Customer Reviews

Handbook of Theological Terms

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Harvey's little blue paperback is truly the seminarian's friend and I always keep a copy in sight whem I'm preparing a sermon or otherwise committing "God talk" to paper. An especially nice feature of the Handbook is that it points out distinctions between Roman Catholic and Protestant terminologies, important in these ecumenical times when we often dialog together and take courses at each other's colleges and seminaries.

There are glossaries and dictionaries that are more up to date but that's not always an advantage, because their trendiness comes at the expense of excluding theological terms that are centuries old and will be around for centuries to come. I'm not sure the lay person will have much need for the Handbook, but by all means if people at your church are arrogant enough to use terms like "Arianism," "Docetism" or "Prevenient Grace" without defining them, get yourself a copy and fight back!

This is an enormously helpful small dictionary of theological terms (particularly those used in systematic/doctrinal theology). It is even handed and good on both catholic and protestant terms. I'd recommend it to undergrads in theology classes and graduate students.

This book, first published in 1964, is a handy little guide for theological terms. It is not the most complete available, nor is it the most authoritative, but in terms of ease of use (and of purchase) it is one of the better volumes. It is a little blue book (making it easy to spot on the shelf), small enough to be portable, and contains over 300 articles on the key terms in theology.

While it is true there has been a lot of theological development in the past 35 years, it is also true that theology has a centuries-old tradition and development, all of which underpins, in one way or another, the current context of theology. Thus, while one might not find the definition of 'womanist theology' contained herein, one will find the most standard terms for the greater portion of Christian history.

The choice of terminology is deliberately limited to systematic and philosophical theological language -- thus, terminology related to or specific to other disciplines (biblical studies, practical ministry, etc.) will not be found here. There are extended discussions on lengthier topics, such as the Trinity, Christology, doctrine of God, etc. There are many Latin and Greek terms, but not too many. There are also general discussions on major historical ideas (Arianism, Pelagianism, etc.) while leaving out other, larger systematic theological schools of thought (Thomism, Lutheranism, etc.).

This is a worthwhile book for Catholics or Protestants, and it is an very good, affordable option for a theological dictionary.

Don't start seminary without this. Before you master Greek & Hebrew, you have the language of theology to conquer. Profs only have so much time, and if half the words they use are flying over your head, this book is your new best friend. Don't try to take an Early Church History or Theology class without it!

This book is a "must have" for all theology students (or the interested layperson). Harvey covers a lot of ground--from church history, to attributes of G-d, to issues in philosophy.

In short, this book is a good primer to topics you'll encounter in class. If a lecture was boring or the professor was unclear, turn to this little gem and get a good summary of what you missed (at times this book will be all you'll need to consult--that's how comprehensive it is).

I don't keep many books on my shelf; most go back to the used bookstore. But Harvey's book is a keeper. It's loaded with need-to-know information and the writing is divine.

Also recommended: How to Lose Your Faith in Divinity School

This is a good book to have on hand, although you won't want it to be your ONLY theological dictionary/handbook. It's VERY portable, and the definitions are concise and readable. I used it a lot my first year of seminary, keeping it in my bag so that I could look things up on the sly in classes when I didn't know what the professor was talking about. It also helped immensely when I was studying for my systematics final exam.

This book was a lifesaver as I began my early college courses in Theology. It is a quick and easy resource that you can use to look up hard to understand theological terminology. It is laid out in a similar format to that of a dictionary. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is seriously pursuing a call into pastoral ministry, or to someone who is merely interested in expanding their understanding and breadth of vocabulary when it comes to Christian Theology.