#6: Theology: A Short Bibliography of Reference Tools

Reference Works and Bibliographies

Beinert, Wolfgang; Fiorenza, Francis Schussler, ed. Handbook of Catholic Theology. New York: Crossroad, 1995. [BX 1754.5 L4913 1995 TRIF].: Helpful, short articles that set the question in modern Catholic theology.
Berardino, Angelo Di, ed. Encyclopedia of the Early Church. Trans. Adrian Walford. New York: OUP, 1992. [BR 66.5 D5813 TRIF].: A wonderful resource covering individuals, movements, significant sites, etc. in the Early Church, and most entries have bibliographies to the more important primary and secondary works on a subject.
Cameron, Nigel M. de S., ed. Dictionary of Scottish Church History and Theology. Downers Grove: IVP, 1993. [BR 782 D43 TRIF/WYC].
Chadwick, Henry. Atlas of the Christian Church. New York: Facts on File Publications, 1987. [BR 98 A74 TRIF].: A serviceable atlas with good text offering insights and interpretations on the maps.
Clarke, Paul Barry; Linzey, Andrew, ed. Dictionary of Ethics, Theology and Society. London: Routledge, 1996. [BJ 63 D45 1996 TRIF].
McGrath, Alister, ed. The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Modern Christian Thought. Oxford: Blackwell,1993. [BR95B53 TRIF].: These articles offer some of the best short introductions to modem theological thought, with bibliographies to guide further reflection.
Muller, Richard. Dictionary of Latin and Greek Theological Terms. Grand Rapids: Baker 1985.[BR 95 M85 TRIF].: If you wonder what that phrase in Latin means, this is a good place to start, though unfortunately it is primarily limited to terminology arising in Protestant Scholasticism.
Musser, Donald W.; Price, Joseph L., ed. A New Handbook of Christian Theology. Nashville: Abingdon, 1992. [BR 95 N393 TRIN/WYC STOR].: A conservative perspective that also has articles on theology and individuals in North American religious thought that are not always covered in other dictionaries.
O'Carroll, Michael. Trinitas: a theological encyclopedia of the Holy Trinity. Wilmington: Michael Glazier, 1987. [BT 111.2 O33 TRIF].: Veni Creator Spiritus: a theological encyclopedia of the Holy Spirit. Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 1990.; Verbum caro: an encyclopedia on Jesus, the Christ. Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 1992.; Though the treatment in O'Carroll's three encyclopedias is at times uneven, it does offer insights into the tradition, key figures, and controversies surrounding these three key areas.
Rahner, Karl, et al. Sacramentun Mundi: an encyclopedia of theology. New York: Herder and Herder, 1968. [BR 95 S23 TRIF].: A standard work, often with extensive articles on a topic.

Theological Research

Bolich, Gregory C. The Christian Scholar: an introduction to theological research. Lanham: University Press of America, 1986. [BR 118 B558 C45 TRIN/WYC].: Bolich offers workbook type exercises to familiarize you with the resources, a knowledge that can certainly save you time in the future.
Johnston, William M. Recent Reference Books in Religion: a guide/or students, scholars,researchers, buyers, & readers. Downers Grove: IVP. 1996. [BL 48.J653].: The highly annotated work that offers clear analysis of the numerous works available. It is useful as a quick introduction to the types of works that are available.
Kennedy, James R. Library Research Guide to Religion and Theology: illustrated search strategy and sources. 2nd Ed. Michigan: Pierian Press, 1984. [BL41 K45 1984 TRIF/WYC].
Kepple, Robert J.; Muether, John R. Reference Works/or Theological Research: an annotated selective bibliographical guide. 3rd ed.. Lanham: University Press of America, 1992. [Z 7751 K46 R44 1992 TRIF].: Though not as comprehensive as Johnston, it still offers good guidance in identifying reference works to consult on a topic.

