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Defines terms dealing with the rituals, beliefs, organizations, and philosophical ideas of the world's religions, from ancient Egypt to scientology. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The go to reference point!
Reference books by nature are used to help you understand the subject they are written about. They are not exciting nor are they intended to be. All reference books have their usefulness and this book is certainly the go to book on the subject of religion and philosophy

Over 3,000 entries fromAaron to Zwingli and everything in between is what you will find in thisone of a kind book. The author appears to be a subject matter expert andthis is probably the most extensive listing I have ever encountered.

This675 plus page book covers more religion and philosophical topics than anyother out there today. You may need other resources for a more detaileddescription, which the author has included in the bibliographies.

Mostimpressed by the author's ability to cover more that the traditionalreligions. Overall this book makes the perfect on-hand reference -excellent job! ... Read more

Product Description
In the second edition of the Historical Dictionary of the Holiness Movement, important new developments in the Holiness Movement_such as the widely discussed _Holiness Manifesto__are thoroughly discussed, and the content has also been expanded to include information on figures from Asia and Africa to reflect the continued growth of the Holiness Movement. With a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, and over 400 cross-referenced dictionary entries, this reference has information that cannot be found elsewhere. ... Read more

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This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishings Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the worlds literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

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More than a generation has passed since the appearance of the last major Catholic Bible dictionary. It has been a fertile generation for biblical scholarship, an eventful time for biblical archaeology, and a fruitful time for the Church’s interpretation of the Bible. It is time for a new resource.

Scott Hahn, internationally renowned theologian and biblical scholar, has inspired millions with his insight into the Catholic faith. Now he brings us this important reference guide, written specifically for Catholics, which contains more than five thousand clear and accessible entries and covers a wide range of people, places, and topics. From Genesis to Revelation, the whole of salvation history is presented and explained in smart, easy-to-understand prose.

Catholic Bible Dictionary is an invaluable source of information, insight, and guidance for Catholics and others who are interested in enriching their understanding of Sacred Scripture. Scott Hahn draws from two millennia of scholarship to create an accessible and comprehensive tool for deeper and more rewarding biblical study.

Customer Reviews (26)

Excellent source of information
This is more than just a dictionary.It gives thorough explanations.Others are not comparable to the information provided in this book.Well worth the price.

Catholic Bible Dictionary
This is poorly written.The explanations lack depth and insight.The Catechism of the Catholic Church would be a better reference tool.

BOOK, YES... KINDLE, NO!!!
I wish I had read the reviews BEFORE I spent my money on the Kindle edition!!I had hoped to be able to use it from my laptop while in a Sacred Scripture class, but the navigation (or lack thereof) is so terrible that I will probably have to bring the book (it's a BIG book)in order to keep up.

Necessary to Bible Study
When you are studying the Bible, either alone or in a group, this is a very necessary item to have along side.I have found it very helpful.

Everything you wanted to know about the Bible but didn't know who or where to ask!
The Catholic Bible Dictionary is another outstanding work of Dr. Scott Hahn.It addresses all of the questions -- and then some -- that an inquiring Bible reader would ask as they were reading the Bible.Catholic or not -- this is the serious source of answers to questions Bible scholars may have. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great product
The Mercer Bible Dictionary came exactly the way that the seller said it would come and it came at a great price. The book is great and very helpful in my Biblical Literature and History Class. Thank you very much!

This book is invaluable
This is one of the most-used Bible study tools I have ever used.It's comprehensive, well-written, authoratative.

Excellent resource
The Mercer Dictionary of the Bible is an excellent resource for in-depth Bible study.Like its companion Commentary, the Mercer Dictionary tends toward a moderate theology and focuses on scholarship.Entries can range from a sentence to several pages depending on the depth of the topic. ... Read more

Product Description
Based on the highly acclaimed Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, this is an indispensable guide for both students and the general reader. Over 5,000 entries provide full coverage of theology, patristic scholarship, churches and denominations, the church calendar and organization, and the Bible, as well as entries on theologians, philosophers, painters, musicians, and writers of religious works.
This revised second edition has been fully updated to reflect recent changes in the church. It includes increased coverage of the church in Latin America, Eastern Churches, issues on moral theology, and developments stemming from the Second Vatican Council, Black Churches, Christian attitudes to Jews, Feminist Theology, Holiness Movement, Liberation Theology, and ordination of women.
This handy, concise volume is essential reading for anyone with an interest in Christian history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Excellent, concise resource
This is an excellent and concise help for studying the history of the Christian Church.At this price it is money well spent.

