A Concise Dictionary of Theology (Stimulus Book) [Paperback]

Gerald O'Collins (Author), Edward G. Farrugia (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2000 | Series: Stimulus Book

Distinguished theologians Gerald O'Collins and Edward Farrugia have once again provided a much needed academic resource with A Concise Dictionary of Theology, now revised and expanded. This authoritative dictionary of Christian theology offers a clear, up-to-date explanation of the meaning, origin, and history of key terms that teachers and students of theology need to know.This new edition of a work considered to be the concise theological dictionary in the English-speaking world and beyond contains over 50 new entries and updated entries and references to reflect the latest scholarship and research. And an index of names has been included. Notable, as well, is the fact that this is not an edited work; O'Collins and Farrugia wrote together every entry, from "Abba" to "Zwinglianism." Although other dictionaries of theology do exist, this one stands out from the rest in that it is the only up-to-date, ecumenical and concise dictionary of theology that includes key entries from both western and eastern Christianity. It is sure to garner wonderful reviews and become a staple, like its predecessor, in the library of students, educators, and academic institutions.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This second edition of the favorably reviewed 1990 work of the same title (LJ 5/1/91) remains much the same, with only the addition of some 50 new entries, corrections, expansions, and an index of names. The approximately 1200 alphabetically arranged theological terms and phrases span the entire course of Christian history. Individual entries are concise, balanced, and clearly written and range in length from a single sentence to a full-page essay on selected topics. Although the work is ecumenical in perspective, Roman Catholicism and theological developments in biblical, catechetical, ethical, historical, liturgical, and philosophical studies since Vatican II receive the major focus. Regretfully, this second edition fails to add bibliographies; however, Jesuit theologians O'Collins and Farrugia skillfully refer to biblical and ecclesiastical documents, providing the reader with a more complete discussion. Cross-references abound, and though there are no biographical entries, this is a useful resource for students and others seeking basic theological information. Libraries already owning the first edition, however, need not replace.
-John-Leonard Berg, Univ. of Wisconsin, Platteville
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

A masterpiece of terse, tightly-organized and always well-written information and explanation. -- The Tablet

A revised and expanded edition of what was already a great book to have around, and it's even better now. -- The Catechist's Connection

A useful resource for students and others seeking basic theological information -- Library Journal

A useful resource for students and others seeking basic theological information. -- Library Journal

Exceptional. -- Today's Books

Provides a valuable academic resource for students in theology. --Catholic Library Association

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Paulist Press; Rev Sub edition (May 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0809139294
• ISBN-13: 978-0809139293
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #313,099 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great for Intermediate to Advanced Level Theo Student, October 9, 2005

By 

V. Figueroa (Detroit/Southfield, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Concise Dictionary of Theology (Stimulus Book) (Paperback)

I'm enrolled at a seminary, and my prof recommended this book as a companion to our other textbooks. I use it every time I read my assignments and review my class notes. The book contains key theology terms, definitions and concepts, written in easy to understand language. I will probably use this book for every pertinent class or lecture throughout my educational career.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome resource!, June 27, 2008

By 

Kathleen M. Osenbau "Kathey Osenbau" (Chandler, AZ, USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Concise Dictionary of Theology (Stimulus Book) (Paperback)

This book has been an incredible resource tool for me in my Master's program for Pastoral Studies! I highly recommend it for Theology students as well as anyone in ministry.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best and only dictionary of its kind in print, September 16, 2010

By 

mike shea - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Concise Dictionary of Theology (Stimulus Book) (Paperback)

This dictionary has been the single most helpful work of reference that I have used in my 10 years of studying theology. O'Collins and Farrugia tend to emphasize terms that appear more often in constructive (or systematic) theology. You'll find, for example, all of the significant ancient heresies dealing with the Church's development of Christology or Trinitarian theology and ample discussion of more philosophical terms (e.g. "positivism," "empiricism" "Aristotelianism," "Averroism"). There are a number of entries for terms relating to biblical exegesis, Church history and institutions (e.g., "Crusades," "Malibar Christians"), but an adequate treatment of these fields is really beyond the scope of any portable reference work. (FYI: For a fine 1-volume dictionary of technical terms for biblical exegesis, have a look at Richard N. Soulen and R. Kendall Soulen's "Handbook of Biblical Criticism, 3rd ed., Revised and Expanded"; for an adequate 1-volume work on Christian history, there is none better than F.L. Cross and E.A. Livingstone's "The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, 3rd ed. Revised and Expanded; this latter work has recently been published in a much cheaper, concise version, which is probably quite good, but I haven't perused it). In addition to these inevitable deficiencies, this dictionary would have been greatly enhanced if its authors had included bibliographic information with each entry. But in lieu of their accomplishment, this is a minor point. To my knowledge, there is no other work like this in print today, and if doing theology is your mainstay, it will certainly be one of the most used books on your shelf, regardless of your level of learning. I'll end this review with an anecdote from an introductory theology class that I taught 2 years ago, in which this dictionary was a required companion piece. After the first few weeks of class, I wondered whether students were using this dictionary and began to feel some regret for having compelled them to purchase it. Then at mid-term, I handed out an informal teaching evaluation and asked the students to rate each book they had been exposed to (4-5, I believe) from 1-10, according to how "helpful" the book had been. My undergraduate students consistently rated this book the highest. So in short, if you are thinking about buying this book, you probably should do so! (Note to professors in theology: You may want to get your hands on the out-of-print "Theological Dictionary" written by Karl Rahner and Herbert Vorgrimler for your shelves. While O'Collins and Farrugia's "Concise Dictionary" is better overall, many of the former work's entries provide complementary information).