How To Write A Religion Paper
By Adam Rosseau, Writing Consultant
Edited by the UWC Staff
Table of Contents
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Determining Style
Doctrinal/Theological Papers
Christian History Papers
Exegetical Papers
Formatting a Religion Paper
Conclusion
Determining Style
• Not all “religion” papers will be written exactly the
same.
• The three primary styles of Religion Papers that will be
encountered are:
– 1. Doctrinal/Theological
– 2. Historical
– 3. Hermeneutical/Exegetical
• Course Outline and Class Description will determine
style.
Doctrinal/Theological Papers
• Systematic Theology- Coherent, topical examination
regarding issues pertaining to the Christian Faith (ex.
Justification, Predestination, Atonement)
• Historical Theology- Examination of the formation
and articulation of the theological ideas of an historical
person or group (ex. Augustine’s view of the Church)
• Biblical Theology- Comprehensive examination of the
theology articulated in the Bible (ex. Sin in Genesis 3,
Jeremiah 2, Romans 1 et cetera.)
• Comparative Theology- Examination of the
theological positions of two or more opposing groups
(ex. Christian v. Muslim view of God)
Writing a Doctrinal Paper 1
• According to the requirements of the class,
determine a topic. Examples: Trinity, Attributes
of God (love, justice, sovereignty, omniscience,
perfection, Person and Work of Christ or the Holy
Spirit, Communion…)
• Determine a Thesis or Argument based upon the
chosen topic. Example: In Communion, the body
and blood of Jesus Christ are present in, with, and
under the bread and the wine.
Writing a Doctrinal Paper 2
• Finding Information
– Searching Resources
• Possible Resources: Computer Databases, Internet,
Books, Journals, Ecumenical Councils, Creeds,
Confessions…
– Printing/Making Copies
• After printing, highlight relevant information
• Paraphrase important information in the margins
– Cite each resource in a bibliography (Probably in
Turabian Format)
Doctrine Paper 3
• Introduce the paper with a bold, broad,
interesting, universal statement and move toward
a narrow, identifiable statement of the argument.
This statement of argument is called a Thesis.
• Prove the thesis with Scripture, sources, and
reason.
• Provide viable answers for conceivable
arguments against the thesis.
• Conclude the paper with a short restatement of
the thesis and identify its broader applications
and implications.
Christian History Papers
• First Step- Research.
– Discover events of interest.
– Learn what scholars say pertaining to these
events.
– Analyze their observations and develop a thesis
or argument.
– Possible Resources; books, journals, internet,
databases.
Christian History Paper 2
• Second Step- Writing
– Introduce the paper with a broad sweep of the
event or person researched.
– Determine an argument based upon the sources.
(Example: John Wycliffe impacted the Protestant Reformation by providing a
precedent for vernacular scriptures, articulating primordial Protestant
doctrine, and formulating a Protestant Ecclesiology.)
– Prove the argument from sources.
– Conclude the paper with a restatement of the
thesis of the paper and perhaps briefly discuss
present application.
Hermeneutic/Exegetical Paper 1
“Exegesis” comes from the Greek
word for “to lead out.” The
purpose of an exegesis paper is to
“lead out” the original meaning
of a biblical text.
Hermeneutical Paper 2
• First Step- Pick a section of verses in Scripture which is
connotatively ambiguous. (Most of the Bible fits this
parameter.)
• Second Step- Research. Possible sources include:
– Commentaries, (Word Biblical and New American are
great)
– Greek/English Lexicons (NT), Hebrew/English Lexicons (OT)
– Word Studies
– Confessions
– Books
– Articles…
Hermeneutical Paper 3
Third Step- Writing
With reference to the format of a paper, a
professor’s word is law. However, if no
format is specified, organizing the paper
into subcategories is remarkably helpful.
Hermeneutical Paper 4
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Introduction- Introduce the text and briefly explicate the obscurities of
the selected text.
Setting- Date/Authorship/Recipients/Occasion/Surrounding Culture.
Structure- Genre/Form (Diatribe, Epistle, Gospel/Linear, Rhetorical)
Syntax- The way the sentences are put together - This is where one would
go through the text and grammatically diagram the parts of speech and
determine the modifiers.
Semantics- The meanings of the individual words in the sentences.
Identify the words which create interpretive difficulty and study them.
How many times are they used in the Bible? How are the words in
question used in other contexts?
Summation- Based upon the information gathered above, what did the
text originally mean?
Significance- Given the original meaning, how might one apply this text
today?
Conclusion- What was discovered concerning this text by means of
exegesis?
Formatting the Paper
• Religion courses commonly use Turabian style
for source citation. Check with the professor
regarding his/her preferences.
• The Writing Center can help with any citation
style.
Conclusion
• Writing a Religion paper can be intensely
satisfying and personally beneficial.
• It is imperative to remember to prove the
point in an academic fashion. Do not simply
preach from experience or hearsay.
• When discussing all matters of religion
remember the motto of the Reformers, “ad
Fontes! – Back to the Sources!”