Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms
Nearly 6,000 terms from disciplines such as the Bible, church history, ethics, ministry, spirituality, theology, and worship are defined here by McKim, a professor at Memphis Theological Seminary. He describes his work as not deep but broad in its coverage. Definitions are usually just two or three sentences long. He provides etymologies for many words, usually from Hebrew, Greek, or Latin. Many entries make reference to the Bible, noting book, chapter, and verse. Pronunciation would have been helpful for some words (e.g.,exegesis, hermeneutics). Although published by the Presbyterian Church, this dictionary can be used by members of other Protestant denominations and Roman Catholics. McKim notes when a word is used only in a specific tradition or if faiths differ in their use of a term. For example, insacrament,he notes that the Roman Catholic Church recognizes seven sacraments and Protestants, two. Definitions are accessible to lay Christians.There are many specialized dictionaries of theological terms, such as theDictionary of Feminist Theologies[RBBAg 96] and theWestminster Dictionary of Christian Ethics(1986), but this new work will be especially useful in academic and public libraries that need a general dictionary with broad coverage.Sandy Whiteley--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.