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"You can't understand theology without definitions." So state the authors of the Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms.
Theology, in fact, is something that Christians do almost every day -- whether they are speaking of evangelicalism or fundamentalism, ethics or immortality -- whether they are discussing a Sunday sermon, or reading the latest church news. Almost every day, we use theological terms which are of crucial importance to the church, and of vital importance to our own Christian life and faith. It is well worth being sure of their meaning.
Synopsis
The Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms is a small, slim (122 pages) book, typically devoting five or six lines each to a wide variety of "theological terms, major theologians, and theological movements and traditions". These have been ordered for handy reference from A to Z, from a posteriori through to Zwingli.
The authors have chosen the various entries in the book on the basis of "words and concepts you are most likely to encounter in the theological books and articles you are reading". That is, they have selected those words which, in practice, most often appear in print.
Strengths
For its small size, this book is surprisingly comprehensive. So, for example, it covers the meaning of "church", the significance of the sacraments, the theology of Martin Luther, or what happened at the Council of Nicea -- as well as more than 300 topics besides. In fact a complete reading of the book would leave the reader with a good, broad grasp of basic theological terms -- not to speak of the whole world of theology.
Definitions in theology vary, of course, and the authors are aware of this. They state that they give preference to a "broadly evangelical, Protestant perspective". This having been said, most of their definitions would find general acceptance, and usually they describe these "as is" without interpretation. For instance, "baptismal regeneration", which has been a hot topic in the church for centuries, is simply described it for what it is, without the authors taking up any particular position.
Weaknesses
It need hardly be said that a book which tries to squeeze a world of theology into this few pages will have its limitations. The publishers, in fact, describe theology as a two-thousand year conversation. It is quite an ambition to fit this into 122 pages!
The one obvious shortcoming of the book is that it would sometimes seem to be capricious in its selection of terms. For example, salvation is defined, yet mission is not; the imago Dei (the image of God) is defined, yet the imitatio Christi (the imitation of Christ) is not; Adolf von Harnack (a lesser known theologian) receives an entry, while Jürgen Moltmann (the topic of much debate today) does not; and finally -- wait for it -- Protestantism is defined, while Roman Catholicism is not!
Having said this, many of the omissions (e.g. Roman Catholicism) would come into focus with a complete reading of the book, and this does not seriously detract from the usefulness of the book as a whole.
Summing Up
Despite its small size, this book is surprisingly comprehensive, and refreshingly clear and concise. The authors state that their purpose is simply to "provide you with a foundational, working knowledge of the concepts" -- and in this they certainly succeed, with language that should be within the scope of most beginners.
A full theological dictionary can "cost a ton" -- never mind the weight -- and may often be difficult for beginners to cope with. This book provides a cheap and handy alternative, and has the endorsement of leading evangelical seminaries around the world.
For what it is worth, it is a good reference work well written.
Thomas Scarborough is the minister of an Evangelical Congregational Church in Sea Point, Cape Town -- Africa's most densely populated suburb. He has served as national chairman of the Evangelical Congregational Churches in Southern Africa, and is currently studying for a Master's degree through Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena.
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