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They just don’t make encyclopedias like they used to.. The large and multi-volume dictionaries and encyclopedias at the end of the 1800’s and early-1900’s are some of the most scholarly and in-depth that have ever been printed, especially in the field of history, and cover topics too specific, detailed and lengthy for modern abridgments.
More and more contemporary works of scholarship are also becoming available on the internet through online loan.
** – Take Special Notice of
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Order of Contents
Dictionaries
. Bible
. Theological
. Exegetical
. Church History & Biography
. Special
Encyclopedias
. General
. Bible, Theological
. Church History & Biography
. Religious
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Bible Dictionaries
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Small Bible Dictionaries
1700’s
Oliver, Peter – The Scripture Lexicon, or a Dictionary… 1797 350 pp.
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1800’s
Harris, Thaddeus Mason – A Dictionary of the Natural History of the Bible, or… 1833 390 pp.
Gurney, William – The Diamond Pocket Dictionary of the Holy Bible, containing… Selected and Arranged from Calmet, Brown, Newton, Hurd, etc. 1836 480 pp.
Barr, John – Complete Index and Concise Dictionary of the Holy Bible 1837 180 pp.
Engles, William Morrison – Bible Dictionary for the Use of Bible Classes, Schools and Families 1851 470 pp. Presbyterian Board of Publication Engles
Malcom, Howard – Malcom’s New Dictionary: A Dictionary of the Most Important Names, Objects and Terms Found in the Holy Scriptures, Intended Principally for Sunday Schools and Bible Classes and as an Aid to Family Instruction 1853 340 pp.
Emmons, S.B. – A Bible Dictionary 1854 220 pp.
Green, Samuel – A Biblical and Theological Dictionary, Designed as an Illustrative Commentary on the Sacred Scriptures 1867 435 pp. Massachusetts Sabbath School Society
ed. Rice, Edwin W. – People’s Dictionary of the Bible 1893 230 pp. American Sunday School Union
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1900’s
McKenzie, John L. – Dictionary of the Bible 1965 220 pp. Dedicated to the Jesuits
The Pocket Bible Dictionary, with Comprehensive Bible Helps ed. Philip Schaff, further condensed by Jubilee Publishers 1996 262 pp.
Browning, W.R.F. – A Dictionary of the Bible 1996 458 pp. Oxford
Miller & Miller – Harper’s Encyclopedia of Bible Life 1996 458 pp.
Nelson’s Compact Bible Dictionary ed. R. Youngblood, F.F. Bruce, R.K. Harrison 2004
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Medium-Sized Bible Dictionaries
1800’s
Mansford, John Griffith – A Scripture Gazetteer: or Geographical and Historical Dictionary of Places and People Mentioned in the Bible, with… 1829 545 pp.
** Alexander, Archibald – A Pocket Dictionary of the Holy Bible 1831 566 pp. The first professor at old Princeton Seminary.
** Brown of Haddington, John – A Dictionary of the Holy Bible 1839 560 pp. Scottish Secessionist minister and profesor
American Sunday School Union – The Union Bible Dictionary 1842 650 pp.
Covel, Jr., James – A Concise Dictionary of the Holy Bible 1843 540 pp.
** Kitto, John – Cyclopaedia of Biblical Literature, Abridged by J. Taylor 1849 820 pp. For the unabridged, two volume work, see under multi-volume.
Farrar, John – A Biblical and Theological Dictionary: Illustrative of the Old and New Testaments 1857 648 pp. Wesleyan
Bastow, James Austin – A Bible Dictionary, being a Comprehensive Digest of the History and Antiquities of the Hebrews and Neighboring Nations… 1859 745 pp.
ed. Brown, William – A Dictionary of the Bible 1866 590 pp. This is John Brown of Haddington’s dictionary revised by his son
Nicholson, William – The Bible Explainer, or a Dictionary 1870 870 pp.
