Logos Bible Software MCP Server + Socratic Bible Study Agent

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that connects Claude Code to Logos Bible Software, plus a custom Socratic Bible study agent that uses these tools for guided theological dialogue.

What This Does

• 12 MCP tools that let Claude read Bible text, search Scripture, navigate Logos, access your notes/highlights/favorites, check reading plans, and explore word studies and factbook entries
• A Socratic Bible Study agent that guides you through Scripture using questions (not lectures), welcoming any denominational background, with four questioning layers: Observation, Interpretation, Correlation, and Application

Prerequisites

| Requirement | Details | |-------------|---------| | macOS | Required (uses macOS open command and AppleScript for Logos integration) | | Logos Bible Software | Installed at /Applications/Logos.app (tested with v48) | | Node.js | v18+ (v23+ recommended for native fetch support) | | Claude Code | Anthropic's CLI tool (install guide) | | Biblia API Key | Free key from bibliaapi.com |

Setup

1. Clone the repo

git clone https://github.com/robrawks/LogosInteraction.git
cd LogosInteraction

2. Install dependencies and build

cd logos-mcp-server
npm install
npm run build
cd ..

3. Get a Biblia API key

1. Go to bibliaapi.com
2. Sign up for a free account
3. Copy your API key

4. Create .mcp.json in the project root

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "logos": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["logos-mcp-server/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "BIBLIA_API_KEY": "your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

5. Create .env in the project root (optional, for development)

BIBLIA_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

6. Verify it works

claude

Once Claude Code starts, type /mcp to check that the "logos" server appears with 12 tools.

Available Tools

| Tool | What it does | |------|-------------| | navigate_passage | Opens a passage in the Logos UI | | get_bible_text | Retrieves passage text (LEB default; also KJV, ASV, DARBY, YLT, WEB) | | get_passage_context | Gets a passage with surrounding verses for context | | search_bible | Searches Bible text for words, phrases, or topics | | get_cross_references | Finds related passages by extracting key terms | | get_user_notes | Reads your study notes from Logos | | get_user_highlights | Reads your highlights and visual markup | | get_favorites | Lists your saved favorites/bookmarks | | get_reading_progress | Shows your reading plan status | | open_word_study | Opens a word study in Logos (Greek/Hebrew/English) | | open_factbook | Opens a Factbook entry for a person, place, or topic | | get_study_workflows | Lists available study workflow templates and active instances |

Using the Socratic Bible Study Agent

Start Claude Code in the project directory, then:

/agent socratic-bible-study

The agent will ask what you want to study and guide you through Scripture using the Socratic method. It's tradition-neutral -- it works with any denominational background and presents multiple perspectives where Christians disagree. It guides you through four layers:

1. Observation - "What does the text say?"
2. Interpretation - "What does the text mean?"
3. Correlation - "How does this relate to the rest of Scripture?"
4. Application - "What does this mean for us?"

Example session starters

• "Let's study Romans 8:28-30"
• "I want to do a word study on 'justification'"
• "What does the Bible teach about grace?"
• "Walk me through Psalm 23"

Project Structure

LogosInteraction/
├── .claude/
│   └── agents/
│       └── socratic-bible-study.md    # Socratic agent definition
├── .mcp.json                          # MCP server config (you create this)
├── .env                               # API key (you create this)
├── logos-mcp-server/
│   ├── package.json
│   ├── tsconfig.json
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── index.ts                   # MCP server entry point (12 tools)
│   │   ├── config.ts                  # Paths, API config, constants
│   │   ├── types.ts                   # Shared TypeScript types
│   │   └── services/
│   │       ├── reference-parser.ts    # Bible reference normalization
│   │       ├── biblia-api.ts          # Biblia.com REST API client
│   │       ├── logos-app.ts           # macOS URL scheme / AppleScript
│   │       └── sqlite-reader.ts       # Read-only Logos SQLite access
│   └── dist/                          # Built output (after npm run build)

How It Works

The MCP server integrates with Logos through three channels:

• Biblia API - Retrieves Bible text and search results via the free REST API from Faithlife (same company as Logos)
• macOS URL schemes - Opens passages, word studies, and factbook entries directly in the Logos app using logos4:/// URLs
• SQLite databases - Reads your personal data (notes, highlights, favorites, workflows, reading plans) directly from the Logos local database files (read-only access, never modifies your data)

Logos Data Path

The server expects Logos data at:

~/Library/Application Support/Logos4/Documents/a3wo155q.w14/

If your Logos data is at a different path, set the LOGOS_DATA_DIR environment variable in .mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "logos": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["logos-mcp-server/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "BIBLIA_API_KEY": "your_key",
        "LOGOS_DATA_DIR": "/path/to/your/Logos4/Documents/xxxx.w14"
      }
    }
  }
}

Troubleshooting

"BIBLIA_API_KEY is not set" - Make sure your .mcp.json has the env block with your API key.

"Database not found" - Your Logos data path may differ. Run find ~/Library/Application\ Support/Logos4 -name "*.db" -maxdepth 5 to find your databases and update LOGOS_DATA_DIR.

Tools don't appear in /mcp - Restart Claude Code. The MCP server is loaded at startup from .mcp.json.

Logos doesn't open passages - Make sure Logos Bible Software is running before using navigate_passage, open_word_study, or open_factbook.

License

MIT