It’s the TEXT, not the commentary. The only commentary worth reading, is from those who study the TEXT, like the folks in B-Greek. It’s too easy, else, to be lazy. Of course, if one is a busy pastor with a young flock unwilling to learn the original mss texts, then I guess the commentary of other pastors makes for an easier preparation. But my pastor only taught from the TEXT, thus enabling we the congregation to learn to read the Real Words God Preserved, for ourselves.

For that, BibleWorks is priceless, and Logos totally dysfunctional, sorry.

But the BibleWorks people warn everyone not to be overly dependent on electronic texts. So I’m saving up for the hardbacks to go with my Big Kittle and all the other BibleWorks materials so easily available on computer.

One drawback: many of the modules are chm files, which are almost impossible to well search. The workaround is to right-click and view source, or get a decompiler and convert all the chm’s into html which you can then bookmark in Word.

1.) Things ARE changing . . . print books are going the way of the manual typewriter. Sure, not today or even this week BUT things are changing. What will the future be for the printed page? Some form of e-reader. Librarians are worried that they will be out of business . . . St. Thomas U a large catholic U in Mpls is divesting itself of printed things as digital comes online. Who doesn’t appreciate Galaxy Software? 1000′s of journals and all interface with Logos! What a boon!

2.) The bigger question . . . does Logos have a future. IMO someone will pick up their stuff and make it available some how, I have no doubt, if they fade away. Likely there will be upgrade fees. Seems inevitable. But the convienence of e-books is worth it. I go to Africa this summer with several thousand books at my disposal. My son moves there also. The expense of taking even 1000 books would be enormous but the laptop will travel with him.

3.) The searchability of the e-book is a key feature. Lugging a box of books is back-breaking but using them is another matter. Sure, some books will have to be lugged but at least for serious sermon work, Logos has a great selection of digital material available. And searching is quite easy and offers greater time management them paging through a book. I lived through the transition of using printed books and a computer Bible software program. I figure my sermon work became 50% more efficient. At least. Using BDAG is a snap with Logos. A fraction of the time to look up a word in the paper lexicon.

4.) Reading one book at a time? Not an issue . . . carrying multiple books at a time to cross-reference . . . great benefit.

5.) Logos will facilitate reading snippets . . . like people don’t do that with printed books? Of course, one must always consider context . . . it is key! But e-readers are no more prone than print. It’s up to the end user, IMO.

Sure . . . there is the nostalgia of the printed page. But who wants to go back to a manual typewriter because they enjoy the clackety-clack of the keys? Gimme an iPad any day!

A postscript . . . I have been a bookseller for years and a bibliophile longer . . . today’s printed books will not be around in 200 years anyway, they are so cheaply printed. The sewn binding is virtually a thing of the past. I have Puritan imprints in my collection that have survived more than 300 years! Take a look at the NIC series these days . . . all with glued bindings. Good luck passing them down to anyone. The glue will dry out and crack . . . guaranteed. But the original owner will be dead so que sera sera!

I have my own blog and printed the abstract there:

http://polumeros.blogspot.com/2012/04/abstract-of-my-dissertation.html

You will graduate, then, with Roy Millhouse? (He just successfully defended his diss at Baylor and is a former student of mine.) If so, give him my greetings.