** Eadie, John – A Biblical Cyclopaedia, or Dictionary of Eastern Antiquities, Geography, Natural History, Sacred Annals and Biography, Theology and Biblical Literature 1870 710 pp. Eadie was a conservative, orthodox professor and theologian of the Scottish United Presbyterian Chuch
Smith, William
** A Dictionary of the Bible, Comprising its Antiquities, Biography, Geography and Natural History 1880 820 pp. The most well-known and standard, older Bible dictionary
A Smaller Dictionary of the Bible 1872 700 pp.
** Shepherd, Thomas – The Westminster Bible Dictionary 1880 560 pp. Philadelphia Board of Publications
Rand, W.W. – Dictionary of the Holy Bible for General Use in the Study of the Scriptures 1886 790 pp. American Tract Society
Easton, M.G. – Illustrated Bible Dictionary and Treasury of Biblical History, Biography, Geography, Doctrine and Literature 1893 760 pp.
** Davis, John D. – A Dictionary of the Bible 1898 840 pp. Davis was an old Princeton Seminary professor. This work remained popular through the first half of the 1900’s, though later editions were somewhat liberalized by revisers.
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1900’s
Thein, John – Ecclesiastical Dictionary, containing in Concise Form, Information upon Ecclesiastical, Biblical, Archaeological and Historical Subjects 1900 770 pp.
** Fausset, Andrew R. – Bible Cyclopaedia: Critical and Expository 1911 770 pp. Fausset was an evangelical, Irish Anglican clergyman, known for his co-authorship of the Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary
The Universal Bible Dictionary ed. F.N. Peloubet 1912 830 pp. based on Wm. Smith’s One Vol. work
The Universal Bible Dictionary ed. A.R. Buckland 1914 520 pp.
Bryant, T. Alton – The New Compact Bible Dictionary 1967 514 pp.
Dow, James L. – World’s Handy Dictionary of the Bible 1974 646 pp.
ed. Alexander, Pat – Eerdmans’ Family Encyclopedia of the Bible 1978
** Douglas, J.D. – New Bible Dictionary 2nd ed. 1982
ed. Lockyer, Herbert & F.F. Bruce – Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary 1986
The Lion Encyclopedia of the Bible ed. Alexander, Drane, Field & Millard 1986
Williams, Derek – New Concise Bible Dictionary 1989 666 pp.
Young, G. Douglas – Young’s Compact Bible Dictionary 1989 582 pp. Tyndale House
Douglas, J.D. & Merrill C. Tenney – NIV Compact Dictionary of the Bible 1989 514 pp.
Nelson’s Quick Reference Bible Dictionary 1993 776 pp.
Nelson’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of Bible Facts ed. Packer, Tenney, White 1995
Strong, James – The New Strong’s Complete Dictionary of Bible Words 1996 746 pp.
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2000’s
Dockrey & Godwin – The Student Bible Dictionary 2000 514 pp.
Tischler, Nancy – All Things in the Bible: an Encyclopedia of the Biblical World 2006 770 pp.
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Large One-Volume Bible Dictionaries
1800’s
Watson, Richard – A Biblical and Theological Dictionary: Explanatory of the History, Manners and Customs of the Jews and Neighboring Nations… an Exposition of the Principal Doctrines of Christianity and Notices of Jewish Sects and Heresies 1832 1,090 pp. Watson was a prominent Arminian theologian.
Robinson, John – A Theological, Biblical & Ecclesiastical Dictionary 1835 1,110 pp.
** Taylor, Charles – Calmet’s Dictionary of the Holy Bible 5th ed. 1835 980 pp. One of the standard, older productions
Edwards, B.B. – Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge , or Dictionary of the Bible, Theology, Religious Biography, All Religions, Ecclesiastical History and Missions… an Impartial Account of the Principal Christian Denominations… 1837 1,344
A Comprehensive Dictionary of the Bible ed. Samuel Barnum 1869 1,240 pp.
** Abbott, Lyman – A Dictionary of Religious Knowledge for Popular and Professional Use: comprising full Information on Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Subjects 1875 1,090 pp.
