Write Your Next Exegetical Research Paper Following These Useful Tips

There are certain things you need to make sure you consider when you write this type of research paper, as the analysis of the religious text must be thorough enough for you to include all of the necessary points. The actual content must consist of several parts, which we have detailed below for you to use as a handy guide:

1. Listen to the meaning within the text

When you are writing about a part of the Bible that you have read many times before, it is important that you remember to look for the meaning that is the text is trying to convey, rather than the one that you take from it. This can be particularly difficult if your family taught you about their perception of the text when you were a child. In this part of the paper, you don’t have to come to any immediate conclusions, so feel free to discuss the potential hidden meanings.

2. Compare and study several versions of the text

In order to enhance your understanding of the text, it is a good idea to study more than one version of the Bible. Look at a number of different copies, as this may help you decide what you think the true meaning is. In addition, if you are a competent linguist, you could look at different translations and write about how they differ and what you draw from them in your research paper.

3. Look at the surrounding content to get a better idea of the context

It can be extremely tricky to decipher what is really being said in the Bible if you don’t look at the surrounding messages and the parts before and after your piece of text. The more you understand these parts, the more support you will have for explaining what you think your piece of text means in the research paper. Give examples and state why you think what you do, as this will show your teacher that you have looked further into the meaning behind the text. Also, don’t forget to try and place yourself in the shoes of the original hearers of the text, as this will enhance your ability to comprehend what the original intention of the message was.

4. Analyse specific words and phrases

In order to delve deeper into the precise meanings of the Bible, you will now need to pick out specific words and phrases that will increase your understanding. In your exegetical paper, explain which words seem the most relevant to your essay and what you understand from them. Make copies of your piece of text and look at both vocabulary and syntax to then discuss in this section of your assignment.

5. Consult secondary sources

Having written about the meanings within the text extensively, it is now important that you finalise your research paper with a section that fills in any gaps in your understanding. Look at reputable secondary sources that study the part of the Bible that you are looking at, as this will allow you to take their commentaries into consideration and evaluate them based on your findings. Analysing this information as a whole will allow you to come to a well-informed and complete conclusion.

Using these sections and the relevant content will cover all of the necessary parts that should be included in an exegetical research paper. Your essay should try to follow this order of information as well, as it will give you a logical and easy-to-read format, going from general analysis to more specific details and supporting evidence.