The Cambridge Dictionary of Christianity [Paperback]

Daniel Patte (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 20, 2010

The Cambridge Dictionary of Christianity is an authoritative reference guide that enables college and seminary students, their teachers, and Christian clergy to reflect critically upon all aspects of Christianity from its origins to the present day. Written by a team of 800 scholars and practitioners from around the world, the volume reflects the plurality of Christianity throughout its history. Key Features of The Cambridge Dictionary of Christianity: *Offers a presentation of the Christian beliefs and practices of all major Christian traditions in each continents and each nation *Highlights the different understandings of Christian beliefs and practices in different historical, cultural, religious, denominational, and secular contexts *Includes entries on methodology and the plurality of approaches that are used in the study of Christianity *Combines several approaches -- - including anthropological, cultural studies, ecumenical, and interfaith -- - to each Christian tradition *Respects each Christian tradition, through the self-presentation of Christianity in each country or Christian tradition *Includes clusters of entries on beliefs and practices, each presenting the understanding of a given Christian belief or practice in different historical and contemporary contexts *Demonstrates the relationship and interaction of Christianity with other religious traditions in various parts of the world *Provides a full bibliography on all topics covered in the volume

Editorial Reviews

Review

Endorsements: "The Cambridge Dictionary of Christianity is the most up-to-date treasure-trove addressing the question, What is Christianity? Eight hundred and twenty-eight contributors from around the globe set out to appraise the historical, contemporary, and ecumenical dimensions of the multi-faced Christianity in 134 countries. With its concise articles, the Dictionary serves as a launching pad for an academic study of Christianity at the beginning of the twenty-first century. A unique value of the Dictionary is its restraint from confessional, ethnic, and religious sensitivities. As an indispensable tool for study, it leads us to both admire the old dimensions of Christianity and discover the latest features of its diversity." - Professor Emeritus John Mbiti, University of Bern, Switzerland

"The Cambridge Dictionary of Christianity is an achievement of exceptional value, one that can substantially enrich basic instruction and advanced scholarly research on the formation and development of Christian beliefs and practices in socially and culturally diverse global settings. It provides succinct and accessible accounts of basic Christian doctrines, pivotal biblical texts, central liturgical practices, and patterns of ecclesiastical organization that are constitutive for major Christian traditions, embracing Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Anglican, ecumenical Protestant, and charismatic and evangelical Protestant movements. These traditions are examined, moreover, not simply in European or North American contexts, but with careful attention to their concrete manifestations in African, Asian, and Latin American settings." --Thomas Ogletree, Yale Divinity School

"This volume is the most impressive and comprehensive dictionary on Christianity available to us. Taking a global perspective, the editor brings together the best minds from diverse regions of the world and various disciplinary backgrounds to produce a global account of the Christian heritage and tradition in its historical, cultural, and social contexts. These fascinating and accessible essays taken together probe deeply into the essence, meaning, and functions of the Christian faith in the twenty-one centuries of its existence. This is a significant work for theologians, scholars of religion, church historians, and all those who are interested in the issues of cultural identity, globalization, and interreligious encounters. --Jacob K. Olupona, Harvard University

"This is the reference book I have been waiting for. It is broad in vision and comprehensive in scope, as it's contributors represent a variety of Christian perspectives and beliefs. This historical survey from the origins of Christianity to the present provides us with a thick description of the nature of a rich ecumenical religion that is shaped by deep traditions and is ever-changing in the cultures in which it finds its various homes." --Emilie M. Townes, Yale Divinity School

"This is truly a unique resource that is very worthwhile for all academic collections, and one that will be useful for just about any type of reader. Essential." --Choice

Book Description

The Cambridge Dictionary of Christianity is an authoritative reference guide that enables college and seminary students, their teachers, and Christian clergy to reflect critically upon all aspects of Christianity from its origins to the present day. Written by a team of 800 scholars and practitioners from around the world, the volume reflects the plurality of Christianity throughout its history.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 1414 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; 1 edition (September 20, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521527856
• ISBN-13: 978-0521527859
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 6.9 x 2.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #432,547 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

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4.0 out of 5 stars Good for professionals, but may be a dying breed., November 2, 2011

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B. Marold "Bruce W. Marold" (Bethlehem, PA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Cambridge Dictionary of Christianity (Paperback)

This is the second Cambridge Dictionary I have reviewed, and I find this volume has the same basic problem and the title on Philosophy. This defect, which costs both volumes one star, is the absence of a bibliography following each larger entry. The primary object of books like this are to be a jumping off point, a means of finding the next step in locating more information about a subject. These volumes don't even have bad bibliographies. They have nothing but the name of the author of each article. For many topics, this is useful. For example, the author of "Post-Christian Thought" is Daphne Hampson, who is a true expert theologian in this field. So, if you check out her books, you will get a good 'lead' as they say in the cop shows. But with the article on Meister Eckhart, the author is no slouch on Medieval churchmen, but he is not a leading expert on Eckhart, such as Bernard McGinn. I am amazed at how 'tentative' some of the articles sound, as if they weren't sure of themselves. The article on Eckhart is very short, but it seems as if the summarization seems to have mislead us a bit on, for example, the declaration made by the Pope on Eckhart's work. McGinn says the upwhot was that Echart was not declared heretical. The Dictionary suggests the conclusion was more damning. It just seems too thin to limn the facts with precision.
Another symptom of tentativeness is the article on Behemoth, where it is said it may be associated with the Leviathan. The two could not be more closely connected, as they both appear in the same speech by YHWH, to Job.

This is NOT the kind of book you want if you wish to study the Bible. For that, get the Harper/Collins Bible Dictionary (newest edition) and the Harper/Collins annotated Bible. This kind of book will soon be replaced by Wikipedia, when that becomes more trustworthy. As it is now, the Wikipedia gives better information on most things you will find in this book. This volume has the virtue of knowing that the articles were written by people who know their field.