Changes to the Style Guide for July 2016:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Full caps (rather than small caps) for BC/AD and BCE/CE
Abbreviation of ordinals (without superscripts)
Guidelines for three or more editors
Revised guidelines for reprint editions
Guidelines for an unpublished lecture or conference presentation
Expanded instructions for documentation of electronic and online resources

MCMASTER DIVINITY COLLEGE

STYLE GUIDELINES FOR ESSAYS
AND THESES/DISSERTATIONS
July, 2016

Introduction
The following standards are adapted from the Wipf & Stock Author Guide version 7.2 (October,
2015), online at: http://wipfandstock.com/media/wysiwyg/WS_AuthorGuide_7.2.pdf. This style
sheet in turn reflects:
<
The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2010),
cited here as CMOS and available online at http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.
html. An abbreviated print version is available as Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers
of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations: Chicago Style for Students and
Researchers, 8th ed. rev. Wayne C. Booth et al. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press,
2013).
<
The SBL Handbook of Style Second Edition. For Biblical Studies and Related Disciplines
(Atlanta: SBL, 2014), cited here as SBLHS 2 (but do not rely on the 1999 edition).
For situations not addressed by the general guidelines outlined below, your first recourse should
be either Turabian, Manual for Writers, or the Student Supplement for The SBL Handbook of
Style, Second Edition [https://www.sbl-site.org/assets/pdfs/pubs/SBLHSsupp2015-02.pdf], also
cited below. Again, do not rely on a previous edition of the Student Supplement.
In the following material, note where guidelines differ for ESSAYS and THESES or DISSERTATIONS.
General Guidelines
1.

Use good quality white paper stock (e.g., 20 lb. bond), of standard letter size (8 11
inches; 21.5 28 cm), typed on one side only, with all four page margins set to 1 inch
(2.5 cm). As an exception to this rule, note that binding copies of a thesis or dissertation
should have a left margin of 1.5 inches (4 cm; Guideline 25.e.i, below).

2.

ESSAYS should commence with a title page that lists:

a.
Title of essay
b.
Name and student number of author
c.
Name and number of course
d.
Name of instructor
e.
Date of submission (not the due date, even if the paper is submitted late).
[See sample title page in the Appendix]

3.

THESES and DISSERTATIONS should commence with a title page that lists:
a.
Title of thesis/dissertation
b.
Name of author and authors previous degrees
McMaster Divinity College Style Guidelines for Essays and Theses/Dissertations (July, 2016) p. 1

c.
d.

Degree programme
College of registration and year of graduation

[See sample title page in the Appendix]

4.

Pagination
a.
ESSAYS
i.
Pagination, in Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, etc.) at the top right hand corner
of the page, commences on the first page of the text (not the title page).
ii.
A header listing your name and the title of the essay is optional; if you
choose this option, include pagination within the header.
b.
Pagination of THESES and DISSERTATIONS includes all pages
i.
Numbering of the Front Matter (summary page, abstract, table of contents,
etc.), in lower case Roman numerals centred at the bottom of the page,
begins with ii (the title page counts as i but is not numbered).
ii.
Numbering of the body of the thesis or dissertation is in Arabic numerals,
begins again at 1, and includes any appendices.
iii.
Pagination is centred at the bottom of the first page of each chapter (or
Introduction or Appendix); subsequent pages are numbered at the top
right-hand corner.

5.

Fonts
a.
Main text: Times New Roman 12
b.
Footnotes: Times New Roman 10

6.

Spacing
a.
The body of the text (including appendices) should be vertically double-spaced.
b.
Footnotes are single-spaced, without any additional space before or after the note.
c.
Single spacing is also preferable for extended (block) quotations, with an extra
line before and after the quoted text.
d.
The bibliography should be single-spaced with an extra line between entries.
e.
A single character space, not two, should separate a concluding punctuation mark
from the ensuing sentence.

7.

The main text and footnotes should be left-justified (aligned to the left margin only). The
text of an indented block quotation should also be left-justified (see the Headings and
Subheadings example page in the Appendix).

8.

Use italics (not underlining, boldface, or capitalization) for emphasis, book titles, foreign
words, etc. However, commonly used Latin words and abbreviations such as ca., cf.,
et al., i.e., q.v., etc., should not be italicized.

9.

Unless the course instructor specifies otherwise, use footnotes (not endnotes) for source
references and ancillary discussion. Invoke the footnote function of your word processor,

McMaster Divinity College Style Guidelines for Essays and Theses/Dissertations (July, 2016) p. 2

using Arabic (not Roman) numerals. For a thesis or dissertation with multiple chapters,
footnote numbering should be reset to 1 at the beginning of each chapter.
10.

Headings and Subheadings

Primary heading:
First-level subheading:
Second-level subheading:
Third-level subheading:
Fourth-level subheading:

centred, all capital letters, long titles single-spaced

centred, bold, capitalized headline style
centred, capitalized headline style (not bolded)
on left margin, bold, italics, capitalized headline style
on left margin, capitalized headline style (no bold or italics)

[See example pages in the Appendix]

11.