A broad-ranging, handy reference tool
I bought this book (so much more affordable than its big brother The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church) for my graduate studies in Syriac, the language of a huge section of the early church. I am a linguist rather than a theologian, and I found I was having a terrible time keeping track of the many factions in the Christological controversies of the 4th and 5th centuries, which are dealt with by numerous Syriac writers. This little book proved very helpful as an aid to sorting them out.

Excellent handy reference
If you are of those that are studying the history, theology, dogmatics, moral and ethics of christianity this books is right for you. It gives brief answers to every question you may raise based in difficult themes. For example, you want to know what is the term High Church, Tractarian, Non-jurors, Lutheranism, Calvinism, Zwinglio, etc...you are going to find enough information to be able to answer any questions that may raise in your studies. Any lay leader, seminarian, deacon, elder, pastors, preachers, etc. need to buy this reference book. It is frustrating to hear odd errors coming from the pulpit. But preachers sometimes do not read enough to be able to define terms very easily and then prefer not to expose the listeners to valuable information that can make the difference.

A Mixed Bag
This book has a strong bias towards higher criticism.This need not have detracted from the value of the book.Higher criticism has, after all, been very mugh a part of the Christian Church during its more recent history, and has often enriched it.

In this case, however, it seriously influences the content of the book, and tends to exclude other perspectives.For instance, with regard to the Fall, the book notes that in the past Christians "regarded the Fall of Adam and Eve as a historical event" -- as though the belief were no longer common.With regard to angels, "the whole concept of such supernatural beings has been challenged" -- and demons receive no entry at all.Further, a great deal of the text is devoted to higher criticism issues.With regard to the resurrection, for example, nearly half the text deals with the way in which critics have "questioned its historicity" and the Gospels "disagree over the details".

A major strength of the book is its scope.For example, it has special entries for the Church in virtually all of the major countries of the world: the USA, Angola, Russia, Vietnam, and so on.It is also strong particularly on less common terms in the Church, which are precisely those which one might wish to look up, e.g. the illuminative way, or banns of marriage.However, it falls down on more recent Church history.For instance, it omits the Lausanne Congress, or Gustavo Gutierrez.Other important entries are merely skimmed over, e.g. the Keswick Convention (one sentence), or the Charismatic movement.

In short, this book would seem to be too fixated with issues of veracity, and to reflect too little of the true life of the Church over past millennia.For a scholar to whom issues of higher criticism are important, this may be just the book.Broadly speaking, however, it is a mixed bag.

Best Concise Guide to the Christian Church
Theology is no longer considered the "queen of the sciences" nor even the most challenging of academic disciplines.Both were asserted during the Middle Ages, and the modern student of the faith will find much truth in both assertions.While suprisingly small, this volume is the best available resource to all aspects of belief and practice; it is an invaluable aid to those beginning study for the first time. ... Read more

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The second edition of the Historical Dictionary of Islam presents a concise overview of Islamic history, religion, philosophy, and Islamic political movements. ... Read more

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With more than 3,000 entries and cross-references on the history, main figures, institutions, theory, and literary works associated with Islam's mystical tradition, Sufism, this dictionary brings together in one volume extensive historical information that helps put contemporary events into a historical context. Additional features include: _ ... Read more

Product Description
The Historical Dictionary of Existentialism explains the central claims of existentialist philosophy and the contexts in which it developed into one of the most influential intellectual trends of the 20th century. This is done through a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, and more than 300 cross-referenced dictionary entries offering clear, accessible accounts of the life and thought of major existentialists like Jean-Paul Sartre, Martin Heidegger, Martin Buber, Karl Jaspers, Gabriel Marcel, Simone de Beauvoir, Albert Camus, and Maurice Merleau-Ponty, as well as thinkers influential to its development such as Wilhelm Dilthey, Henri Bergson, Edmund Husserl, and Max Scheler. Historical Dictionary of Existentialism affords readers an integrated, critical, and historically-sensitive understanding of this important philosophical movement. ... Read more