Theological Methodology

Barth, Karl. Anselm: fides quaerens intellectum: Anselm 's proof of the existence of God in the context of his theological scheme. Trans. Ian Robertson. London: SCM Press, 1960.: While an analysis of Anselm, this also reveals a great deal about how Barth understood the theological task.
Frei, Hans W. Types of Christian Theology. Ed. George Hunsinger and William C. Placher. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1992. [BR 118 F75 TRIN; TRIN/WYC].: Frei offers a succinct yet illuminating typology of modem theology that serves well to highlight various approaches to theology.
Pannenberg, Wolfhart. Theology and the Philosophy of Science. Trans.Francis McDonagh. London: DLT, 1976. [BR 118 P2713 TRIN; TRIN/WYC STOR].: Pannenberg's major methodological work portrays a correlation between Christian truth claims with knowledge from other spheres.
Placher, William C. Unapologetic Theology: a Christian voice in a pluralistic conversation.Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1989. [BT 1102 P56 U52 TRIN/WYC STOR].: Placher offers both a well written and intelligible survey of recent positions on religion and truth as well as some constructive proposals.
Stone, Howard W.; Duke, James 0. How to Think Theologically. Minneapolis: Fortress, 1996. [BR 118 S75 1996 TRIN].: A simple introduction to theological reflection that emphasizes its central (though often inchoate) status in the Christian life.

History of Theology

Berardino, Angelo Di; and Studer, Basil, ed. History of Theology. Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 1996-.: A very useful introduction by some of the foremost scholars in each area, it should be consulted for any introduction to theology in the Early Church.
Cunliffe-Jones, Hubert. A History of Christian Doctrine. Philadelphia: Fortress,1978. [BT21.2H57 TRINSTOR].
Gonzalez, Justo L. A History of Christian Thought. Rev ed. 3 vols.Nashville: Abingdon,1987. [BT 21.2 G6 TRIN].: Written in a very readable style, Gonzales is probably the easiest survey to comprehend.
Grillmeier, Aloys. Christ in Christian Tradition. 4 vols. Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1975-1996. [BT 198 G743 TRIN].: A definitive work on the history of christology in the first six centuries.
Johnson, William Stacy; Leith, John H. Reformed Reader: a sourcebook in Christian theology. 2 vols Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1993.
Ford, David F., ed. The Modern Theologians. 2 vols. Oxford: Blackwell,1997. [BT 28 M67 TRIN/WYC].: The best recent survey of twentieth-century theology, with essays on both individual theologians and major movements.
Pelikan, Jaroslav. The Christian Tradition: a history of the development of doctrine. 5 vols. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. 1971. [BT 21.2 P42 TRIN].: An ambitious work that covers the history of doctrine for the early church through the modem period. It offers a reliable guide to the development of doctrine, and is one of the few works that also considers Eastern Christian thought.
Quasten, Johannes. Patrology. 4 vols. Westminster: Christian Classics, 1983-1986.[BR 67 Q37 TRIN/WYC STOR].: An essential work for study of the early church writings, Quasten primarily gives information on texts, editions, and translations. If you want to know the works a writer penned and if a translation is available, Quasten is a good source to consult.
Schaff, Philip. The Creeds of Christendom. 3 vols. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1983. [BT 990 C72 TRIN].: A standard collection that contains most important creeds and confessions from the early church to the modem period. Most are presented in both their original language and in translation.
Smart, Ninian. et. at., ed. Nineteenth Century Religious Thought in the West. 3 vols. Cambridge: CUP 1985. [BL 98 N53 TRIN/WYC].: Short essays by experts on most significant writers on religious thought in the 19th century, not just theologians. Philosophers are significantly represented.
Welch, Claude. Protestant Thought in the Nineteenth Century. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1972-1985.[BT 28.W394 TRIN].: The best introduction to Protestant theology in the formative 19th century.