Paragraph indentation and formatting

a.
The first line of text following a heading or subheading is not indented.
b.
Indent the first line of each subsequent paragraph 0.5 inch (1.25 cm). Use the
first-line indentation function of your word processor rather than tabs (with a
manual backspace for the first line following a heading or subheading).
c.
Do not insert an extra space between paragraphs.

12.

Quotations and quotation marks

a.
Quotations containing fewer than five lines of text are indicated by double
quotation marks and a footnote.
b.
Quotations should be enclosed in double quotation marks; single quotation marks
should enclose quotations within quotations.
c.
Periods and commas precede closing quotation marks, whether double or single.
Colons, semicolons, question marks, and exclamation points, however, all follow
closing quotation marks unless they are part of the quoted material.
d.
Set your software programme to select smart quotes rather than "straight"
quotation marks (both single and double). In Word, select File " Options "
Proofing " AutoCorrect Options " AutoFormat/AutoFormat As You Type; in
WordPerfect, select Tools " QuickCorrect " SmartQuote.
e.
Quotations consisting of five or more lines of text must be block-indented 0.5
inch (1.25 cm), without quotation marks, and may be single-spaced.

13.

The final two items in a series or list should be preceded by a comma (commonly known
as the Oxford or serial comma), as in the following examples:
a.
And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love.
b.
Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of
Judah and his brothers.

14.

Hyphens and dashes

a.
Use en-dashes (), rather than hyphens, between page numbers (14656), verses
(vv. 1326), and dates (19381945).

McMaster Divinity College Style Guidelines for Essays and Theses/Dissertations (July, 2016) p. 3

b.
c.
d.

Use em-dashes (), rather than hyphens, between phrasesbut without

additional spacing on either side.
For the proper use of dashes in chapter and verse citations, see Citations of
Scripture and Other Ancient Sources, below.
Do not use the hyphenation function for end-of-line word wrapping.

15.

For an ellipsis, use three periods with a hard space before and after each period ( . . . )
rather than the ellipsis character or three unspaced periods.

16.

Abbreviate inclusive numbers according to the conventions outlined in SBLHS 2

4.2.47 (pp. 1921). The following scheme illustrates the preferred way to abbreviate
inclusive numbers:
<
1011, 3538, 9899
<
10001004
<
100102, 200252
<
10028
<
1012, 20411, 30956
<
100216
(but 294307)
<
10031135

17.

Do not abbreviate numbers in date ranges: use 19461964 rather than 194664.
Where necessary, use either BC/AD or (preferably) BCE/CE (in full caps, but without
periods).

18.

Do not use superscripts when abbreviating ordinal numbers (e.g., 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, rather
than 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc.); superscripting should therefore be disabled in software that
makes this change automatically.

19.

Apart from their use in page references or to identify citations from ancient literature (on
which see Citations of Scripture and Other Ancient Sources, below), whole numbers
from one through one hundred, round numbers, and any number beginning a sentence
should be spelled out, with the following exceptions:
a.
Percentages should be written as 10 percent.
b.
Chapter numbers should be written as Chapter 1, Chapter 2, etc.

20.

Spellcheck then proofread your work carefully, giving close attention to grammar and
syntax. If possible, have another knowledgeable reader proofread your work prior to
submission. Be consistent in your use of spelling conventions (i.e., Canadian or
American). For Canadian usage, you may consult Katherine Barber, ed., The Canadian
Oxford Dictionary (2nd ed.; Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press, 2004) or Margery
Fee and Janice McAlpine, Guide to Canadian English Usage (2nd ed.; Don Mills, ON:
Oxford University Press, 2007). For questions of grammatical usage, consult Jeremy
Butterfield, Fowlers Dictionary of Modern English Usage, 4th ed. (Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 2015).

21.

Non-English languages
a.
Quotations from non-English languages should be accompanied by a translation
into English (either within the body of the text or in a footnote).
McMaster Divinity College Style Guidelines for Essays and Theses/Dissertations (July, 2016) p. 4

b.

c.

For Greek or Hebrew characters, or for transliteration, use the following:

i.
SBL Unicode Hebrew font:
http://www.sbl-site.org/educational/BiblicalFonts_SBLHebrew.aspx
ii.
SBL Unicode Greek font:
http://www.sbl-site.org/educational/BiblicalFonts_SBLGreek.aspx
iii.
SP Legacy fonts: SPTiberian (Hebrew), SPIonic (Greek), and SPAtlantis
(transliteration). These and other fonts are available free of charge from
http://www.sbl-site.org/educational/BiblicalFonts_SPlegacyFonts.aspx.
iv.
Alternative language fonts (e.g., Gentium) may used with permission of
the instructor.
Students unfamiliar with Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek may use the SBL General
Purpose Style (SBLHS 2 5.1.2 and 5.3 [pp. 5860]); otherwise, relevant texts
should be cited in their original form.

22.

Assignments are to be submitted in hard copy, unless the course instructor gives explicit
permission for electronic submission (e.g., via Avenue to Learn or Dropbox).

23.

