Amazon.com Review
Most folks have heard of Francis of Assisi, but not everyone recalls that he spent his early life as a businessman and soldier before responding to an inner voice and dedicating himself to God, poverty, and lepers--nor is it widely remembered that he received the impression of the stigmata on his body in 1224, two years before he died. And while everyone knows the Mary who was the mother of Jesus Christ, there tends to be a bit of confusion between Mary the sister of Lazarus and Martha, Saint Mary of Egypt, and Mary Magdalene. And how many are familiar with Mary Magdalene de' Pazzi, saint and mystic of 16th-century Florence? Routledge's
Who's Who alphabetically catalogs some 1,000 men and women who've been significant in Christian history, providing accessible dates, religious relevance, and biographical profiles on the movers, shakers, and devout practitioners of the religion. In addition, there's a glossary of technical terms and a chronology of important historical events. As with all Routledge books, it's an excellent resource for scholars, educators, clergy, and students of religion.
--Stephanie Gold
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
This work, whose author is an honorary research fellow at Kent University and coauthor of A Dictionary of Judaism and Christianity (Trinity, 1991. pap.), covers 1200 of the "leading men and women who have influenced the course of Christian history." The coverage is broader but less detailed and authoritative and with fewer bibliographic references than that provided by The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (LJ 5/15/97). In addition to the expected saints, popes, and founders, one finds Thecla, an apocryphal first-century saint; Mechtilde, a 13th-century mystic; Daniel O'Connell, a 19th-century Irish politician and rebel; and 20th-century theologians Rosemary Radford Ruether and Juan Luis Segundo. Most entries range from 75 to 150 words, though a few are more substantial, e.g., Jesus of Nazareth understandably merits 650 words. The bibliography following each entry is disappointingly brief (usually only two to four citations), and one could quibble with some entries as well. For example, Mechtilde is erroneously referred to as a saint, and the entry for John Brown, "rebel," fails to identify his connection to Christianity. A glossary of technical terms, a chronological table of the chief historical events, and especially useful indexes by category (saint, poet, social reformers, etc.) and time period are also included. While not the ultimate reference on Christianity, this work would be useful as a beginning point for further research in both public and academic libraries.?Linda V. Carlisle, Southern Illinois Univ., Edwardsville
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
