Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

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Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias
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Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

• General Reference
• Bible Encyclopedias
• Bible Dictionaries
• Atlases
• Concordances

• Special Resource Tools
• Books, monographs
• Periodical Databases
• Electronic resources
• Bibliographies
• Unpublished materials

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Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

• Begin with general reference works.
• These resources provide an overview of the
  material.
• Once this information has been mastered, it is
  comparatively easy to move on to specific
  resources as you gather additional data.

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Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

• Task number one is to become familiar with a few
  proven general reference workse.g.,
  encyclopedias, dictionaries, etc.that are
  designed by their arrangement and treatment to be
  consulted for definite items of information.

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Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

• These resources give an overview of the subject.
• Once you have defined the parameters of your
  topic, you can enlarge your understanding by
  reading more specialized monographs.
• This done you will be in a position to read with
  greater understanding the kind of information
  contained in journal articles.

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Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

• As you begin to evaluate general reference works,
  you should focus on the following specifics
• Accuracy
• Authority
• Scope
• Currency of the information
• Arrangement (including ease of use)
• Special features

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Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

• As you use the general tools
• Take note of the writers and observe how he
  unfolds the subject matter.
• Learn about those who have contributed in one way
  or another to the body of knowledge that has
  grown up around the subject.
• Plot the topics historic development.

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Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

• As you use the general tools
• Ascertain the limitations and scope of your
  topic.
• Check the bibliography at the end of the article.
  (Is it impartial?)
• Learn the representative works on this topic.
• Note when these contributions were made.

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Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

• Who are the Kluniaks?
• Checked the index volume of James Hastings
  Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics.
• There found a lengthy article on Monasticism
  with an entire section devoted to the founding of
  the Cluniacs.
• This article, together with other resources
  located through the bibliography, took only a few
  moments to locate.

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Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

• Who are the Kluniaks?
• The Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics (often
  cited as HERE), edited by James Hastings ( 12
  vols. plus index 1908-27), is a comprehensive
  work with long, scholarly, signed articles
  dealing with all the religions of the world and
  all the great systems of ethics, together with a
  wide variety of theological and philosophical
  topics.

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Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

• Who are the Kluniaks?
• It incluces a discussion of religious beliefs and
  customs, and moral practices. Also to be found
  within these volumes is data on anthropology,
  folklore, mythology, biology, psychology,
  economics, and sociologyand the people and
  places connected with a variety of diverse events
  or practices. Extensive, though now dated,
  bibliographies conclude most articles. A
  comprehensive index, together with a list of
  articles titles and an exhaustive subject index
  conclude the work.

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Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

• Who are the Kluniaks?
• Cluniacs or Cluny or Monasticism not found
  in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia,
  Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible or
  Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible.

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Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

• Who are the Kluniaks?
• If you cannot get to a larger took like Hastings
  with an index, consult tools like
• The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church
• The New International Dictionary of the Christian
  Church
• The Wycliffe Biographical Dictionary of the
  Church
• Who Was Who in Church History

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Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

• Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics, edited by
  that master cataloguer James Hastings, assisted
  by John A. Selbie, et. al., 13 vols. (New York
  Charles Scribners Sons, 1908-12) has given way
  to a revision under a new title, The Encyclopedia
  of Religion, ed. Mircea Eliade, 15 vols. and
  index vol. (New York Macmillan, 1987).
  Abbreviated EnRel, this work concerns itself with
  almost every conceivable topic germane to the
  religions of the world and should be consulted on
  theologically significant biblical terminology.
  Baptism, for example, is treated in its Hindu,
  Jewish, Moslem, and Polynesian contexts, to
  mention but a few. (Danker, 157)

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ISBE Atonement
ISBE Atonement
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IDB Atonement
IDB Atonement
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Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

• Dictionary
• Technically a Bible dictionary is an alphabetical
  arrangement of the words found in the Bible with
  definitions or explanations attached.
• By definition it should be limited to biblical
  terms only.
• Are many terms not strictly biblical, but closely
  relatedcanon, millennialism, typology, versions,
  etc.

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Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

• Dictionary
• Technically a Bible dictionary is an alphabetical
  arrangement of the words found in the Bible with
  definitions or explanations attached.
• By definition it should be limited to biblical
  terms only.
• Are many terms not strictly biblical, but closely
  relatedcanon, millennialism, typology, versions,
  etc.