Where an essay, proposal, thesis, dissertation, etc., has a specified word count, the count
is to be considered global and inclusive, incorporating all titles, footnotes, bibliography,
appendices, and/or ancillary material.

24.

Penalties for late submission (if permitted) are determined by individual instructors. If
you are handing in an assignment outside of class and the instructor is not available, have
a member of the administrative staff date stamp your essay.

25.

Standard format and binding guidelines for THESES and DISSERTATIONS

a.
Content must be arranged in the following order (note pagination). Italicized
items are optional:
[i.] Title Page
ii. Summary Page
iii. Blank Sheet (signature page)
iv. Abstract
v. Acknowledgments/Dedication
vi. Table Of Contents
List of Illustrations
List of Tables
List of Appendices
List of Abbreviations
Chronology

Pagination in lowercase Roman numerals

Introduction
Pagination in Arabic numerals

Body of Thesis/Dissertation
Appendices
Bibliography

McMaster Divinity College Style Guidelines for Essays and Theses/Dissertations (July, 2016) p. 5

b.

c.
d.

e.

Title page
i.
Following the thesis/dissertation title (in capital letters), the students
name, and previous degrees, the title page should state, A thesis [or
dissertation] submitted to the faculty of McMaster Divinity College in
partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of [full name of
degree], and conclude with the institution name and year of graduation.
ii.
For more details, see sample page in the Appendix.
Summary page
i.
See sample summary page in the Appendix.
Abstract
i.
The abstract (double-spaced in 12-point font) must not exceed 150 words
for a masters degree thesis or 350 words for a doctoral dissertation.
ii.
The abstract must list the thesis or dissertation title, name of author,
institution, degree, and year of convocation (but this information is not
included in the 150/350 word count).
iii.
See sample abstract in the Appendix.
Examination and binding-ready copies
i.
Whereas page margins for examination copies are 1 inch (2.5 cm) on all
sides, the left margin for the final, binding copy of a thesis or dissertation
must be 1.5 inches (4 cm); other margins remain at 1 inch (2.5 cm).
ii.
Examination copies are submitted to the registrars office either threehole-punched in a binder or spiral-bound (normally, three copies for a
thesis, four for a dissertation).
iii.
Following the defence (as well as the completion and approval of any
required revisions), but prior to submission for binding, one complete
copy of the thesis or dissertation must be submitted to the registrars
office for verification of full conformity to the MDC Style Guidelines.
iv.
Following verification and in preparation for binding, five copies of the
thesis or dissertation (one of which must be the original) are submitted
unbound (and without hole punching) to the registrars office, each copy
separated by a coloured sheet indicating the students name, number, and
degree, and the copy number (e.g., 1 of 5).
v.
For the student to graduate in May, binding-ready copies must be
submitted with binding fees (5 $20 = $100) paid in full to McMaster
Divinity College (via the registrars office) by the grade submission
deadline.
vi.
Bound copies will be distributed as follows:
(1)
One copy to the Canadian Baptist Archives
(2)
One copy to Mills Library
(3)
One copy to the first reader
(4)
One copy to the second reader
(5)
One copy to the student
vii.
Binding of additional copies may be ordered at the discretion of the
student (at a cost of $20 each).

McMaster Divinity College Style Guidelines for Essays and Theses/Dissertations (July, 2016) p. 6

Footnotes and Bibliography

The full form of any reference source should appear in a bibliography at the end of the essay,
and the bibliography should consist only of sources cited in the footnotes. Accordingly, sources
cited in notes can be reduced to the author(s)s or editor(s)s last name(s), short title, and page
range (but avoid use of ff.). Abbreviated titles should consist of at least the first noun or noun
phrase, but should not include any subtitles. Remember to be consistent in your abbreviated
version of a given title, and to use a form that is both clear and easy to distinguish from other
abbreviated titles (but do not use ibid. for consecutive citations of a given source). The
superscript number and first line of a footnote are indented one half inch, whereas bibliographic
entries have a half inch hanging indent (see examples below). When citing a source in the course
of a footnote discussion, include the abbreviated title and page range in parentheses following
the name of the author, as follows:
7

Bosch (Transforming Mission, 26467) discusses seven key dimensions of the Enlightenment worldview,
focusing on various aspects of faith in humankind (267).

