Logos Bible Software has released the new version of their flagship project: Logos 5.
It incorporates some massive changes in datasets and built in resources while keeping much of the user experience quite similar to Logos 4. I had originally intended to have a useful post ready this evening surveying how tools for studying Greek have changed and have been improved, but prior commitments in thesis writing and a couple other undisclosed Greek projects have held me back. So that’s still in process right now (sorry). Ideally, it will be up by tomorrow. We’ll see.
The most exciting thing about Logos 5, in my opinion, is all the effort they have put into meaningful access to content. It isn’t about searching a massive number of books any more. It’s about finding useful information for specific questions. It’s about making the semantic web real within Logos. The Bible Sense Lexicon is an incredibly exciting project and a great example of creating structured and meaningful information and making it easily accessible.
I know a lot of people that work with languages at the same level I do (or higher) tend to be rather cynical about how tools for using Greek and Hebrew are present in Bible Software packages, but Logos also put significant effort into academic projects and they’re only able to do it because of the pastoral and layperson user base that they have to support such projects. Steve Runge’s Lexham Discourse Greek New Testament is an important example of this. Another is the SBLGNT. Personally, I’d rather work with them to improve how language study is done in the future than merely dismiss them. And, well, that’s what I have been doing and will continue to do so.
I’ll have more thoughts on Greek databases and changes and advancements in the coming few days (because there are some important ones), which is probably just fine. It looks like users are swamping Logos’ servers right now anyway…
I saw the LOGOS 5 Bible Software Demonstration yesterday at the Apologetics Conference Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa puts on every year. I was blown away!
I quickly started rationalizing how I could purchase a piece of software like this when I had multiple bibles, as well as the internet to help guide me to this information. I mean, couldn’t I just use Google? And was this just a bunch of Christians trying to sell something that you can get for free? It is a HUGE expense for some. I mean for research, this is (for the Gold) over $1500.00.
What I’ve found in my rationalizations is that this kind of information involves massive amounts of time by people of the faith, scientists, experiments, archeology, and publishers to sync all this information into byte size chunks that really answer your questions and get to the precise point you need to be. And, you own it. You can purchase it on a monthly 12 month price plan, but at the end, it’s yours.
When I compared this to purchasing the Early Christian Fathers works, and the Pre-Niacene Fathers of Christianity in a mulit-volume set, coupled with all the other commentaries and work that goes into the timelines, word etymologies, greek translation, clause search, and family tree histories. I was compelled to think, “Seek First, THE KINGDOM of GOD.” And so my rationalization vs my sense of frugality concluded with: if I can afford to purchase this, I should. And i should use it as much as possible to connect with and understand the Word of God.
Whether you need Logos depends on your needs. It is to biblical studies, the study of Greek and Hebrew, and theology what AutoCAD is to architecture (and other fields involved to 2D and 3D design). And it’s priced accordingly.
Librarything…
I saw the LOGOS 5 Bible Software Demonstration yesterday at the Apologetics Conference Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa puts on every year. I was blown away!
I quickly started rationalizing how I could purchase a piece of software like this when I had multiple bibles, as well as the internet to help guide me to this information. I mean, couldn’t I just use Google? And was this just a bunch of Christians trying to sell something that you can get for free? It is a HUGE expense for some. I mean for research, this is (for the Gold) over $1500.00.
What I’ve found in my rationalizations is that this kind of information involves massive amounts of time by people of the faith, scientists, experiments, archeology, and publishers to sync all this information into byte size chunks that really answer your questions and get to the precise point you need to be. And, you own it. You can purchase it on a monthly 12 month price plan, but at the end, it’s yours.
When I compared this to purchasing the Early Christian Fathers works, and the Pre-Niacene Fathers of Christianity in a mulit-volume set, coupled with all the other commentaries and work that goes into the timelines, word etymologies, greek translation, clause search, and family tree histories. I was compelled to think, “Seek First, THE KINGDOM of GOD.” And so my rationalization vs my sense of frugality concluded with: if I can afford to purchase this, I should. And i should use it as much as possible to connect with and understand the Word of God.
Whether you need Logos depends on your needs. It is to biblical studies, the study of Greek and Hebrew, and theology what AutoCAD is to architecture (and other fields involved to 2D and 3D design). And it’s priced accordingly.