Boston College LibGuides @ BC - Theology - Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

The following titles are only a selection of some of the most useful theological dictionaries and encyclopedias. Other print resources may be found by browsing the reference shelves containing the print titles listed below.

New Catholic Encyclopedia (BC Community Only)
This resource features 12,000 entries and lengthy articles on theology, philosophy, history, literary figures, saints, musicians, among others. The print version is also available: O'Neill Reference O'Neill Reference BX841 .N45 2003.
The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, 3rd ed. (1997)
Entries on figures, movements, and events as well as themes and terms. Most entries have short bibliographies. A great resource.
The New Dictionary of Theology. (1987)
O'Neill Reference BR95 .N3 1987. Catholic emphasis. The longest articles, 24 in number, are about "the principle themes of the Christian vision of faith." These are often 10-15 pages long and are "the center around which the articles revolve."
Dictionnaire de théologie catholique, contenant l'exposé des doctrines de la théologie catholique, leurs preuves, et leur histoire. 15 v. (1909-1950)
O'Neill Reference BX841 .D68. Its 15 volumes constitute the largest, specifically theological encyclopedia available. To be used with Dictionnaire de théologie catholique . . . Tables generales. 3 v. Ed. by Bernard Loth and Albert Michel, 1951-72.
Sacramentum Mundi: An Encyclopedia of Theology. 6 v. (1968-1970)
O'Neill Reference BR95 .S25. Catholic perspective. Articles several pages in length. A groundbreaking resource which received praise for its inclusion of topics rarely treated in pre-Vatican II theology.
Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche. 11 v. 3rd ed. (1993-2001)
O'Neill Reference BR95.B494x 1993. A standard work and a product of Catholic scholarship, more extensive than anything in English.
The Catholic Encyclopedia
This is an electronic version of the standard 15 volume reference work published during 1907-1913. Many articles are still useful even though it is a product of an earlier stage of Catholic scholarship.