A Dictionary of the Bible (Oxford Paperback Reference) [Paperback]

W. R. F. Browning (Author), Richard Coggins (Editor), Graham N. Stanton (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 16, 1998 | ISBN-10: 0192800604 | ISBN-13: 978-0192800602

Authoritative, comprehensive, and written for a broad readership, Oxford's Dictionary of the Bible is an invaluable guide to the books of the Old and New Testaments. The over 2,000 entries provide helpful information about the important places, people, and stories of the Bible, while clarifying the many overarching themes and controversies that are still important today. Based on the most current scholarship, the Dictionary provides clear explanations of technical terms and methods of interpretation, as well as profiles of leading biblical scholars and their contributions to the field. With its balanced approach and wide scope, this lively and absorbing reference is an ideal choice for anyone studying the Bible or those who simply wish to improve their knowledge of one of the central books of Western culture.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

In the field of biblical studies, the past ten years have seen continuing archaeological discoveries, new trends in biblical criticism, and the release of the full corpus of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Thus, it is entirely fitting that a new edition of a standard Bible dictionary appear. The first edition of The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary (under the title Harper's Bible Dictionary, LJ 1/96) was well received by scholars, students, and lay readers. This edition has been expanded and revised, with approximately 25 percent of the material either new or updated. The number of contributors has also increased, from 179 to 193. The work has retained the two-column format, with 16 single-column articles interspersed throughout (including "Art in the Biblical Period," "Jesus Christ," and "The Temple"), and it is well illustrated. Many of the longer articles include a brief bibliography (most of which have been updated from the first edition). Though not a flawless work (e.g., the article "Manasseh" treats only the 14th king of Judah but neither the patriarch nor the tribe of Israel that also bear that name), it is outstanding in terms of scholarship and writing. All biblical studies collections should have this new work (balanced by New Bible Dictionary, InterVarsity, 1996. 3d ed., which represents current evangelical scholarship), even if they already own the previous edition. Browning's (New Testament studies, Cuddleson Coll., Oxford) dictionary is different in several ways. It is the work of one person. Few of the articles are more than a page long (though "Jesus" merits two and a half pages). The only illustrations are four two-page black-and-white maps at the end of the volume, and the bibliography is limited to a one-page select list of titles. The tone of the writing is at times casual, and Browning makes rather blunt statements. For instance, he declares the Bible's report of the number of Israelites who left Egypt in the exodus?600,000 men plus women and children, according to the book of Exodus?"unbelievable." Browning is certainly knowledgeable regarding the Bible and biblical studies, and he offers some interesting observations: "Paul's converts were often on the margin of society...and women were attracted by being valued as persons." A good choice for libraries that need to round out a comprehensive collection.?Craig W. Beard, Univ. of Alabama Lib., Birmingham
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Browning, an Anglican clergyman and former lecturer in New Testament studies at Oxford, has effectively summarized modern biblical scholarship in this concise alphabetical dictionary. The 2,000-plus entries are mostly brief definitions or descriptions of terms, places, persons, practices, and events, with longer entries, up to two pages or more, for such important figures as Jesus and Paul, dominant themes like "death" and "resurrection," and each of the separate books that make up the Bible. Included as well are articles about biblical scholarship, scholars, and related disciplines and movements, such as "criticism, biblical," "Tubingen critics," "Schweitzer, Albert," "archaeology," and "fundamentalism." Controversial topics on which adversaries often turn to the Bible are well handled. On "abortion," the entry simply says, "not an ethical issue in the Bible." On "homosexuality," the half-page entry begins, "There does not exist a Hebrew or Greek word for this inclination . . . "It concludes, "At any rate, as with medical knowledge in general, much that is now understood about the psychology and biochemistry of this condition was unavailable in the 1st century."

Within entries, there are frequent citations to the Bible, but not to other sources. A brief select bibliography is included among the appendixes, along with comparative measures, important dates, and four double-page maps. Stars within entries note see also references. The most serious defect is the complete lack of cross-references from alternative but unused terms. There is no see reference from "prostitute" to "harlot," for example. Even the entry "prostitution" does not refer to "harlot." Inverted headings often lack cross-references: "thorns, crown of" needs a cross-reference from "crown of thorns." Similarly, closely related entries are not always linked--there is no reference from "communion" to "eucharist."