** ed. Robinson, Edward – The Comprehensive Critical and Explanatory Bible Encyclopaedia, Comprising its Antiquities, Biography, Geography and Natural History… 1881 1,080 pp.
ed. Schaff, Philip – A Dictionary of the Bible, including Biography, Natural History, Geography, Topography, Archaeology and Literature 1887 990 pp. American Sunday School Union
Sanford, Elias – A Concise Cyclopedia of Religious Knowledge: Biblical, Biographical, Geographical, Historical, Practical and Theological 1890 1,000 pp.
Morrish, George – A New and Concise Bible Dictionary 1897 1,738 pp.
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1900’s
ed. Piercy, William – The Illustrated Bible Dictionary 1908 1,090 pp.
** ed. Jacobus, Nourse, Zenos – A Standard Bible Dictionary 1909 1,008 pp. Melancthon Jacobus was an Old Princeton Seminary professor
** Murray’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary ed. William Piercy 1909 1,100 pp.
** Ewing, W. & J.E.H. Thomson – The Temple Dictionary of the Bible 1910 1,100 pp.
** Hastings, James – Dictionary of the Bible Extra Volume 1924 1,028 pp.
Tenney, Merrill – The Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary 1963 968 pp.
Martin, William C. – The Layman’s Bible Encyclopedia 1964 1,036 pp.
Achtemeier, Paul J. – Harper’s Bible Dictionary 1985 1,178
Gentz, William H. – The Dictionary of Bible and Religion 1986 1,178 Abingdon is liberal
ed. Allen C. Myers – The Eerdmans Bible Dictionary 1987 1,126 pp.
The Revell Bible Dictionary 1990 1,178 pp.
Easton, M.G. – Easton’s Bible Dictionary 1996 1,260 pp. A dictionary of Bible terms, from the Illustrated Bible Dictionary, 3rd ed. 1897
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Multi-Volume Bible Dictionaries
1800’s
Wood, James – A Dictionary of the Holy Bible, containing…, vol. 1 (A-I), 2 (J-Z) 1804/13
** ed. Smith, William & J.M. Fuller – A Dictionary of the Bible, Comprising its Antiquities, Biography, Geography and Natural History. vol. 1.1 (A-Ely), 1.2 (Elz-J), 2 (K-Red Heifer), 3 (Red Sea-Z) 1863/93 The most standard, older, full, Bible dictionary
ed. Fairbairn, Patrick – The Imperial Bible Dictionary, Historical, Biographical, Geographical and Doctrinal, including the…, vol. 1 (A-J), 2 (K-Z) 1866 Fairbairn was a professor in the Free Church of Scotland
** Dr. William Smith’s Dictionary of the Bible, Comprising its Antiquities, Biography, Geography and Natural History, vol. 1 (A-Genn), 2 (Genn-Mark), 3 (Marr-Reg), 4 (Reg-Z) ed. H.B. Hackett & Ezra Abbot 1871
** ed. Kitto, John – Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature, vol. 1 (A-H), 2 (I-Z) 1880
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1900’s
ed. Hastings, Selbie, Davidson, Driver, Swete – A Dictionary of the Bible Dealing with its Language, Literature and Contents, including the Biblical Theology, vol. 1 (A-Fea), 2 (Fei-Kins), 3 (Kir-Plei), 4 (Pler) 1908 Liberal
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Theological Dictionaries
1800’s
Robinson, John – A Theological, Biblical & Ecclesiastical Dictionary 1835 1,110 pp.
Buck, Charles – A Theological Dictionary containing… a Comprehensive View of Every Article in the System of Divinity, an Impartial Account of all the Principal Denominations… together with… Ecclesiastical History 1838 500 pp. New American edition revised by George Bush
Eden, Robert – The Churchman’s Theological Dictionary 1845 2nd ed. 420 pp.
Farrar, John – A Biblical and Theological Dictionary: Illustrative of the Old and New Testaments 1857 648 pp. Wesleyan (Arminian)
Blunt, John Henry – Dictionary of Doctrinal and Historical Theology 1872 840 pp.