Systematic and Dogmatic Theology: Recent and Classic

Aquinas, Thomas. Nature and Grace: selections from the Summa theologica of Thomas Aquinas. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1954. [BR 61 L59 v.XI TRIN/WYC STOR].: Containing selections from Thomas' Summa, these can serve as an introduction to the larger work.
Barth, Karl. Church Dogmatics. Edinburgh: T & T Clark. 13 vols. [BT 75 B285 TRIN/WYC; TRINSTOR].: A classic work by one of the 20th centuries foremost theologians. It is certainly worth the effort to follow Barth's reflection on a subject.
Dogmatics in Outline. Trans.G. T. Thompson. New York: Harper & Row, 1959. [BT 80 B35 TRIN; TRIN/WYC].: A short introduction to the Apostles' Creed.
Braaten, Carl E.; Jenson, Robert W. ed. Christian Dogmatics. 2 vols. Philadelphia: Fortress,1984. [BT 75.2 C48 TRIN/WYC].: A Lutheran perspective that offers beneficial essays on all the topics of Christian theology.
Calvin, John. Institutes of the Christian Religion. Trans.Ford Lewis Battles. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1960. [BX 45. B3 vols.20-21 TRIN/WYC; TRIN].
Fiorenza, Francis Schussler; Galvin, John P., ed. Systematic Theology: Roman Catholic Perspectives. 2 vols.Minneapolis: Fortress, 1991. [BX 1751.2 S888 TRIN/WYC].: A modern Roman Catholic theology with essays by various writers. This makes it less of a systematic presentation.
Gunton, Colin, ed. The Cambridge Companion to Christian Doctrine. Cambridge: CUP, 1997. [BT 80 .C29 TRIN].: Not simply an introduction to the topics of theology, the companion's essays often survey recent opinions and problems and offer constructive proposals.
Hall, Douglas John. Thinking the Faith, Professing the Faith, Confessing the Faith. Minneapolis: Fortress, 1991-1996. [BT 30 N7 H35 TRIN/WYCSTOR].: A contextual project by a significant Canadian theologian.
Jenson, Robert W. Systematic Theology. New York: OUP 1997- [BT 75.2 J45 TRIN/WYC; TRIN].
McClendon, James W., Jr. Systematic Theology. 2 vols. Nashville: Abingdon,1986-1994. [BJ 1251 M46 TRIN/WYCSTOR].: McClendon begins with ethics as the launching point for understanding Christian reflection upon the Gospel's meaning.
McGrath, Alister E. Christian Theology: an introduction. Oxford: Blackwell, 2nd ed.1997. [BT 65.M34 TRIN/WYC].
__________, ed. The Christian Theology Reader. Oxford: Blackwell, 1995. [BT 77 C47 TRIN].: A readable survey of Christian theology that is concerned with both historical and systematic themes. It is written to be used for individual study as well as group study.
Migliore, Daniel L. Faith Seeking Understanding: an introduction to Christian theology. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1991. |BT 65 M54 TRIN' TRIN/WYCSTOR].: A brief introduction to theology that takes into account many recent concerns (e.g. feminist and liberationist critiques), but is weak in its interaction with the tradition.
Pannenberg, Wolfhart. Systematic Theology. 3 vols. Trans. Geoffrey W. Bromiley. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1991-1997. [BT 75.2 P2613 TRIN; TRIN/WYC].: A significant project from a German Lutheran, Pannenberg develops his theology from the standpoint of revelation as history.
Rahner, Karl. Foundations of Christian Faith. Trans. William V. Dych. New York: Seabury Press, 1978. [BT 75.2 R3313 F6 TRIN; TRIN/WYCSTOR].: This is a serviceable introduction to a writer who continues to be significant for modern Roman Catholic theology.