The basic order of citation within a single bibliographic entry is author, title, editor, translator,
number of volumes, edition (only for second or subsequent editions), series, place name,
publisher, and date, as per the following example:
Luz, Ulrich. Matthew: A Commentary, edited by Helmut Koester. Translated by James E.
Crouch. 3 vols. Hermeneia. Minneapolis: Fortress, 20012007.
Bibliographic entries are to be arranged in alphabetical order by author surname. Multiple entries
under the same surname should be arranged by alphabetical order of first name. Multiple entries
by the same author should follow the sequence: items with sole authorship; items with multiple
authorship; items with sole editorship; items with multiple editorship. Multiple entries within
each of these categories should be arranged by alphabetical order of title (for sole authorship/
editorship) or by alphabetical order of co-author(s) or co-editor(s). When citing multiple sources
by a single author, the second and subsequent entries should begin with three em-dashes
() rather than hyphens or underlining (example 18, below). For further details, see the
Guidance on Footnotes and Bibliographic Entries and Sample Bibliography on pp. 3642 of
the Wipf & Stock Author Guide 7.2.
Where two or more cities are given... only the first is normally included in the documentation
(CMOS 14.135). Use postal abbreviations for the names of states and provinces (included only
where clarification is necessary). Names of publishers omit Press, Publishing Company,
Verlag, etc., except in the case of university presses and other instances in which the fuller
name is required to avoid ambiguity (e.g., Free Press; Association Press). The ampersand
(&) may replace and in a publishers name (e.g., T. & T. Clark; Wipf & Stock), so long
as usage remains consistent throughout the footnotes and bibliography.
CMOS 14 and SBLHS 2 6.14 (pp. 68104) offer a more comprehensive series of conventions
for footnoting and bibliographies, but basic examples to note include the following:
McMaster Divinity College Style Guidelines for Essays and Theses/Dissertations (July, 2016) p. 7

1.

One author
Footnote
1

Sanders, Torah and Canon, 11323.

Bibliography
Sanders, James A. Torah and Canon. 2nd ed. Eugene, OR: Cascade, 2005.
2.

One editor
Footnote
9

Barrett, ed., New Testament Background, 173.

Bibliography
Barrett, C. K., ed. The New Testament Background: Selected Documents. New York:
Harper and Row, 1961.
Note: Use this format to cite editorial introductions or commentary; where the citation
refers to an individual article in an edited volume, follow the format of example 8
(below).
3.

Two authors
Footnote
12

Hanson and Oakman, Palestine, 13159.

Bibliography
Hanson, K. C., and Douglas E. Oakman. Palestine in the Time of Jesus: Social Structures
and Social Conflicts. 2nd ed. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2008.
4.

Two editors
Footnote
14

Bird and Sprinkle, eds., Faith of Jesus Christ, 2428.

Bibliography
Bird, Michael F., and Preston M. Sprinkle, eds. The Faith of Jesus Christ: Exegetical,
Biblical, and Theological Studies. Milton Keynes, UK: Paternoster, 2010.
5.

Three or more authors

Footnote
17

Pelikan et al., Religion and the University, 17585.

Bibliography
Pelikan, Jaroslav, et al. Religion and the University. York University Invitation Lecture
Series. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1964.
6.

Three or more editors

Footnote
19

Boda et al., eds., The Prophets Speak, viii.

Bibliography
Boda, Mark J., et al., eds. The Prophets Speak on Forced Migration. Ancient Israel and
its Literature 21. Atlanta: SBL, 2015.

McMaster Divinity College Style Guidelines for Essays and Theses/Dissertations (July, 2016) p. 8

7.

Book with translator

Footnote
21

Hengel, The Atonement, 36.

Bibliography
Martin Hengel. The Atonement: A Study of the Origins of the Doctrine in the New
Testament. Translated by John Bowden. London: SCM, 1981.
Note: The name of the translator may be included in a footnote if this information is
critical to the discussion in question, e.g., Whiston, trans., Flavius Josephus
[1737], 1.18.2; Nodet, trans., Les Antiquits Juives [1990], I.B 57.
8.

Chapter or titled part of a book by a single author

Footnote
22

Tannehill, Magnificat, 3147.

Bibliography
Tannehill, Robert C. The Magnificat as Poem. In The Shape of Lukes Story: Essays on
Luke-Acts, 3147. Eugene, OR: Cascade, 2005.
9.

Essay in a multi-authored work

Footnote
54

Rummel, Ninth Day, 31314.

Bibliography
Rummel, Stan. The Ninth Day of Creation. In Problems in Biblical Theology: Essays
in Honor of Rolf Knierim, edited by Henry T. C. Sun et al., 295314. Grand
Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997.
10.

Book in a series
Footnote
32

Oakman, Jesus and the Peasants, 12325.

Bibliography
Oakman, Douglas E. Jesus and the Peasants. Matrix: The Bible in Mediterranean
Context 4. Eugene, OR: Cascade, 2006.
11.

Reprint edition
Footnote
34

Jeremias, Jesus Promise to the Nations, 4651.

Bibliography
Jeremias, Joachim. Jesus Promise to the Nations. Translated by S. H. Hooke. 1958.
Reprint, Philadelphia: Fortress, 1982.
Note: For reprint editions, the Wipf & Stock Author Guide omits the original place of
publication and publisher name whereas SBHLH2 6.2.1718 includes them. As
stipulated by CMOS 14.119, include these details only where relevant.

McMaster Divinity College Style Guidelines for Essays and Theses/Dissertations (July, 2016) p. 9

12.

One or more volumes of a multi-volume commentary

Footnote
35

Davies and Allison, Matthew, 3:568.

Bibliography
Davies, W. D., and Dale C. Allison. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the
Gospel According to Saint Matthew. 3 vols. ICC. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark,
19881997.
13.

Article in a journal/periodical
Footnote
43

Ellul, Technology, 11617.

Bibliography
Ellul, Jacques. Technology and the Gospel. International Review of Mission 66 (1977)
10917.
14.