Benton, Angelo A. – The Church Cyclopedia, a Dictionary of Church Doctrine, History, Organization and Ritual 1886 760 pp. associated with the Protestant Episcopal Church
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1900’s
Muller, Richard – Dictionary of Latin and Greek Theological Terms: Drawn Principally from Protestant Scholastic Theology Buy 1985 338 pp. Baker
ed. Elwell, Walter – Evangelical Dictionary of Theology 1984
ed. Wright, David F., Sinclair B. Ferguson, J. I. Packer – New Dictionary of Theology Buy 1988 757 pp. IVP
McKim, Donald K. – Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms 1996 500 pp. Liberal
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2000’s
Davie, Martin, Tim Grass, Stephen R. Holmes, et al. – New Dictionary of Theology: Historical and Systematic Pre Buy 2016 IVP 2nd edition
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Roman Catholic
Roberti, Francesco – Dictionary of Moral Theology 1962 1,418 pp. Newman Press
Bouyer, Louis – Dictionary of Theology 1965 514 pp.
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Exegetical-Theological Dictionaries of Significant Biblical Words
Old Testament Exegetical & Theological Dictionaries
New Testament Exegetical & Theological Dictionaries
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Church History Dictionaries & Biography
For biographical articles on figures from Great Britain, see the ** Dictionary of National Biography.
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1800’s
Crabb, George – Universal Historical Dictionary, or Explanation of the Names of Persons and Places in the Departments of Biblical, Political and Ecclesiastical History, Mythology, Heraldry, Biography…, vol. 1 (A-F), 2 (G-Z) 1833 Enlarged edition
Robinson, John – A Theological, Biblical & Ecclesiastical Dictionary 1835 1,110 pp.
Buck, Charles – A Theological Dictionary… together with… Ecclesiastical History 1838 500 pp.
Staunton, William – An Ecclesiastical Dictionary 1861 700 pp.
** Eadie, John – The Ecclesiastical Cyclopaedia, or Dictionary 1862 680 pp.
Eadie was the stalwart, Biblical commentator and scholar of the Scottish United Presbyterian Church.
Blunt, John Henry – Dictionary of Sects, Heresies, Ecclesiastical Parties and School of Religious Thought 1874 660 pp.
Benton, A.A. – The Church Cyclopedia, a Dictionary of Church Doctrine, History, Organization and Ritual 1886 760 pp. associated with the Protestant Episcopal Church
Benham, William – The Dictionary of Religion, an Encyclopaedia of Christian and other Religious Doctrines, Denominations, Sects, Heresies, Ecclesiastical Terms, History, Biography, etc., etc. 1887 1,170 pp.
Whitehead, Benjamin – Church Law, being a Concise Dictionary of Statutes, Canons, Regulations and Decided Cases affecting the Clergy and Laity 1892 345 pp.
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1900’s
Thein, John – An Ecclesiastical Dictionary 1900 760 pp.
ed. Wright, Charles & Charles Neil – A Protestant Dictionary, containing Articles on the History, Doctrines and Practices of the Christian Church 1904 880 pp.
Bumpus, John S. – A Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Terms, being a History and Explanation of Certain Terms used in Architecture, Ecclesiology, Liturgiology, Music, Ritual, Cathedral, Constitution, etc. 1910 330 pp.
** Douglas, J.D. – The New International Dictionary of the Christian Church 1978 1,096 pp.
ed. Livingstone, Elizabeth – The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church 1977 This is an abridgement of the 2nd edition of The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church below. Contains over 5000 entries on all aspects of the Christian Church.
** ed. Cross, F.L. – The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church Buy 1958/1974/1988/2004 1,834 pp. Also here and here
“In a class by itself as a single-volume work of historical reference. Packed with accurate information, it has selective but exact bibliographies.” – Owen Chadwick
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Roman Catholic
McGovern, James – Catholic Pocket Dictionary and Cyclopedia, containing a brief Explanation of the Doctrines, Discipline, Rites, Ceremonies and Councils of Holy Catholic Church, including an abridged account of the Religious Orders 1906 320 pp.