Product Description
A comprehensive glossary and reference work with more than a thousand entries on Shinto ranging from brief definitions and Japanese terms to short essays dealing with aspects of Shinto practice, belief and institutions from early times up to the present day. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

All About the British Class System
This book is very informative about the decline of Western educational standards but doesn't say much about Japan's nationalist religion. What's with the british flag on the cover?

Shinto Religion: A Japanese Treasure of Tradition
I thought that the book was great, I learned so much and I was glad that Iwas able to read it. My friend owns it and soon I will buy it... Probablytoday or tommorow. Shinto is my religion and I am eager to learn more aboutit. As much as possible. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Dictionary of Pagan Religions by Wedeck
This is a fairly complete rendition of cults, rites, rituals
and customs associated with polytheistic religions. The period
covered is from the Stone Age upward through the present. The
book seeks to establish a partial record of the cults which
have existed since time immortal. Did you know that Acavisr
is the Etruscan religion? Bard is the name given by the Druids
to their poets. Dolmen is a prehistoric monument.Fish were
sacred in ancient antiquity.Ginnunga gap is primal chaos from which things originate. Maat in Egypt was the g-d of truth.
Nahua is the language of the Aztecs. Trees are manifestations
of fertility. Sarritor is a g-d who presides over raking.
Tane is the Polynesian g-d of forests and plants. Yam is the sea.
Veles is a Slavic deity who presided over flocks.Turan was a
goddess who identified with Aphrodite. Ziu was the g-d of the sky. This book is a must for historians and writers seeking
to enhance the descriptive dimension of writing. This work
will be hotly debated by theologians everywhere. It would make
a meaningful class project for any student in grade school,
high school or college.

This work provides an important supplement to world history
and culture. As such, it would be a good purchase for
theologians, world history buffs, world culture enthusiasts,
academicians and a wide range of collegiate professionals.

An excellent reference!
This is an excellent reference for pagans and those studying paganis

good for quick reference on pagan religions
I found this dictionary on the reference shelves of the Highline c.c. library. The dictionary is good for getting a quick reference on the different pantheistic religions of the world.This would be good to havein your collection if you study mythology, or happen to be a fantasy/fiction writer. ... Read more

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This concise, authoritative compendium of information on the world's living religions brings together the work of 161 scholars from major religious traditions and related fields. Over 1600 cross-referenced beliefs, and current status of the world's living religions: Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, Shintoism, Sufism, Taoism, and the many other religions of the world. This information-packed, illustrated volume, complete with maps and charts, provides:

Product Description
In some senses, Albania is a living museum of the past. Originally a small herding community in the most inaccessible reaches of the Balkans, the presence of Albanians in southeastern Europe has been documented for over a thousand years.

Albanian traditional folk culture, which evolved over centuries of relative isolation, is surprisingly rich. Yet despite recent events this culture remains little known to the Western world. Due to the lasting effects of a half century of Stalinist dictatorship, very few individuals even in Albania know much about their own popular traditions.

The Dictionary of Albanian Religion, Mythology, and Folk Culture makes available for the first time a wealth of knowledge about Albanian popular belief and folk customs. Alphabetical entries shed light on blood feuding, figures of Albanian mythology, religious beliefs, communities, and sects, calendar feasts and rituals, and popular superstitions, as well as birth, marriage, and funeral customs, and sexual mores. This unique volume will stand as the standard reference work on the subject for years to come. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A drink of water in a parched landscape
This is a phenomenal resource.It is the first attempt, that I know of at least, to try and catalogue the mythology of a culture that at worst was a contemporary of the ancient Greeks.I'll be honest and say that I'm biased in regards to anything Albanian (I'm from Kosova) but I got a huge kick out of this.I flipped through with my mother and was able to find entries for monsters and tales she had told me while I was growing up codified by genuine certified academic types!