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Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

• Dictionary
• Technically a Bible dictionary is an alphabetical
  arrangement of the words found in the Bible with
  definitions or explanations attached.
• Such topics may be covered in an appendix or
  additional volume.
• By including such topics in spite of the
  definition.
• By calling the work an encyclopedia.

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Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

• Encyclopedia (instruction in a circle)
• A series of articles embracing the whole range of
  a discipline, usually in alphabetical order.
• Religious encyclopedias deal mainly with
  theological terms, ecclesiastical and exegetical
  history, the history of religion, patristics,
  biography and other general themes with little
  reference to purely biblical details.

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Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

• Encyclopedia (instruction in a circle)
• Bible encyclopedias by definition treat biblical
  material and topics directly related to the Bible
  completely and thoroughly.

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Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

• How do I decide which to consult?
• For quick reference or basic information (e.g., I
  am working on another topic, but encounter a term
  I am not that familiar with and need quick
  information) go to a Bible dictionary.

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Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

• How do I decide which to consult?
• For--
• 1) probing the parameters of a topic
• 2) finding very specific information
• 3) ascertaining who the leaders are (were) in
  contributing to the growth of knowledge in a
  particular area.
• Consult an encyclopedia.

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Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

• Factors in deciding which tools to use.
• 1) Size.
• The average Bible student may not need the large
  four- or five-volume encyclopedia.
• On the other hand, the teacher and preacher
  cannot get along with a one-volume dictionary.

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Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

• Factors in deciding which tools to use.
• 2) Date.
• Authors and editors of smaller works are more
  likely to put out new editions in order to keep
  up with the rapid advance of knowledge.
• This is a much more difficult undertaking for the
  larger works.

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Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

• Factors in deciding which tools to use.
• 2) Date.
• But be careful about making the date of
  publication too important.
• Even though a century has passed since the first
  volume was published, many articles in these
  pages are still superior to, and more
  comprehensive than, articles on the same subjects
  appearing in any other similar work. Wilbur M.
  Smith in the Introduction to the1968-70 reprint
  of MClintock and Strong.

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Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

• Factors in deciding which tools to use.
• 3) Signed articles.
• Articles in the larger encyclopedias (and
  sometimes the smaller dictionaries) have been
  written my many different authors.
• Their names or initials appear at the end of the
  articles.
• This is important for your citation of the
  article.
• This may also help you to judge the general trend
  of the article.

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Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

• Factors in deciding which tools to use.
• 4) General trend of the work with regard to
  theology and biblical criticism.
• How to determine? Analyze key articles.
• Look at the article on Isaiah in Encyclopedia
  Biblica T. K. Cheyne the editor and also the
  author of the article.
• It is too bold to maintain that we still have
  any collection of Isaianic prophecies which in
  its present form goes back to the period of that
  prophet. (Vol. 2, p. 2193)

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Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

• Factors in deciding which tools to use. (Barbers
  answers)
• 1) Is it authoritative? Is the editor a person
  of repute? Have the articles been signed (the
  assumption being that if a persons name
  concludes the article, he or she will have taken
  extra special care in writing it)? Are the
  contributors people of established reputation?

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Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

• Factors in deciding which tools to use. (Barbers
  answers)
• 2) Why was this work written (i.e., what need did
  the editor seek to meet), and for whom? (This
  information is generally found in the
  Introduction or Preface.)

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Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

• Factors in deciding which tools to use. (Barbers
  answers)
• 3) What is its scope? (i.e., is the coverage
  comprehensive?) Are the articles long or short?
  Is the thrust biblical or theological,
  denominational (e.g., Roman Catholic, Mennonite,
  Reformed, etc.), inter-faith, national or
  international?

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Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

• Factors in deciding which tools to use. (Barbers
  answers)
• 4) How up to date is it? Is it an entirely new
  work, or has it been based on an earlier edition
  with the same or a different title? How reliable
  are the maps, charts, money conversions, et
  cetera?

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Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

• Factors in deciding which tools to use. (Barbers
  answers)
• 5) What are the recognizable strong points? What
  features make this work superior to any others?
  Does it have any weaknesses or acknowledged
  limitations?