Recent Movements and Issues

Boff. Leonardo: Boff, Clodovis. Introducing Liberation Theology. Trans. Paul Burns. Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 1987. [BT 83.57 B6313 I57 TRIN/WYC].: A good yet brief summary of liberation theology's issues and concerns by two of its leading writers.
Carr, Anne E. Transforming Grace: Christian tradition and women's experience. San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1988. [BT 704 C38 T72 TRIN; TRIN/WYCSTOR].
Chopp, Rebecca S.; Davaney, Sheila Greeve, ed. Horizons in Feminist Theology: identity, tradition, and norms. Minneapolis: Fortress, 1997. (BT 83.55 H66 TRIN; TRIN/WYC].
Cobb, John B., Jr; Griffin, David Ray. Process Theology: an introductory exposition.Philadelphia: Westminster Press. 1976. [BT 83.6 C6 TRIN; TRIN/WYC; TRINSTOR ].: The standard introduction to theology from the perspective of Process philosophy.
Dyrness, William A, ed. Emerging Voices in Global Christian Theology. Grand Rapids:Zondervan, 1994. [BT 30 D44 E44 TRIN/WYCSTOR].: A brief yet helpful introduction to theological reflection outside the North America and Europe, it enables the reader to begin to see the breadth of Christian reflection.
Fahey, Michael A. Ecumenism: a bibliographical overview. Westport: Greenwood Press, 1992. [BX 8.2 F33 TRINSTOR].: An essential annotated bibliography on ecumenical writings.
Gonzales, Justo L. Mariana: Christian theology from a Hispanic perspective. Nashville: Abingdon, 1990. [BT 30 U6 G65 TRIN/WYCSTOR].
Gutierrez, Gustavo. A Theology of Liberation: history, politics, and salvation. Maryknoll: Orbis, 1973. [BT 83.57 G8613 TRIN/WYCSTOR; BT 738.G 8613T TRIN].: The classical statement of liberation theology which clearly puts forth some of the abiding themes of the movement.
Hennelly, Alfred T., ed. Liberation Theology: a documentary history. Maryknoll: Orbis,1990. [BT 83.57 L487 TRIN/WYC].
Loades, Ann, ed. Feminist Theology: a reader. London: SPCK, 1990. [BT 83.55 F45 TRIN; TRIN/WYCSTOR].
Lossky, Nicholas, et al. Dictionary of the Ecumenical Movement. Geneva/Grand Rapids: WCC Publications/ Eerdmans, 1991. [BR 95 D49 TRIF].: A crucial tool for understanding the ecumenical movement, the Dictionary identifies major writers, documents, and issues in ecumenical perspectives. Short bibliographies of important works add to each essay.
Musto, Ronald G. Liberation Theologies: a research guide. Garland Publishing: New York & London, 1991. [BT 83.57 M87 TRIN].: An extensive, annotated bibliography on works in Liberation Theology.
Newbigin, Lesslie. The Gospel in a Pluralist Society. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1989. [BR 115 C8 N468 TRIN/WYC].
Ruether, Rosemary Radford. Sexism and God talk. Boston: Beacon Press. 1983. [BT 704 R83 TRIN; TRIN/WYCSTOR].: A classic critique of theology from a feminist perspective, it treats many of the traditional topics of Christian theology.
Tanner, Kathryn. Theories of Culture: a new agenda for theology. Minneapolis: Fortress, 1997. [BR 115 C8T36 TRIN; TRIN/WYC].
Young, Josiah U. African Theology: a critical analysis and annotated bibliography. Westport: Greenwood Press, 1993.[BT 30.A438 Y68 TRIN].

Philosophical Theology

Allen, Diogenes. Philosophy for Understanding Theology. Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1985.[BT 40.A44 TRIN].: An introductory text that considers philosophy and philosophers on the basis of their influence upon Christian theology from the early church to the modem period.
Dalferth, Ingolf U. Theology and Philosophy. Oxford: Blackwell, 1988. [BR 100 D25T43 TRIN; TRIN/WYCSTOR].: Dalferth investigates how the relation between theology and philosophy has been understood by theologians as well as how philosophy has been theologically utilized.
Davis, Stephen T. God, Reason and Theistic Proofs. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans , 1997. [BL 182 D38 TRIN/WYC].: Surveys the proofs for the existence of God both in the tradition and in more recent analysis.
Plantinga, Alvin; Wolterstorff, Nicholas, ed. Faith and Rationality: reason and belief in God. Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 1983. [BT 50 F34 TRIN/WYC].: Essays by respected Christian philosophers on the relation between faith and reason attempt to take into consideration recent work in epistemology.
Stead, Christopher. Philosophy in Christian Antiquity. Cambridge: CUP, 1994. [BR 100 S7583 TRIN; TRIN/WYCSTOR].: A clear and concise work, written for the non-specialist, detailing the relation between philosophy and theology in the early church.

Revised Jan.2001, August, 2006 by Tom Power.