Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms [Paperback]

Stanley J. Grenz (Author), David Guretzki (Author), Cherith Fee Nordling (Author)

Book Description

Series: Pocket Dictionary | Publication Date: April 26, 1999

Beginning to study theology is like stepping into a conversation that has been going on for two thousand years. How do you take part in this conversation--or even make sense of it--if you don't understand the vocabulary or know the contributions made by other participants? The Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms is the perfect companion to your theological studies. Among its three hundred-plus definitions are

• English terms, from accomodation to wrath of God
• foreign terms, from a posteriori to via media
• theological movements and traditions, from the Alexandrian School to Wesleyanism
• theologians, from Anselm of Canterbury to Ulrich Zwingli

Here is an affordable and easily accessible resource for your theological readings, lectures and writing assignments. It's a must-have for every beginning theological student!

Product Details

• Paperback: 122 pages
• Publisher: IVP Academic (April 26, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830814493
• ISBN-13: 978-0830814497
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #52,207 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #41 in Books > Education & Reference > Encyclopedias > Religion

More About the Author

Stanley J. Grenz (1950-2005) earned a B.A. from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1973, an M.Div. from Denver Seminary in 1976 and a D.Theol. From the University of Munich (Germany) in 1978, where completed his dissertation under the supervision of Wolfhart Pannenberg.

Ordained into the gospel ministry in 1976, Grenz worked within the local church context as a youth director and assistant pastor (Northwest Baptist Church, Denver), pastor (Rowandale Baptist Church, Winnipeg), and interim pastor. In addition he preached and lectured in numerous churches, colleges, universities and seminaries in North America, Europe, Africa, Australia and Asia.

Grenz wrote or cowrote twenty-five books, the most recent of which is Rediscovering the Triune God: The Trinity in Contemporary Theology (2004). His other books include The Social God and the Relational Self: A Trinitarian Theology of the Imago Dei (Westminster John Knox), Beyond Foundationalism: Shaping Theology in a Postmodern Context (with John R. Franke; Westminster John Knox), The Moral Quest: Foundations of Christian Ethics (IVP), A Primer on Postmodernism (Eerdmans), Women in the Church: A Biblical Theology of Women in Ministry (with Denise Muir Kjesbo; IVP), Revisioning Evangelical Theology: A Fresh Agenda for the 21st Century (IVP), and The Millennial Maze: Sorting Out Evangelical Options (IVP). He has also coauthored several shorter reference and introductory books for IVP, including Who Needs Theology? An Invitation to the Study of God (with Roger E. Olson), Pocket Dictionary of Ethics (with Jay T. Smith), and Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms (with David Guretzki and Cherith Fee Nordling). He contributed articles to more than two dozen other volumes, and has had published more than one hundred essays and eighty book reviews. These have appeared in journals such as Christianity Today, The Christian Century, Christian Scholar's Review, Theology Today and the Journal of Ecumenical Studies.

For twelve years (1990-2002), Grenz held the position of Pioneer McDonald Professor of Baptist Heritage, Theology and Ethics at Carey Theological College and at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia. After a one-year sojourn as Distinguished Professor of Theology at Baylor University and Truett Seminary in Waco, Texas (2002-2003), he returned to Carey and resumed his duties as Pioneer McDonald Professor of Theology. In 2004 he assumed an additional appointment as Professor of Theological Studies at Mars Hill Graduate School in Seattle, Washington.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pocket Full of Theology, August 9, 2000

By 

Grant V McMillan - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms (Paperback)

I have several theology dictionaries which are helpful, but none give such pithy definitions. The definitions are short and to the point, without giving a lot of parallel information. Sometimes you just need a simple definition, not one that is pages long. This book does just that. I found that, while being short, each definition does not limit the meaning of the word too much. There is a good balance between giving open definitions and ones that still mean something. A most helpful resource that I use often.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Small Gem, April 18, 2005

By 

Rev. Thomas Scarborough (Cape Town, South Africa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms (Paperback)

The Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms is a small, slim (122 pages) book which typically devotes five or six lines each to theological terms, major theologians, and theological movements and traditions.

It need hardly be said that a book which tries to squeeze a world of theology into a mere 122 pages will have its limitations. Nonetheless, it is surprisingly comprehensive, and refreshingly clear and concise. So, for example, it covers the Council of Nicea, the theology of Karl Barth, the meaning of fundamentalism, and more than 300 topics besides.

The authors state that their purpose is simply to "provide you with a foundational, working knowledge of the concepts". In this they certainly succeed - and with language that should be within the scope of most beginners. While most of their definitions would find general acceptance, they state that they give preference to a "broadly evangelical, Protestant perspective".

The one obvious shortcoming of the book is that it would sometimes seem to be capricious in its selection of terms. For example, salvation is defined, yet mission is not. The imago Dei is defined, yet the imitatio Christi is not. Adolf von Harnack receives an entry, yet Jürgen Moltmann does not. And finally - wait for it - Protestantism is defined, yet Roman Catholicism is not!

Having said this, many of the omissions (e.g. Roman Catholicism) would come into focus with a complete reading of the book, and this does not seriously detract from the usefulness of the book as a whole.

A full theological dictionary can "cost a ton", besides being difficult for beginners to cope with. This small book provides a cheap and handy alternative, and has the endorsement of leading evangelical seminaries. For what it is worth, it is a good reference work well written.

19 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not as thorough as they make you believe..., July 25, 2002

By 

djdjdjdjdjdj9 "djdjdjdjdjdj9" (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms (Paperback)

This dictionary is definitely for the layman's theologian. For those of a somewhat firm grasp of theological terminologies, you're better off sticking with a standard merriam-webster collegiate abridgement, or a larger, deeper theological dictionary. This dictionary is probably for the novice, or beginning student of theology or philosophy. There are many terms NOT included in this dictionary that I find often in theological studies that you'd think would be included. Where's the entry for "semiotics"? Where's the entry for "cosmogony"? Or how about "bibliomancy"? This book is very small, so at least they don't mislead you about its size. There are other theological dictionaries which have better application for the theology student/scholar in mind.

I suggest picking up Westminster's Dictionary of Theological Terminology by McKim for a more complete dictionary.