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Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

• Dictionary
• Technically a Bible dictionary is an alphabetical
  arrangement of the words found in the Bible with
  definitions or explanations attached.
• Such topics may be covered in an appendix or
  additional volume.
• By including such topics in spite of the
  definition.
• By calling the work an encyclopedia.

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Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

• Why should I own or at least regularly consult
  several?
• For serious work I cannot be satisfied with
  partial evidence.
• Libraries keep a vast range of books because no
  one book contains all the information one needs
  or desires.
• Especially true of dictionaries need the
  up-to-date for latest discoveries need the old
  ones for quality.

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Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

• Why should I own or at least regularly consult
  several?
• Using a variety of tools helps one to learn to
  judge the quality of evidence he finds that is
  part of the maturation process as a student and
  scholar.

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Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

• The use one may make of these volumes will vary
  from time to time. Perhaps one of their chief
  values, in addition to the capsuling of
  information, is the select bibliographies the
  larger works offer on most subjects. These must,
  of course, be brought up to date, but not all the
  standard works of yesteryear are antiquated in
  all their parts, and the supplementary volumes
  will help keep one abreast. To save time in
  research, it is wise to go directly to any index
  or index volume appended to the work. If the
  dictionary includes an index of Greek terms,
  additional resources are opened. Thus one can
  readily find Benjamin Warfields article on
  Little Ones, HDCG, vol. 2, which illumines such
  passages as Matt. 186 Mark 942 and Luke 172.
  Most commentaries carry only a few lines of
  explanation. Warfield expends almost six columns
  in an effort to demonstrate that the phrase has
  reference to the humble disciples of Jesus.

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Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

• It is wise to keep in mind the varying accents of
  the different dictionaries and encyclopedias. If,
  for example, the subject is Baptism it might
  be well to get the general picture out of one of
  the standard Bible dictionaries, but for specific
  Jewish considerations JE should be consulted. For
  an exalting religious experience as well as an
  unanticipated exegetical reward James Coopers
  article on Nunc Dimittis, HDCG vol. 2, should
  be read, but for liturgical fortunes CE is the
  work to check.

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Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

• A random comparison of entries suggests the
  importance of making use of more than one
  dictionary. For example, ISBE not only contains
  specific entries on Bible commentaries and Bible
  dictionaries but also lists outstanding
  commentaries at the end of each article on a
  biblical book, whereas ABD offers no such
  detailed information in these two categories.
  Although the number of volumes in ABD exceeds
  those in ISBE, the latter has eleven columns in
  the entry Apostolic Council, and ABD only three
  under Jerusalem, Council of. (Danker, 151)

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Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

• A certain amount of ingenuity must be held in
  reserve to tap these catalogued treasures. A case
  in point, when looking for older material on
  concordances I had no difficulty in finding an
  excellent treatment under Concordances in
  MClintock and Strong, but I had to go to Greek
  Language to check on older editions of New
  Testament grammars and lexicons. Sometimes the
  encyclopedia is itself inconsistent.
  Schaff.Herzog, for example, carries an article on
  New Testament lexicons but none on New Testament
  grammars. Such differences in the selection and
  arrangement of material can be most frustrating.

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Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

• Caution must be observed at all times in adopting
  views and conclusions that may have been
  antiquated by more recent findings and most
  works are obsolete even before they are
  published but a Bible dictionary and related
  works judiciously used can greatly enrich ones
  knowledge and extend ones intellectual and
  spiritual horizons.

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Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

• But is it really necessary to know about so many
  works? Needs vary, but for serious work one
  cannot be satisfied with partial evidence. Among
  the reasons a library has for maintaining an
  inventory of a vast range of books in a specific
  category is the fact that no one book contains
  all the information one needs or desires. This is
  especially true of Bible dictionaries. Be not
  entranced by dates, nor let the old be subject to
  disdain. To cite but one further example as
  invitation to vigilance The Grant-Rowley
  revision of HDB (see above) distinguishes
  thirteen Eleazars, whereas one will search in
  vain in one or another dictionary for even a
  mention of the name. On the other hand,
  Grant-Rowley contains only a few bibliographies
  (see, e.g, entry Jesus Christ). The manner in
  which data are perceived and managed in the mind
  spells much of the difference between the old and
  the new productions. But the quantity of basic
  information differs from book to book. And
  learning to judge the quality of evidence as
  marshaled in a given book is part of ones
  maturation as a scholar.