Carroll Stuhlmueller, editor, The College Ville Pastoral Dictionary of Biblical Theology.

A Liturgical Press Book; Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1996. Pp. lv + 1120. Cloth, $74.95.

The Liturgical Press presents to us a Dictionary that specifically focuses on biblical theology. The theological perspective of this work is Catholic. As the word Pastoral of the tide implies, the Dictionary's intended audience is "priests, religious teachers at all levels, and educated laity who in a variety of settings want to deepen their understanding of the Bible and its proper place within the life of the Church" (p. ix). The editor has included four kinds of articles: introductory, major, secondary, and brief entries. The introductory articles are listed separately from the other three article types (which are listed alphabetically).

The Dictionary begins with the introductory articles, which cover several issues: Using the Dictionary, The Bible and Its Books, English Versions of the Bible, History of the Major Religious Movements in the Bible, Old and New Testaments, Biblical Interpretation through the Ages, Archaeology and Biblical Interpretation, The Bible and Culture, and Biblical Theology. The articles are evidently intended to touch on various literary expressions and influences upon the Bible that affect biblical interpretation and its use within the Church.

The major articles cover selected topics with distinct components, usually three, each contributed by a different scholar. For example, the article on "Election" has three sections: Old Testament, New Testament, and Pastoral-Liturgical Tradition (this section traces "election" in the life of the Church). These section titles are the same for many of the major articles. Each section, written by a scholar whose name appears at the end of the section, has subsections that address various issues. The "Election" article already mentioned, for example, the Old Testament section includes subsections on God's Choice of a People, God's Choice of Individuals, Distortion of the Idea of Election, and The New Eschatological Election. Other major articles have similar formats.

The secondary articles focus on a particular person, topic, motif, or key biblical or theological issue. Secondary articles are those that do not have primary significance but are theologically or pastorally too important to be ignored. These articles, each written by one person, are usually divided into the same three sections as the major articles (Old Testament, New Testament, and Pastoral--Liturgical Tradition). Examples include "Jacob," "Jealousy," and "Preaching." They are quite informative and can be several pages in length.

The last category of articles is the brief entry. These short articles provide information about figures, places, or subjects that may not be prominent in the Bible yet appear in Christian tradition and deserve explanation. The writers did not subdivide them even though they are in some cases of significant length--up to a page or more. Examples include "Noah," "Monotheism," and "Egypt."

The editor has cross-referenced many entries with other related articles, and has placed a biblical time line inside the front cover and two maps of Israel (Old Testament and New Testament) inside the back cover. Otherwise, the Dictionary is devoid of charts, maps, illustrations, pictures, or any other visual aids--a lack that is, I think, a weakness. Besides a few in-text documentation references, there are no bibliographical entries for any of the articles, including the introductory and major articles. There is little help, therefore, for the person wishing to do additional studies on a particular topic. A list of contributors is the only addendum following the articles.

The articles are well written. The consistency of headings will not only help the repetitive user focus on a particular aspect of a topic, but will also help the reader to know what to expect from the Dictionary even before consulting it. The publisher has chosen a good size print, which makes the volume easy to read. Contributors do use transliterated Greek and Hebrew words, but only when the word is key to the concept described. When they do use original language words, however, they are careful to make them user-friendly to the English-speaking reader. Overall, I think this Dictionary will serve as a good resource to ministers and lay people for teaching, preaching, or just increasing one's understanding of biblical topics for years to come.

Terry W. Eddinger
Houston Graduate School of Theology
NC Campus
High Point NC 27262