Is this expense deductible: A self-employed preacher purchases books that may not specifically regard a sermon's text, but are Christian academic books about Bible.

[sasykora1]

The self employed preacher works part time filling in preaching at various churches when needed. He is always preaching a text from the Bible, and his purchased books further his understanding of the Bible, though not always regarding a sermon's specific biblical text. Under this worldview, ones growing knowledge of the Bible helps him to understand any text better as he undertakes studying various disciplines - biblical theology, systematic theology, biblical language translation/interpretation, hermeneutics, commentaries, etc. Are these expenses deductible for a seminary student or preacher when they contribute to a general or well rounded knowledge and not speaking to the specific text of a sermon/assignment?

[CatinaT1]

I would say they are.  They are work related, so that's the position I would take.