Much if not most Albanian folklore is handed down via an oral tradition that extends back to before Christ.It is a beautiful thing but being oral it dies if no one remembers it, that is exactly what I am afraid is going to happen.As someone who has been to the region many, many times I think it imperative that the knowledge of the oldest generations be recorded before they pass on.If not then all you'll be left with is people like myself, who have but a pale echo of that tradition of myth and legend.

The only downside to this fantastic book is that it is so very limited.It is obvious that material exists for a much more in depth examination of this amazing trove.Some doctoral candidates out there have enough raw materials for 100 theses. Get hopping! ... Read more

Product Description
Profiles a large Christian denomination that is only two centuries old, but one that has a rapidly growing member base, including a large presence in the Third World. Reviews the notable historical events in a chronology explains the development of the Seventh-day Adventist as a world religion in the introductory essay describes the persons, places, events, doctrines, publications, institutions, organizations, and societies that played a significant role in shaping the religion and provides an extensive bibliography of works on Seventh-day Adventism and books expressing Adventist views on theological and other issues. Written by an author who knows this history well as an Adventist who teaches at Andrews University, a major Seventh-day Adventist educational institution, and a member of the Association of Seventh-day Adventist historians. ... Read more

Product Description
The Penguin Dictionary of Religions is a fascinating and authoritative guide to every aspect of religion, past and present. It examines ancient doctrines and modern beliefs, small sects and popular movements. Drawing on the expertise of over sixty contributors worldwide, the dictionary is an essential reference source for both academic study and general readers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

....a good starting point for a young person just venturing out in their study of religion. ~JC Angelcraft
The Penguin Dictionary of Religions Second Edition by John R. Hinnells is a decent Reference book that gives adequate and basic definitions on various religious topics.This reference book is a good starting point for a young person just venturing out in their study of religion.

Good all around reference for religious terms
This book contains a brief description of most of the major religions.What is helpful is that terms that one would not be familiar with unless one was a member of a particular religion are illuminated.So if you were reading about religions and wanted to know what a "Mo Tzu" was, then you could find that it is "an anti-Confucian, pragmatic philosopher" or if you read in the Bible about the "Sadducees", then you could find out that they were "a religious party in Judaism ... theologically conservative, rejection post-exilic angelology and demonology and the belief in bodily resurrection."With maps, an extensive Bibliography and a General Index, I find this book very useful.It is by no means comprehensive in every religious term but a great reference for obscure terms not found elsewhere.

Mediocre
Although this book calls itself a dictionary of religions, it also includes information on various terms used by the religions it talks about. It left out the Assemblies of God denomination to my annoyance, but did refer to them in it's entry on Pentacostals. The feel of the pages was wretched, that kind that makes it feel like your nails are scratching on chalkboard, so I rarely pick it up. It has some black and white maps inside, but they are printed onto the page rather then being the glossy type, and are not in color of course. Another problem I had is that it implies in various parts of the book that Earth is billions or millions of years old which of course is ridiculous (see Answers in Genesis or Why I Don't Believe which you can find via a link in my blog). ... Read more

Product Description
By the time Martin Heidegger passed away on May 26th, 1976, he had become the most important and controversial philosopher of his age. While many of his former students had become important philosophers and thinkers in their own right, Heidegger also inspired countless others, like Jacques Derrida, Michel Foucault, and Jean-Paul Sartre.The second edition of the Historical Dictionary of Heidegger's Philosophy is an historical perspective on the development of Heidegger's thought in all its nuances and facets. Schalow and Denker cast light on the historical influences that shaped the thinker and his time through a chronology; an introductory essay; a bibliography; appendixes that include German and Greek to English glossaries of terms and a complete listing of Heidegger's writings, lectures, courses, and seminars; and a cross-referenced dictionary section offering over 600 entries on concepts, people, works, and technical terms. This volume is an invaluable resource for student and scholar alike. ... Read more

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A dictionary and a glossary of terms plus brief biographies of eminent Buddhists and scholars from both East and West. ... Read more

