Journal: Emmaus Journal
Volume: EMJ 14:2 (Winter 2005)
Article: Book Notices
Author: Mark R. Stevenson

EMJ 14:2 (Winter 2005) p. 294

Book Notices

Mark R. Stevenson

The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, 3^rd edition revised, Edited by F. L. Cross and E. A. Livingstone, New York: Oxford University Press, 2005, xl + 1800 pages, hardcover, $150.00.

First published in 1957, the ODCC remains the authoritative resource on all aspects of the Christian church. It is a veritable library of information on church history, theology, biography, ecclesiology and much more. The great value of this dictionary is its encyclopedic scope. With over 6,000 cross-referenced A-Z entries, readers will probably find what they are looking for! The entries are remarkably concise but include bibliographic material for further research.

The current version is a revision of the 1997 third edition. It incorporates various updates reflecting changes in scholarly opinion, recent developments, and the like. Some articles have been revised, others rewritten completely. Statistics and bibliographies have been brought up to date. Understandably Dr. Livingstone was not able to meet the goal of preserving the pagination of the 1997 edition.

If you are ever looking for a quick answer to a question about a term, person, document, or event related to Christianity, the ODCC is the resource to consult. Unfortunately, however, at $150.00 it is priced out of reach for most students (and teachers!). A decent alternative is The New International Dictionary of the Christian Church edited by J. D. Douglas and published by Zondervan. Its price is much more manageable at $24.99 but, having been published in 1974, it needs updating.

Mark R. Stevenson

EMJ 14:2 (Winter 2005) p. 295

New Dictionary of Christian Apologetics, Edited by W. C. Campbell-Jack and Gavin J. McGrath, Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006, xx + 779 pages, hardcover, $45.00.

Of the making of dictionaries there is no end! Yet in the growing field of Christian Apologetics, an insightful and up-to-date dictionary is a welcome resource to the bookshelf of any thinking Christian. The present volume fills that need. It is divided into two sections. The first section offers several introductory essays on key methodological issues (Christian Apologetics for a New Century; Approaches to Apologetics; Legitimacy of Apologetics; etc). Part two contains numerous alphabetized articles on key individuals, ideas, movements, and issues that are pertinent to the discipline of Christian apologetics. The entries are written by an impressive cast of Christian theologians and philosophers. Indexes of names, subjects, and articles round out this highly useful resource. With the advent of postmodernism, thinking through apologetic issue...