SBL Handbook of Style

SBL provides a basic pattern for citing all sources in section 6.1 and then describes how to cite books in detail in section 6.2.  The information below indicates how to cite a basic book.  As books come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and formats and each format requires variations in how the bibliography entry and footnote are constructed, examples for the variations are provided in the tabs above. In the examples below, the bibliography entry is listed first followed by the accompanying footnote.

Book citations included in the bibliography must include the following elements:

• Author's name listed last name, first name and then full middle name or middle initial separated by a comma and ending with a period.
• The complete book title, including subtitle, needs to be italicized with all major words capitalized. Separate the title from the subtitle with a colon and place a period at the end of the title. 
• Facts of publication must include the city of publication followed by a colon, publisher followed by a comma, and date of publication with a period at the end.  If the city may be unfamiliar to readers or confused with another city (i.e Lincoln, IL and Lincoln, NE), add the state abbreviation as in the example below.
  • Note: SBL indicates that Press, Publishing Company and other such terms should be omitted except for a university press. A lengthy list of preferred publisher names is found in section 6.1.4.1.

B: Stott, John R. W. Guard the Truth: The Message of I Timothy and Titus. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996.

Book citations included as footnotes must include the following elements:

• Author's name listed in standard order (first name middle name or initial last name).
• The complete book title, including the subtitle, needs to be italicized with all major words capitalized.  Do not place any punctuation at the end of the title.
• Facts of publication are included in the same format as for a bibliography entry but are placed in parentheses and followed by a comma.
• Footnotes must include the page or page numbers where the information was found and are followed by a period.

N: John R. W. Stott, Guard the Truth: The Message of I Timothy and Titus (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 30.

Section 6.2.2-3 provides examples for citing multiple-authored works.

In a bibliography, list the first author's name last name, first name middle name or initial followed by all other authors in the standard order (first name last name).  Separate each author's name with a comma. Use and before the final author's name followed by a period.

The example below shows a bibliography entry for a multi-authored book.

B: Parrot, Les, and Leslie L. Parrot. Your Time-Starved Marriage: How to Stay Connected at the Speed of Life. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006.  

For items with three or more authors, list all of the authors in the bibliographic citation although et al is permitted. Separate each author's name with a comma and use the word and before the final author's name followed by a period.

B: Millon, Theodore, Seth Grossman, Carrie Millon, Sarah  Megher, and Rowena Ramnath. Personality Disorders in Modern Life. 2nd ed. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2004.

In a footnote, list all names in standard order (first name last name).  For two, separate the names using and. 

N: Les Parrot and Leslie L. Parrot, Your Time-Starved Marriage: How to Stay Connected at the Speed of Life (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006), 56.

If there are three or more authors, SBL notes to list only the first author in the footnote followed by the words et al followed by a period.

N: Theodore Millon et al., Personality Disorders in Modern Life, 2nd ed. (Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2004). 168.

SBL provides several examples for books with a translator or one or more editors.

When an editor or translator is listed along with an author, that editor or translator's name goes after the book title. In a bibliography, use the phrase Edited by or Translated by as shown in 6.2.4 and 6.2.9.

Below is an example of a translated book.

B: Augustine, Saint. Confessions. Translated by R. S. Pine-Coffin. New York: Penguin, 1961. 

When an editor or translator is listed in place of an author, treat that name as the author using the abbreviation ed. or trans. after the name as shown in 6.2.6.

B: Sweeney, Jon M., trans. Francis of Assisi In His Own Words: The Essential Writings. Brewster, MA: Paraclete, 2013.

In a footnote use the abbreviation ed. or trans. for both an editor or translator in addition to an author or in place of an author. 

N: Saint Augustine, Confessions trans. R. S. Pine-Coffin (New York: Penguin, 1961), 101. 

N: Jon M. Sweeney, trans., Francis of Assisi In His Own Words: The Essential Writings (Brewster, MA: Paraclete, 2013), 18.

SBL also indicates that books with two or three editors should follow the same rules as a book with two or three authors. Books with four or more editors should list the first editor followed et al.

Some books have been published more than once incorporating changes in content.  These books are referred to as editions which must be noted in the citation.

Revised editions note a revised or second edition on the title page.  Include the number or description of the edition after the title and after the appropriate punctuation for a bibliography entry or note. Use the publication date of the edition being used.

An example of a book with an edition is given below.

B: Stott, John R. W.. Understanding the Bible. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2001.

N: John R. W. Stott, Understanding the Bible, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2001), 45.

Many books are printed in multiple editions such as hardback, paperback, and ebook. Make certain to cite the edition you are using.  However, if the book you are using was reprinted several years after the original, include the original publisher and publication date in your citation. In a bibliography entry, place the original publisher and publication date followed by a period and then the abbreviation Repr. after the title.  

B: Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. The Cost of Discipleship. New York: Macmillan, 1959. Repr., New York: Simon & Schuster, 1995.

In a note entry, place the original publisher and publication date and the abbreviation Repr, separated by a comma within the parentheses before the publication information. 

N: Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship (New York: Macmillan 1959; Repr., New York: Simon & Schuster,1995), 106.

How to cite a multi-volume work depends on several variables which are described in section 6.2.20-21.

If the item has several volumes and each volume has a unique title, give the title of the volume used followed by the volume number and title of the entire set as described in section 6.2.21 and shown below. 

B: Henry, Carl F. H. God, Revelation and Authority. Vol. 3 of God Who Speaks and Shows: Fifteen Theses, Part Two. Waco, TX: Word, 1979.

N: Carl F. H. Henry, God, Revelation and Authority, vol. 3 of God Who Speaks and Shows: Fifteen Theses, Part Two (Waco, TX: Word, 1979), 20.

If the volumes do not have unique titles and one or more volumes is being used or if using the entire set, give the title of the entire work in the bibliography entry.

B: Spurgeon, C. H. The Treasury of David: An Expository and Devotional Commentary on the Psalms. 7 vols. London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1882-1887. Repr., Grand Rapids: Baker, 1984.

SBL shows the notes should place the individual volume number without any abbreviation immediately before the page number with only a colon between.

N: C. H. Spurgeon, The Treasury of David: An Expository and Devotional Commentary on the Psalms (London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1882-1887; repr., Grand Rapids: Baker, 1984), 3:120.

N: C. H. Spurgeon, The Treasury of David: An Expository and Devotional Commentary on the Psalms (London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1882-1887; repr., Grand Rapids: Baker, 1984), 4:50.

SBL recommends that a series title or abbreviation and number be placed after the book title. Series titles are frequently used in commentaries so the example below uses a commentary. Consult the large list of series and journals in SBL to locate the appropriate abbreviation. 

B: Lane, William L. Hebrews 1-8. WBC 47. Dallas, TX: Word, 1991.

N: William L. Lane, Hebrews 1-8, WBC 47 (Dallas, TX: Word, 1991), 74-75.