Abstract
The Cambridge Dictionary of Christian Theology
Ian A. McFarland, David A.S. Fergusson, Karen Kilby, and Iain R. Torrance, editors
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011. 572 pp. $205.00
Another excellent, recently published theological dictionary is The Cambridge Dictionary of Christian Theology. Encouraged, in part, by a “sister” publication, Robert Audi’s Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy (Cambridge, 1995), the editors sought to produce a specifically theological text that would “exhibit what Hans Frei once referred to as a ‘generous orthodoxy’” (xix) that includes the voices of women and persons of color.
When skimming through the pages, one immediately notices that some entries are identified with small upper-case letters, while other titles have larger print. The titles in larger print indicate “core” entries that make up about 10 percent of the 550 entries, but 25 percent of the volume as a whole, and fall into five categories: traditional doctrines (such as creation and revelation), confessional orientations (such as Catholic and Lutheran), theological styles (such as evangelical, feminist, and liberation), Christianity in relation to other faiths (such as Islam and Buddhism), and academic disciplines (such as biblical and systematic theology). Core entries give a general overview of a topic as well as the author’s perspective, while shorter entries (ranging from 250 to 1700 words) give attention to specific aspects of topics covered in core entries.
Although a disproportionate number of articles were penned by one person, 302 scholars contributed to the volume and represent a variety of perspectives. Thirteen of those contributors are current or retired members of the faculty at Princeton Seminary: Kenneth Appold (Justification), Clifton Black (Kingdom of God), John Bowlin (Aristotelianism), Richard Fenn (Purgatory), Gordon Graham (Commonsense Philosophy), Scott Hendrix (Lutheran Theology, Sola Scriptura, Two Kingdoms), James Kay (Rudolf Bultmann; Demythologization), Bo Karen Lee (Hildegard of Bingen), Sang Lee (Asian American Theology; Jonathan Edwards), Bruce McCormack (Atonement), Daniel Migliore (Lord’s Prayer), Max Stackhouse (Civil Society), and Mark Taylor (Paul Tillich).
This is a physically attractive, hardbound book. Individual entries are easily spotted, and the type, though small, is readable. Although this would be an ideal text for the seminary student as well as the advanced scholar, few people will be able to afford the $205.00 price tag. I hope the dictionary will be readily available in libraries across the country and that students and researchers will be motivated to visit the library to make use of it. It is one of the best books of its kind.