How to Master SBL Style

J. David Stark | jdavidstark.com

Faulkner University | The Kirby Laing Centre for Public Theology in Cambridge

25 June 2026

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(Be Sure to Stick Around through the End ….)

Two (Kinds of) Apologies for SBL Style

1. I’m sorry. There’s no reason it has to be this hard.

  • citations
  • formatting

(And correct formatting can never make up for weak content.)

2. But SBL style is still worth mastering.… for a few reasons.

Why Invest in Mastering SBL Style?

(5 reasons)

1. Various style standards exist, and SBL is one of the more common.

2. Other styles often have variations of the same themes.

(So, the skills you develop using SBL style are readily transferrable.)

  • formatting
  • noticing small things

3. Good formatting doesn’t ensure good content. But form is its own kind of content.

4. Collaborators will be glad you’re not making their lives harder.

  • peers
  • project editors
  • publishers
  • professors

5. You’ll be happy not to have good content kicked back because of poor formatting.

How then do you master SBL style?

With 8 steps ….

Step 1: Consult the SBL Handbook of Style.

  1. Then put it aside.

  2. And check your “book style sheet.” These are style requirements from

    • publishers or
    • other authorities (e.g., professors, schools).

Step 2: If you’re a student, do as the SBL Handbook’s “Student Supplement” describes.

If a particular issue is not covered in this supplement, students should consult SBLHS itself, Kate Turabian’s Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses and Dissertations … and The Chicago Manual of Style. (p. 11)

Step 2: If you’re a student, do as the SBL Handbook’s “Student Supplement” describes.

The text of this supplement is formatted to match the style of SBLHS; thus it follows book style as opposed to term-paper style. All the samples in part 3 of this supplement follow the term-paper style. (§1.1)

But there’re two caveats.

Step 2, Caveat 1

The supplement describes the “term-paper style” throughout. Only its samples show this style.

Step 2, Caveat 2

If you find inconsistencies between the supplement and the SBL Handbook, double check them.

Step 3: Do what the SBL Handbook blog describes.

Step 4: Do what the SBL Handbook requires.

To do this, read the handbook.

Then keep consulting it.

Step 5: Use IATG3 to fine-tune your abbreviations.

But use IATG3 carefully.

The SBL Handbook and IATG3 both have

  • some different abbreviations and
  • two abbreviation lists.
Alphabetization SBL Handbook IATG3
By abbreviation §8.4.2 pp. 3–191
By source §8.4.1 pp. 195–726

Step 5: Use IATG3 to fine-tune your abbreviations.

  • Look for an abbreviation in the SBL Handbook §8.4.1.
    • If you find one, use it.
    • If you don’t find one, consult IATG3, 195–726.

Step 5: Use IATG3 to fine-tune your abbreviations.

  • If you find an abbreviation in IATG3, consult the SBL Handbook §8.4.2.
  • If the SBL Handbook doesn’t use that abbreviation for something else, use IATG3’s abbreviation.

Step 5: Use IATG3 to fine-tune your abbreviations.

If you don’t find an abbreviation in IATG3 or if you find one that the SBL Handbook uses for something else, handle that title another way.

  • Leave the title unabbreviated (always safe).
  • Define and use a custom abbreviation (only with an abbreviations section).

Step 6: Follow the proper spelling authorities.

  • Among these are various authorities for proper nouns (§§3.4.1–4, 4.3.3.4).
  • For everything else, there’s Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th ed. (§§4.3.2.1, 4.3.2.5).

Step 7: Follow “Chicago style” for everything else.

  1. If you’re a student, follow Turabian’s Manual for Writers.
  2. If not or if you don’t find enough guidance there, follow the Chicago Manual of Style.

But remember, you only get to this point if higher authorities fail to address something.

Books’ places of publication are a case in point.

The SBL Handbook includes them.

The Chicago Manual of Style, 18th ed., excludes them for books published since 1900 (§14.30).

But this edition’s release didn’t change SBL style.

SBL style only changed on 5 December 2025.

That’s when the SBL Handbook blog announced that SBL style would follow Chicago’s new practice.

Step 8: Pick your problems; systematize and streamline your solutions.

SBL style is complex. There’s no getting around that.

But you can decide how you want to handle its complexities.

You can pick what kind of problems you want to live with.

Option 1: The Manual Machine

Software gets in my way. Give me a keyboard, bold, and italics buttons, and I’m ready to go. I’m going to type and format everything myself.

  • Upsides: minimal time, attention spent learning peripheral tools
  • Downsides: lack of scale, support for when time or attention wane

Option 2: The Word Whisperer

Microsoft Word’s a great tool. People just don’t know how to use it. I’ll get everything I can out of it so it becomes my (auto-)formatting partner.

  • Upsides: working directly in DOCX, leveraging the dominant application for that format
  • Downsides: tied to a proprietary format, subject to Microsoft’s decisions about the application, template documents break down

Option 3: The Covert Converter

I’m ditching Microsoft Word. I’ll use something else and then convert my work to DOCX.

  • Upsides: freedom of choice, formats
  • Downsides: Word competitors often have poor DOCX conversion, especially for more complex documents

There’s help for beyond today’s webinar.

Visit jdavidstark.com/ibrstudents for access to

  • today’s slides and a corresponding full guide and brief checklist,
  • guides to help you craft SCHOLARLY goals and stock your own toolbox for biblical studies,
  • a workbook to walk you through making more time for what really matters,
  • an index to hundreds of biblical studies resources openly available online,
  • and more.