A Dictionary of the Bible (Oxford Quick Reference)

By W.R.F. Browning

Book Overview

This revised edition is the most authoritative, accessible, and up-to-date dictionary of the Bible available in paperback. As well as providing helpful information about important places and personalities, it is particularly concerned to expound the themes and doctrines of the Bible and to indicate their status in the light of modern scholarship. With entries ranging from earthquakes and mice to feminism and the Dead Sea Scrolls, the dictionary is a lively and absorbing reference work for all readers of the Bible.

-Over 2,000 entries from Adam to Zechariah

-Clear explanations of technical terms, methods of interpretation, and critical analysis, as well as notes on leading biblical scholars and their contributions
-Broad coverage includes the books of the Bible, people and places, customs, religions and worship, history, and theology

-Takes into account the work of Christian scholars of all denominations and Jewish scholars

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 019860890X
• ISBN13: 9780198608905
• Release Date: December 2004
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 464 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 5.0" x 1.0" x 7.7"

Customer Reviews

Dictionary of the Bible

Good book - easy to follow - fairly basic but covers the majority of items needed.

Great resource for all but the most literal believer

Covering everything from Aaron to Zuzim, "The Dictionary of the Bible" is a useful one-volume reference work to the Christian Bible. "Dictionary of the Bible" offers over 400 pages of readable entries, quoting chapter and verse, on a wide variety of topics, from the sacred (Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection) to the mundane (on topics such as straw, footstool, and reaping), and includes numerous maps and charts. W.R.F. Browning bring his Anglican heritage to the task, and the result is entries that should satisfy all but the most orthodox Christians. Those who believe in the literal accuracy of the Bible will object to Browning's discussion of the various interpretations of such topics as healing, miracles, and the authorship of the books. He describes the book of Revelations, for example, as "an embarrassment to the Church. Its bizarre imagery has been incomprehensible or misunderstood. Apocalyptic sects have used it as a handbook to predict the future. Many Christians have found the apparent gloating over the defeat of the Church's enemies to be morally repulsive." But for the most part, Browning did not intend the dictionary to hew to a particular theology. On topics such as Jesus' reasoning behind his use of parables, he recaps the major controversies without showing a bias toward a particular position. "Dictionary of the Bible" is a valuable reference work that provides an excellent starting point for understanding the meaning of Christianity. It is clear, concise, and challenging to the intellect.

Excellent. A very worthwhile resource.

Hanging around in newsgroups like alt.atheism, one can easily come to the conclusion that apologetics is the domain of mad b****** fundies, whose grip of morality and reality is only slightly better than that of the Roman emperor Caligula. This book, written by mainstream theologians, who are, by and large, not mad, gives that lie to that experience based assumption. You get: Considerable historical fact and a critical approach to what we can know of historical truth combined with an excellent cross-reference and most importantly, a refusal to shy away from the difficult areas of Biblical history.Highly recomended as a reference work, even if the US cover is considerably more garish than the UK version.