The Oxford Companion to the Bible [RBB D 15 93] has much longer entries on fewer topics. This new Oxford title is more similar to the The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary (1996), a new edition of which has just been published. However, the HarperCollins volume is three times as long, heavily illustrated, and almost twice as expensive. With its very reasonable price, the Oxford Dictionary of the Bible will be useful in all libraries that need another Bible dictionary. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (April 16, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0192800604
• ISBN-13: 978-0192800602
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,788,432 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great resource for all but the most literal believer, August 31, 2000

By 

Author Bill Peschel "Writers Gone Wild" (Hershey, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Dictionary of the Bible (Oxford Paperback Reference) (Paperback)

Covering everything from Aaron to Zuzim, "The Dictionary of the Bible" is a useful one-volume reference work to the Christian Bible.

"Dictionary of the Bible" offers over 400 pages of readable entries, quoting chapter and verse, on a wide variety of topics, from the sacred (Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection) to the mundane (on topics such as straw, footstool, and reaping), and includes numerous maps and charts.

W.R.F. Browning bring his Anglican heritage to the task, and the result is entries that should satisfy all but the most orthodox Christians. Those who believe in the literal accuracy of the Bible will object to Browning's discussion of the various interpretations of such topics as healing, miracles, and the authorship of the books. He describes the book of Revelations, for example, as "an embarrassment to the Church. Its bizarre imagery has been incomprehensible or misunderstood. Apocalyptic sects have used it as a handbook to predict the future. Many Christians have found the apparent gloating over the defeat of the Church's enemies to be morally repulsive."

But for the most part, Browning did not intend the dictionary to hew to a particular theology. On topics such as Jesus' reasoning behind his use of parables, he recaps the major controversies without showing a bias toward a particular position.

"Dictionary of the Bible" is a valuable reference work that provides an excellent starting point for understanding the meaning of Christianity. It is clear, concise, and challenging to the intellect.

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent. A very worthwhile resource., September 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: A Dictionary of the Bible (Oxford Paperback Reference) (Paperback)

Hanging around in newsgroups like alt.atheism, one can easily come to the conclusion that apologetics is the domain of mad b****** fundies, whose grip of morality and reality is only slightly better than that of the Roman emperor Caligula.

This book, written by mainstream theologians, who are, by and large, not mad, gives that lie to that experience based assumption. You get: Considerable historical fact and a critical approach to what we can know of historical truth combined with an excellent cross-reference and most importantly, a refusal to shy away from the difficult areas of Biblical history.

Highly recomended as a reference work, even if the US cover is considerably more garish than the UK version.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Good on paperback/hardcover but lackluster on the kindle platform, September 19, 2011

By 

Arthur Koh (Singapore) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Dictionary of the Bible (Oxford Paperback Reference) (Kindle Edition)

In its paperback/hardcover format, this should be an excellent reference book. However, it is too premature to be on the kindle platform. It lacks several crucial features as an electronic dictionary: 1) Primitive word search function. You have to finish typing the whole word before you are shown the various locations where the word appears. Unlike the New Oxford American Dictionary and Oxford Dictionary of English bundled with Amazon Kindle, the word search narrows as you continue typing. This crucial feature is missing here. 2) Index is missing. As this product comes with primitive word search function, I would expect an index of all the words in the dictionary at the table of content, but no such index exists. 3) There are words marked with asterisk indicating an article under that name. However, when the 5-way cursor moves to the word, it does not take me directly to the new entry. Instead, I have to type the whole word anew. 4) The maps included in the dictionary are too faint to be readable. I am surprised that a reputable publisher like Oxford would release a sub-standard electronic dictionary of the Bible, even though they have produced excellent electronic New Oxford American Dictionary and Oxford Dictionary of English. I wish they can do a better job of updating this product in future.