This is as much for myself as it is for anyone else. If you don’t have access to a grad-school level education (and that’s not always a drawback), then the best thing for you to do is:
a) Focus on the major issues. Deal-breakers.
b) Read the best books and monographs As these are pricey, this means you won’t be able to go after passing fads.
If you are Eastern Orthodox, then you need to be working through Perry Robinson’s bibliography.
If you are Reformed, then you need to work through some of the Reformed classics (beyond Calvin!).
If you are into Biblical Studies, I have a few for you.
On the fast end, this will take you five years. I’m speaking to myself here. If you go this route, you will need to back off on “let’s debate.” I don’t have time for it right now. And neither side really knows what he is talking about.
That’s how to be an autodidact.
Word-House 
Have you had a chance to read L/ Daniel Hawk’s “The Violence of the Biblical God”? If so, would you recommend it on the topic of violence in the OT? Would you have other book recommendations on this topic? I was also looking into Tremper Longman’s “God is a Warrior”.
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Longman is good. I haven’t read the other book but it looks good.
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