Religion Past & Present ─ Encyclopedia of Theology And Religion

The massive volumes of this resource offer the English translation of the 4th edition of Religion in Geschichte und Gegenwart of 1998-2005. Some editing was done for the English translation, including the removal of short articles mainly of interest to a German audience, the addition of articles on figures who have died since the German edition was published, and the addition of some English-language bibliography. Exhaustive lists of resources are provided, on topics that include the Nag Hammadi and rabbinic literature, as well as lexicons, primary sources, series, and works on religion and its study. The material ranges in scope from points of theology in the world's religions and figures of the Old and New Testaments to more radical spiritual thinkers such as Malcolm X, to medieval art historians, such as Emile Male. Most of the work is devoted to early Christianity, Catholicism, and Protestant-related theology, but many articles are included on other religious traditions and figures, and overview articles on major subjects--such as those in this volume on marriage, miracles, or monasticism--include sections on Judaic, Islamic, Buddhist, and Hindu traditions. Each entry is signed and includes full bibliography. B&w and some color illustrations are included. The individual volumes are not indexed. This is a wonderfully rich resource, valuable to academics, theologians, students, and the general reader. Annotation c2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)