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Logos Bible Software Announces Work Begun on the Evangelical Exegetical Commentary
BELLINGHAM, WA – September 2, 2010 -- Logos Bible Software announced today that work has begun on the Evangelical Exegetical Commentary, a groundbreaking new Bible commentary series.
The first of its kind, the Evangelical Exegetical Commentary is the only major evangelical commentary to date to be released first in a digital format instead of print. Logos’ decision to pursue the digital edition signals the accelerating transition from print-based Bible commentaries to the development of high-end digital books and tools.
The Evangelical Exegetical Commentary is comprised of 44 volumes of commentary on the entire Bible, written by a virtual who’s who in evangelical biblical scholarship. Authors include Eugene Merrill, John Oswalt, Stanley E. Porter, Ronald Youngblood, Eugene Mayhew, Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., W. Hall Harris, and dozens of other respected scholars. The entire series will be assembled under the editorial supervision of H. Wayne House.
House began working on the EEC in 2005. At the time, no new commentary sets were scheduled for publication. It became clear to a core group of Bible scholars that the time had come to begin work on a new series.
With work underway, the publisher put a hold on the project, and finally cancelled it.
“We had several other publishers interested, but because of the financial risk, they just couldn’t commit,” House said.
In a world where the market share for print books erodes away a little further each year as new digital formats become available, it did not make financial sense for publishers to risk such a massive investment in a multi-year print project.
In 2007, Dr. House contacted Logos Bible Software about publishing the EEC. After a meeting last year at the Society of Biblical Literature conference between Logos and a core group of EEC contributors, Logos agreed to revive the project and publish a digital edition.
Digital publication not only benefits pastors who use the commentaries, but also biblical scholarship in general.
Because it will be published by Logos, the EEC will be fully integrated into the most advanced biblical and theological library available anywhere, powered by Logos Bible Software. It will be accessible wherever Logos Bible Software’s platform is available, including Windows, Mac, and iOS devices like the iPhone and iPad. Users who purchase the EEC will also be able to access it online at Biblia.com, and on any future web-based platform where Logos is available.
“If a scholar has spent their entire life studying a book of the Bible, why tell them they need to be restricted by a pre-defined book length or any of the other constraints of print?” said Dan Pritchett, Vice President of Logos Bible Software. “Digital commentaries like the EEC open up new possibilities for biblical scholarship, because the limitations of print are no longer an issue.”
The commentaries will also include photos, charts, timelines, and other vivid graphics.
Nearly all volumes are in various stages of research, writing, or editing, and a few are nearing completion. With an accelerated publication schedule, Logos will release the first volume in 2011, and the entire 44-volume set will be available by the end of 2019—an unprecedented publication timetable for a commentary of this magnitude.
More information about the Evangelical Exegetical Commentary, including a complete volume list, scheduled release dates, and ordering information can be found at http://www.evangelicalexegeticalcommentary.com.
About Logos Bible Software
Logos Bible Software, a privately held corporation located in Bellingham, Wash., is the leading publisher of high-end, award-winning, multilingual Bible software. The company serves church, academic, and lay markets, bringing the best in software innovation to Christians worldwide.