Article in an encyclopaedia or dictionary

Footnote
62

Bassler, God, 105455.

Bibliography
Bassler, Jouette M. God in the New Testament. In ABD 2:105455.
Note: Use an abbreviated title only when full bibliographic information appears in a
List of Abbreviations (below, pp. 1415)
15.

Unpublished thesis or dissertation

Footnote
65

Collier, Nonviolent Augustinianism?, 2226.

Bibliography
Collier, Charles M. A Nonviolent Augustinianism?: History and Politics in the
Theologies of St. Augustine and John Howard Yoder. PhD diss., Duke
University, 2008.
16.

Unpublished lecture or conference presentation

Footnote
68
Stovell, Sky will Answer Earth, Earth will Answer Grain, 2.
Bibliography
Stovell, Beth M. Sky Will Answer Earth, Earth Will Answer Grain: The
Personification of Nature in the Book of the Twelve. Paper presented at the
Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature, Baltimore, MD, November
24, 2013.

17.

Book review
Footnote
78

Bultmann, Review of Gnosis, 1213.

McMaster Divinity College Style Guidelines for Essays and Theses/Dissertations (July, 2016) p. 10

Bibliography
Bultmann, Rudolf. Review of Gnosis, by Jacques Dupont. Journal of Theological Studies
3 (1952) 1026.
18.

Multiple works by the same author in a bibliography

Hedrick, Charles W. The Apocalypse of Adam: A Literary and Source Analysis. 1980.
Reprint, Ancient Texts and Translations. Eugene, OR: Cascade, 2005.
. Parables as Poetic Fictions: The Creative Voice of Jesus. 1994. Reprint,
Eugene, OR: Cascade, 2005.
. The Tyranny of the Synoptic Jesus. Semeia 44 (1988) 18.

19.

Online resources (citing a Digital Object Identifier where available)

a.
Online article with neither a DOI nor a print counterpart:
Footnote
91

Avila, Diary, para. 6.

Bibliography
Avila, Wanda. The Diary of a Country Priest: The Transcendent on Film. Journal of
Religion and Film 10 (October 2006). No pages. Online:
http://www.unomaha.edu/jrf/Vol10No2/Avila_CountryPriest.htm.
b.
Online article with a DOI or URL only:
Footnote
98

Denham, Relationships Between Family Rituals, 31718.

Bibliography
Denham, Sharon. Relationships Between Family Rituals, Family Routines, and Health.
Journal of Family Nursing 9 (2003) 30530, DOI: 10.1177/1074840703255447
c.
Online article with both a DOI and a print counterpart:
Footnote
105

Dowd and Malbon, Significance, 274.

Bibliography
Dowd, Sharyn, and Elizabeth Struthers Malbon. The Significance of Jesus Death in
Mark: Narrative Context and Authorial Audience. Journal of Biblical Literature
125 (2006) 27197, DOI: 10.2307/27638361, http://www.jstor.org/stable
/27638361.
d.

Online or other electronic resource without page numbers (Kindle edition,

CD-ROM, etc.):
Footnote
117

Carson and Moo, Introduction, chapter 13, para. 9, location 12411.

McMaster Divinity College Style Guidelines for Essays and Theses/Dissertations (July, 2016) p. 11

Bibliography
Carson, D. A., and Douglas J. Moo. An Introduction to the New Testament. Grand
Rapids: Zondervan, 2009. Kindle edition.
e.
Web pages/posts:
Footnote
123
Director-General Irina Bokova Firmly Condemns the Destruction of Palmyras Ancient
Temple of Baalshamin, Syria, [n.d.].

Bibliography
Director-General Irina Bokova Firmly Condemns the Destruction of Palmyras Ancient
Temple of Baalshamin, Syria [n.d.], http://en.unesco.org/news/director-generalirina-bokova-firmly-condemns-destruction-palmyra-s-ancient-temple-baalshamin
[n.d.].
f.
Blogs:
Footnote
131

Goodacre, Gospel of Jesus Wife (blog), June 20, 2016.

Bibliography
Goodacre, Mark. Gospel of Jesus Wife: Last Chapter Round-Up, NT Blog, June 20,
2016, http://ntweblog.blogspot.ca/2016/06/gospel-of-jesus-wife-last-chapterround.html
Note: Contrary to SBHLH2 6.4.15, use an abbreviated title in the footnote but provide
full citation information (which should include the original date of posting, if
available) in the bibliography. Where no author is indicated, alphabetize by title.
For more comprehensive discussion of citation protocols for electronic media, see
CMOS 14.417, 16669, and 18485; SBLHS2 6.1.6, 6.3.10, and 6.4.1215;
also Student Supplement 1.6.
Citations of Scripture and Other Ancient Sources
Biblical citations should be cited by book, chapter, and verse. The words First and Second
should be spelled out when they occur as the first word of a sentence. Spell out the name of the
book when the whole book is cited. Use an en-dash (), without additional spaces, between
verses and between whole chapters; use an em-dash (), again without additional spaces,
between chapter and verse citations. Examples:
a.
Matt 13:3b8; Mark 4:38; Luke 8:58a; Gos. Thom. 911 (en-dashes)
b.
1 Kgs 17:118:35 (em-dash)
c.
Neh 79 (en-dash)
d.
First Samuel 10 narrates the anointing of Saul.
e.
The book of Genesis manifests a complex literary structure.
When citing modern Bible versions, standard abbreviations (NASB, NJPS, NRSV, TNIV, etc.)
take the place of publication information. If your essay employs a single translation throughout,
indicate the version as part of the initial scriptural reference (e.g., Qoh 12:12 NRSV); if you
quote several translations, indicate the source of each reference.
McMaster Divinity College Style Guidelines for Essays and Theses/Dissertations (July, 2016) p. 12

