seasoned Bible readers alike, Florence’s Rehearsing Scripture invites solitary readers to become community readers as well—to gather around a shared text and encounter God anew together. |
Theology | |
 | 18 Latin American Female Theologians You Should Know About By Juliany González Nieves Blog Post at the Global Church Project: "if Latin American and Latino/a theologians have taught us something is that theology is to be done en conjunto. That is, theology is a communal endeavor done by the church and for the church. A theology that dismisses the voices of Christians in the Majority World and the margins of society is a theology that ends up denying the catholicity of the church. For this reason, we have decided to feature 18 Latin American female theologians you should know about." |
Worship | |
  | What's Worship Got to Do with It?: Interpreting Life Liturgically ($33.00) By Cláudio Carvalhaes From Amazon: This book connects the living realms of the church, the self, the neighbor and the world. It envisions our daily local and global life from liturgical spaces, places where Christians worship God. Through these relations, we can connect worship with economy, preaching with raising a village, baptism with forms of citizenship, ecology and the market, Easter with immigration, liturgical knees with colonization, spirituality with minority voices, all uttering prayers that name racism, poverty and a liberation theology of glory. In these pages Cláudio Carvalhaes issues a call to the churches to move from captive and colonized spaces into where the Spirit lives: among the poor, the needy, the forgotten. With a variety of relations between the Christian faith and our cultural ways of living, Carvalhaes offers new liturgical and theological imaginings to be engaged with the most vulnerable in our societies and the earth. A creative liturgical theology of liberation that makes sense of God between the world and the table/altar, between the pulpit and local communities, the worship space and our multiple lived experiences. For liturgy is an endless song of liberation. This book is a call to life! |
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Have any more suggestions? Feel free to comment below, and if you wish to support my theological education or this blog, please consider a donation!
Seminary Apps & Resources
Reviewed by ChristĂłpher Abreu Rosario
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Reviewed by ChristĂłpher Abreu Rosario
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Rating:
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