The Westminster Dictionary of Church History, Volume One: The Early, Medieval, and Reformation Eras, Robert Benedetto, ed. Westminster John Knox Press 2008 (ISBN: 978-0664224165), xlvii + 691 pp., hb $59.95.
Robert Benedetto, Director of the Flora Lamson Hewlett Library at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California, herein revisits and updates the 1971 The Westminster Dictionary of Church History (hereafter WDCH). This new edited volume includes nearly fourteen hundred articles written by over two hundred contributors, broadly covering the early, medieval, and Reformation periods. Indeed, a team of 203 scholars from all over the world and from all over the theological spectrum contribute articles about the church from the first century to the twentieth. Benedetto continues the tradition WDCH by providing ‘an immediate, accurate, introductory definition and explanation’ concerning major personalities, events, facts, and movements in the history of Christianity, and like its predecessor, it ‘does not intend to be definitive, nor do the entries pretend to be exhaustive’ (ix). Good thing, as numerous important movements have herein been excluded, primarily those from the Wesleyaion-Ariminan viewpoint. While admittedly, this is not the target audience, it would have been strengthened by a ‘point-counterpoint/analyses’.
Included here one will find erudite articles covering such persons and movements as Abelard, Alexandrian Christianity, Anglicanism, Basil of Caesarea, Boethius, Bonaventure, Calvin, the Cathars, the Crusades, the Ebionites, the Filioque clause, Hilary of Bingen, Jerome, and Martin Luther. Particularly strong articles herein are those concerning Nicholas of Cusa, the Papacy (across Medieval, Renaissance, and Reformation periods, respectively). Further, strong articles can be found with reference to Paul, Pope Pius II, Richard of St. Victor, the Reform[ed] Papacy. One might dispute numerous of these articles, those regarding the papacy especially, but the scholarship is evident nonetheless; as such, the articles are (somewhat) convincing regarding their viewpoint(s).
A significant area of improvement of the NWDCH over the WDCH is to be found in its more extensive list of contributors (203 compared to 140), drawing from an explicitly international team of scholars to include women and those of African descent, something noticeably lacking in the first edition. There is additionally more attention given to Eastern Orthodoxy and global Christianity; the former edition had a much more narrow focus on American/European Christianity. Unfortunately the ‘broadened’ scope is somewhat negligible, as this edition still covers developments from the pre-1700 period (almost) exclusively; however, volume two – prospectively – will cover the modern period, from 1700 onward. The addition of the short bibliographies at the end of each entry is another benefit with regard to this updated edition. Due to the high number of entries (1400), nearly every individual contributor has placed more than one entry.
A large range of topics are herein covered, and if I am must mention areas of non-coverage, it would be with regard to the relation between Lutheran/Calvinistic teachings and the Wesleyan tradition, although admittedly those topics may be outside the scope of the project. However, the text would have been extremely strengthened by mentioning the Wesleyan response(s) to the topics, at least in a peripheral manner. Additionally, while the article are concise and pointed – a strength – they could have been further strengthened by a more robust bibliography listing at the end of each article.
Particularly strong are the articles regarding “Adoptionism,” “Jerome,” the Hutterites,” and “Ignatius of Antioch.” Moreover, the entire section concerning the patristic era was particularly strong. In sum, this resource, covering the early, medieval, and Reformation periods, will be highly valued by introductory students – both undergraduate and graduate, guiding them to further, in-depth, study. As such, it is recommended for introductory survey courses.
Bradford McCall
Regent Universality, Virginia Beach, VA