Abbreviations for titles of biblical books

Hebrew Bible / Old Testament:
Gen
Exod
Lev
Num
Deut
Josh
Judg
Ruth
12 Sam

12 Kgs
12 Chr
Ezra
Neh
Esth
Job
Ps (pl. Pss)
Prov
Eccl (or Qoh)

Song
Isa
Jer
Lam
Ezek
Dan
Hos
Joel
Amos

Obad
Jonah
Mic
Nah
Hab
Zeph
Hag
Zech
Mal

New Testament:
Matt
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Rom

12 Cor
Gal
Eph
Phil
Col
12 Thess

12 Tim
Titus
Phlm
Heb
Jas
12 Pet

123 John
Jude
Rev

Apocryphal / Deuterocanonical Books:

Tob
Jdt
Add Esth
Wis

Sir
Bar
13 Esd
Ep Jer

Pr Azar
Sg Three
Sus
Bel

Pr Man
12 Macc
34 Macc
Ps 151

Other Ancient Near Eastern Sources:

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.

Mishnah:
Tosefta:
Jerusalem Talmud:
Babylonian Talmud:
Josephus:
Philo:
Dead Sea Scrolls:
Nag Hammadi Codices:

m. Ketub. 3:6
t. Ber. 1:15
y. Sukk. 55d
b. B. Bat. 24b
Josephus, War 3:121132; Ant. 19:12
Philo, Spec. Laws 2:12
1QS 9:1719
Gos. Thom. 6869 (NHC II, 2)

McMaster Divinity College Style Guidelines for Essays and Theses/Dissertations (July, 2016) p. 13

Abbreviations for Other Reference Works

For more comprehensive lists of abbreviations for biblical, intertestamental, post-biblical,
classical, and modern reference sources, refer to SBLHS 2 8.14 (pp. 117260) and Appendices
AC (pp. 261330).
In footnotes, names of standard reference works may be abbreviated according to the
conventions indicated by SBLHS 2, but only if a full citation for the work is included in the
Bibliography or List of Abbreviations (see examples below). Note that works cited by authors
or editors initials are not italicized. For standard journal and series titles, use the abbreviations
specified by SBLHS 2; in the case of lesser-known journals or series, provide the complete title
in the Bibliography or List of Abbreviations. Common abbreviations include:
ABD

Freedman, David Noel, ed. The Anchor Bible Dictionary. 6 vols. New York:
Doubleday, 1992.

ANET

Pritchard, James B., ed. Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament.
3rd ed. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1969.

BDAG Bauer, Walter, et al. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early
Christian Literature. 3rd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000.
BDB

Brown, Francis, et al. Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford:
Clarendon, 1907.

BDF

Blass, Friedrich, and Albert Debrunner. A Greek Grammar of the New Testament and
Other Early Christian Literature. Translated and revised by Robert W. Funk. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press, 1961.

CD

Barth, Karl. Church Dogmatics. Edited by T. F. Torrance and G. W. Bromiley.

Translated by G. T. Thomson et al. 14 vols. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 19361977.

ER

Eliade, Mircea, ed. The Encyclopedia of Religion. 16 vols. New York: Macmillan,
1987.

IDB

Buttrick, George Arthur, ed. The Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible. 4 vols.
Nashville: Abingdon, 1962.

IDBSup Crim, Keith, ed. The Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible. Supplementary Volume.
Nashville: Abingdon, 1976.
LSJ

Liddell, Henry George, et al. A Greek-English Lexicon. 9th ed. Oxford: Clarendon,
1996.

McMaster Divinity College Style Guidelines for Essays and Theses/Dissertations (July, 2016) p. 14

MM

Moulton, James Hope, and George Milligan. The Vocabulary of the Greek Testament:
Illustrated from the Papyri and Other Non-Literary Sources. 1930. Reprint, Peabody,
MA: Hendrickson, 1997.

NIDB

Sakenfeld, Katharine Doob, et al., eds. The New Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible.
5 vols. Nashville: Abingdon, 20062009.

ODCC Cross, F. L., and E. A. Livingstone, eds. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian
Church. 3rd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005.
OTP

Charlesworth, James H., ed. The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. 2 vols. Garden City:
Doubleday, 19831985.

TDNT

Kittel, Gerhard, and Gerhard Friedrich, eds. Theological Dictionary of the New
Testament. Translated by Geoffrey W. Bromiley. 10 vols. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans,
19641976.