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S¿ren Kierkegaard's philosophy intersects with so many systems of thought--theology, religion, existentialism, literature and psychology, as examples--that it is difficult to classify or to grasp the concepts that he presents. Yet Kierkegaard's influence on the 20th century is vital, and therefore an understanding of his thinking is as well. The "Historical Dictionary of Kierkegaard's Philosophy" is a guide to the secondary material that exists on the Danish thinker. Beginning with maps and a contextual introduction to the 19th century world of Copenhagen, the philosopher's home, the dictionary includes a chronology of events and key figures in his life, as well as a guide to some of his concepts and terms and a list of major works. The bibliographical section contains entries on other handbooks and electronic materials of help to researchers. In the appendix, more detailed information on his writings is included, along with a list of his pseudonyms. Not only is this book to guide the reader new to Kierkegaard, but it is also a compilation that will be of great use to established scholars. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Kierkegaard Baedeker
There are few people in the world today who know Kierkegaard's world like Profesor Julia Watkin. Her command of Danish language and culture are nonpareil. Whether it be Grib Forest or the Great Day of Prayer, Watkin tracks down every reference in Kierkegaard. Watkin illuminates the views of major and minor figures who figure in Kierkegaard's writings. For instance, Bishop Mynster, held much sway with Kierkegaard butreaders who first come to the Dane know little about him. With Watkin's book, Kierkegaard's readers will have an introduction to Mynster and to other otherwise forgotten influences on Kierkegaard. Once again, Kierkegaard writes a great deal on love and yet readers unaquainted with Danish will not necessarily understand that Kierkegaard is working with two different Danish terms. But With Watkin's Baedeker, first semester students of Kierkegaard are well informed about the connotations of the Danish. Kierkegaard wrote many of his works under pseudonyms. And there is today a great deal of debate as to how we are to interpret his psuedonymous works.Watkin provides us with a handy register of Kierkegaard's noms de plum. Watkin, who for many years helped steer the Kierkegaard Library, has alsoappended a comprehensive bibliography. Anyone intent upon entering the world of Kierkegaard's thought, should not leave home without Julia Watkin's HISTORICAL DICTIONARY OF KIERKEGAARD'S PHILOSOPHY. ... Read more

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An essential companion to the bestselling book of all time

Written b y one of the world’s leading biblical scholars, The Penguin Dictionary of the Bible opens up the Old and New Testaments as never before, connecting them to the art, literature, history, and culture they have influenced over the centuries. Readers will find:
• Entries on Biblical characters, places and events, from Aaron to Zephaniah
• Consideration of the impact of other areas of study, from archaeology to ancient languages, on our understanding of the Bible
• Charts of historical events and contents of the major books, as well as forty maps and illustrations

Wide-ranging, stimulating, and invaluable for numerous disciplines, the Dictionary will enhance all readers’ appreciation of the most influential book ever written. ... Read more

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How did the hummingbird become the symbol of the chief Aztec god? Who were the Hero Twins? Why was Venus the planet of war? Did the Maya practise human sacrifice? And did they eat their victims? Who played the ancient ball game? Who were the first consumers of chocolate? What was a war of flowers? The legends and beliefs of the great pre-Columbian civilizations of Mesoamerica have baffled and fascinated outsiders ever since the Spanish Conquest. Yet, until now, no single-volume introduction has existed to act as a guide to this labyrinthine symbolic world. This book is the first-ever English-language dictionary of Mesoamerican mythology and religion. Nearly 300 entries, from "accession" to "yoke", describe the main deities, motifs and practices of the Olmecs, Zapotecs, Maya, Teotihuacanos, Mixtecs, Toltecs and Aztecs. Introductory essays provide succinct accounts of Mesoamerican history and religion, while a substantial bibliography details original sources and recent discussions. Entries are illustrated with photographs and newly commissioned line drawings. Mary Miller is Professor of History of Art at Yale University.She is the author of "The Art of Mesoamerica" (1986) and co-author, with Linda Schele, of "The Blood of Kings" (1992), both published by Thames and Hudson. Karl Taube is Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology, University of California at Riverside. ... Read more