The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church

by Elizabeth A. Livingstone

Book Overview

Based on the highly acclaimed Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, this is an indispensable guide for both students and the general reader. Over 6,000 entries provide authoritative coverage of... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0192800574
• ISBN13: 9780192800572
• Release Date: December 2000
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Length: 656 Pages
• Weight: 0.97 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 7.3" x 4.9"

Customer Reviews

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.

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.

Excellent reference for anyone interested in Christianity

This was a required text for a graduate class I took on the history of Christian theology, and it has been one of my most well-used reference books ever since. I almost always find what I'm looking for in this dictionary, and the entries are clear and helpful, neither too short nor too long. Although I occasionally covet the un-concise version of this dictionary and may ask Santa for it some Christmas, I wonder if I'd actually use the hefty hardback as much as I use this handy, concise paperback.

A Valuable Reference on the Christian Church

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church is a readable, organized and comprehensive volume of 570 pages. It covers most topics needed for research from Aaron to Zwingli. There is also a list, in chronological order, of popes and antipopes; up to and including John Paul II. I have found the book to be especially useful in researching complicated topics such as the early councils and reformers of the late Middle Ages. Written in the usual high standard of the Oxford series, I have yet to find a topic that I was looking for not covered. Feasts, theologians,Biblical books and lives of the saints are among the five thousand topics covered. If you need to know the difference between "Urbs Beata Hierusalem" and "Urbs Sion Aurea", this is the book.