TDOT

Botterweck, G. Johannes, et al., eds. Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament.

Translated by Geoffrey W. Bromiley et al. 15 vols. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans,
19742006.

TLOT

Jenni, Ernst, and Claus Westermann, eds. Theological Lexicon of the Old Testament.
Translated by Mark Biddle. 3 vols. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1997.

TWNT

Kittel, Gerhard, and Gerhard Friedrich, eds. Theologische Wrterbuch zum Neuen
Testament. 10 vols. Stuttgart: Kohlhammer, 19321979.

Sample Footnote and Bibliographic Citations Employing Standard Abbreviations

Works with a single author:
N:
B:

Barth, CD 1/1:23637.

Barth, Karl. Church Dogmatics 1/1: The Doctrine of the Word of God. Translated
by G. T. Thomson. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1936.

Multi-authored works:
N:
B:

Collins, Dead Sea Scrolls, 8990.

Collins, John J. Dead Sea Scrolls. In ABD 2:85101.

Single volume works that use page numbers:

N:
B:

BDB 122.

Brown, Francis, et al. Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford:
Clarendon, 1907.
McMaster Divinity College Style Guidelines for Essays and Theses/Dissertations (July, 2016) p. 15

Single volume works that use section numbers:

N:
B:

BDF 156.

Blass, Friedrich, and Albert Debrunner. A Greek Grammar of the New Testament
and Other Early Christian Literature. Translated and revised by Robert W. Funk.
Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1961.

Works with foreign language titles:

N:
B:

Bultmann, pisteu/w, pi/stij, k.t.l., 17677.

Bultmann, Rudolf. pisteu/w, pi/stij, k.t.l. In TDNT 6:174228.

Works cited with both original publication and translation:

N:
B:

Bultmann, pisteu/w, pi/stij, k.t.l., in TWNT 6:17678 = TDNT 6:17779.

Bultmann, Rudolf. pisteu/w, pi/stij, k.t.l. In TWNT 6:174230 = TDNT

6:174228.

Gender Inclusive Language

McMaster Divinity College employs inclusive language for human beings in worship services,
student written materials, and all publications. In reference to biblical texts, the integrity of the
original expressions and the names of God should be respected. The NRSV and TNIV provide
examples of the use of inclusive language for human subjects. Inclusive language is to be used in
all assignments.
Academic Honesty
Academic dishonesty is a serious offence that may take any number of forms, including
plagiarism, the submission of work that is not ones own or for which previous credit has been
obtained, and/or unauthorized collaboration with other students. Academic dishonesty can result
in severe consequences, e.g., failure of the assignment, failure of the course, a notation on ones
academic transcript, and/or suspension or expulsion from the College. Students are responsible
for understanding what constitutes academic dishonesty (as indicated by the Divinity College
Statement on Academic Honesty: http://www.mcmasterdivinity.ca/programs/rules-regulations).

McMaster Divinity College Style Guidelines for Essays and Theses/Dissertations (July, 2016) p. 16

Appendix
The following pages offer samples of:
a.

Title page for ESSAY

b.

Title page for THESIS or DISSERTATION

c.

Summary page for THESIS or DISSERTATION

d.

THESIS or DISSERTATION abstract

e.

Headings and Subheadings

McMaster Divinity College Style Guidelines for Essays and Theses/Dissertations (July, 2016) p. 17

[sample title page for ESSAY]

[title of essay in capital letters, 2 inches (5 cm) from top of page]

MUSICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN THE HISTORY
OF SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY BIBLICAL THEOLOGY

[1 inch space]

by

[1 inch space]

[students name and number]

Mary J. Blige
SID 98076995

[1 inch space]

[Name and number of course]

[name of instructor]
[date of submission]

History of Exegesis
BS/CH/MS/TH 6ZB6
Dr. George Syngen-Quinby
November 11, 1911

[sample title page for THESIS or DISSERTATION]

[title of thesis in capital letters, 2 inches (5 cm) from top of page]

MATTHEAS FLACCIUS (ILLYRICUS) AGAINST THE ADIAPHORISTS:
A PROVISIONAL RE-EVALUATION

[1 inch space]

by

[1 inch space]

[students name, previous degrees]

John Q. Fletcher, B.A.

[2 inch space]

[name of degree]

A [thesis/dissertation] submitted to
the Faculty of McMaster Divinity College
in partial fulfilment of the requirements
for the degree of [Master of Arts (Christian Studies)]
[Doctor of Philosophy (Christian Theology)]

[1 inch space]

McMaster Divinity College

Hamilton, Ontario
2023

[summary page for THESIS or DISSERTATION]

[title of degree, 2 inches (5 cm) from top of page]

MASTER OF ARTS
McMaster Divinity College
(Christian Studies)
Hamilton, Ontario
[or]
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
McMaster Divinity College
(Christian Theology)
Hamilton, Ontario
[double space]
TITLE:
Fishing as a Metaphor for the Eschatological Judgement of God:
An Intertestamental Perspective
[double space]
AUTHOR:
Wanda F. Osteichthyes
[double space]
SUPERVISOR:
Dr. Wilhelm H. Wllner
[double space]
NUMBER OF PAGES:
xiii + 382
[introductory pages + body, including appendices]

[THESIS/DISSERTATION abstract]

ABSTRACT

I Long to See You: Romans 1:11 in Context

John S. D. Thompson
McMaster Divinity College
Hamilton, Ontario
Master of Theological Studies, 1894

[thesis title, 2 inches (5 cm) from top of page]

[double space]
[name of student]
[institution]
[degree and year of convocation]

[text double-spaced in 12-point font: max. 150 words for M.A.; 350 words for Ph.D.]
Paulus, servus Christi Iesu, vocatus apostolus, segregatus in evangelium Dei, quod ante
promiserat per prophetas suos in scripturis sanctis de Filio suo, qui factus est ex semine David
secundum carnem, qui praedestinatus est Filius Dei in virtute secundum Spiritum sanctificationis
ex resurrectione mortuorum Iesu Christi Domini nostri: per quem accepimus gratiam, et
apostolatum ad oboediendum fidei in omnibus gentibus pro nomine eius, in quibus estis et vos
vocati Iesu Christi: omnibus qui sunt Romae, dilectis Dei, vocatis sanctis. Gratia vobis et pax a
Deo Patre nostro et Domino Iesu Christo. Primum quidem gratias ago Deo meo per Iesum
Christum pro omnibus vobis: quia fides vestra adnuntiatur in universo mundo. Testis enim mihi
est Deus, cui servio in spiritu meo in evangelio Filii eius, quod sine intermissione memoriam
vestri facio semper in orationibus meis: obsecrans, si quo modo tandem aliquando prosperum
iter habeam in voluntate Dei veniendi ad vos. Desidero enim.

[examples of headings and subheadings]

[chapter title is 2 inches (5 cm) from top of page]

PRIMARY HEADING IS CENTRED, IN CAPITAL LETTERS, WITH LONG TITLES
SINGLE-SPACED ON SUBSEQUENT LINES

The example given here is for a chapter in a thesis or dissertation, which is divided into separate
chapters. When a primary heading appears at the top of the page, there is an extra double-spaced
line between the primary heading and the ensuing text (or sub-heading), and the pagination shifts
to the bottom of the page. Following a primary heading, the first line of the initial paragraph is
not indented, whereas the first line of each subsequent paragraph is indented 0.5 inch (1.25 cm),
as in the text that follows immediately below.
While an essay may have various sub-headings, it is not sub-divided into chapters, and
thus does not require a primary heading at the top of the first page. Instead, any titular or related
information appears on the title page. Remember that pagination (at the top right hand corner
throughout) commences on the first page of the essay itself, not on the title page.

First-Level Subheading: Centred, Bold, Capitalized Headline Style

Keep an extra blank line between the text of the preceding section and a subheading, regardless
of the level. There is no additional space between a subheading and the ensuing paragraph.

2
Second-Level Subheading
A second-level subheading is centred and capitalized headline style (but without bolding).
Again, there is an extra blank line between the text of the preceding section and the next
subheading. However, a sub-heading should never appear alone at the bottom of a page; as
indicated in this example, use text blocking or insert a manual page break to ensure that the title
and the first paragraph to which it refers both appear on the same page.

Third-Level Subheading
A third level subheading is on the left margin, in bold, italicized, and capitalized headline style.
A heading should never be the last line of text on a page. If necessary, invoke the Widow/
Orphan and/or Keep lines [or text] together functions of your word processor in order to
place the heading on the following page.

Fourth-Level Subheading
A fourth-level subheading is on the left margin, capitalized headline style (but without bolding
or italics).
The number for a page with a main heading is at the bottom centre of that page, whereas
numbers for all subsequent pages (with or without subheadings) are at the top right. The main
text is double spaced, although block quotations are single spaced, as follows:
In keeping with The SBL Handbook of Style, block quotations consist of five or more
lines of quoted text. The quoted material is single spaced, left-justified, in the same font
and point size as the main text, and indented 0.5 inch (1.25 cm), but with a double space
before and after. No quotation marks are used at the beginning or end of the quoted text;
double quotation marks indicate quotations within this block. These provisions are

3
repeated on pages 14 and 15 of the SBL Student Supplement, from which much of the
material on this and the previous sample page has been deftly borrowed.1
Text following the block quotation is again double spaced, resuming at the left margin unless it
begins a new paragraph.
The SBLHS 2 Student Supplement also proposes a solution to the frequent problem of
having a footnote number and the footnote itself appear on different pages (since a footnote
should always commence on the page where its number appears in the main text). It observes
that When a word processor such as Microsoft Word does not accomplish this automatically
[i.e., keeping number and note on the same page], adjust the line spacing to exactly on the
paragraph window.2

Student Supplement, 1415; cf. SBL Handbook of Style 2.1.3.3. (p. 4). Remember that footnotes are
single spaced, in 10 point Times New Roman font, with the first line indented one half inch but without any
additional spacing between notes.
2
Student Supplement, 15.