Hook, Walter Farquhar – Church Dictionary 1880 13th ed. 790 pp. Roman Catholic leaning
** Addis & Arnold – A Catholic Dictionary: Containing some Account of the Doctrine, Discipline, Rites, Ceremonies, Councils and Religious Orders of the Catholic Church 1893 980 pp.
This work is rather full and has a lot of things not found in other dictionaries.
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Specific Periods & Subjects in Church History
Early-Medieval Church
** ed. Smith, W. & Wace, H. – A Dictionary of Christian Biography, Literature, Sects, and Doctrines 1877-1887 up to AD 814
This is a better edition than the later, 1911, abridged, 2 vol. edition of Wace & Piercy, as it covers a more extensive time frame up till Charlemagne (instead of only up to AD 600) and has longer, more detailed articles.
“The works of Smith and Wace is very useful, relatively complete, and generally reliable.” – Otto Bardenhewer
** Smith, William & Cheetham, Samuel – A Dictionary of Christian Antiquities… from the time of the Apostles to the age of Charlemagne, vol. 1 (A-J), 2 (K-Z) 1908
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Reformation
ed. Steimer, Bruno – Dictionary of the Reformation Buy 2004 384 pp. Encyclopedia of Theology and Church
Mullett, Michael – Historical Dictionary of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation Buy 2010 594 pp. Historical Dictionaries of Religions, Philosophies, and Movements
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Scottish Encyclopedias & Biography
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The American Church
Miller, William James – The American Church Dictionary and Cyclopedia 1901 295 pp.
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Missions
Bliss, Edwin – The Encyclopaedia of Missions: Descriptive, Historical, Biographical, Statistical, vol. 1 (A-L), 2 (M-Z) 1891
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Denominations
Lutheran
Bodensieck, Julius – The Encyclopedia of the Lutheran Church, vol. 1, 2, 3 1965
ed. Fuerbringer, Engelder, Kretzmann – The Concordia Cyclopedia: a Handbook of Religious Information, with Special Reference to the History, Doctrine, Work and Usages of the Lutheran Church 1927 850 pp.
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Church of England
Moore, Thomas – Dictionary of the English Church, Ancient and Modern 1870 490 pp.
Cutts, Edward – A Dictionary of the Church of England 1887 680 pp.
ed. Ollard, S.L. – A Dictionary of English Church History 1912 690 pp.
Lowndes, Frederic – Bishops of the Day: a Biographical Dictionary of the Archbishops and Bishops of the Church of England, and of all Churches in Communion therewith throughout the World 1897 310 pp.
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Presbyterian
ed. Nevin, Alfred – Encyclopaedia of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America 1884 1,300 pp.
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Baptist
Haynes, Thomas Wilson – Haynes’ Baptist Cyclopaedia, or Dictionary of Baptist Biography, Bibliography, Antiquities, History, Chronology, Theology, Polity and Literature 1848 335 pp.
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Methodist
Anderson, Joseph – Methodist Dictionary: a Brief Work on Methodist Terminology 1909 88 pp.
Wright, Richard – Centennial Encyclopaedia of the African Methodist Episcopal Church 1916 400 pp.
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Special Dictionaries
** ed. Toorn, Becking, Horst – Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible 1999 1,000 pp. Brill
Lass, Kiremidjian, Goldstein – The Dictionary of Classical, Biblical and Literary Allusions 1988 294 pp.
Archer, Gleason – Encyclopaedia of Bible Difficulties 1982 480 pp. Laid by the order of the books of the Bible
Proper Names
Jackson, J.B. – A Dictionary of the Proper Names of the Old and New Testament Scriptures… 1909 110 pp.
Potts, Cyrus – Dictionary of Bible Proper Names: Every Proper Name in the Old and New Testaments… Definitions given in English 1922 280 pp.
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Topical Concordances
Nave’s Topical Bible Concordance
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Cross-Reference Bibles
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Inglis, James – The Bible-Text Cyclopedia 1880 530 pp.
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General Encyclopedias
The Nuttall Encyclopedia ed. Peter Austin Nuttall (d. 1869)
Consists of entries that are generally very short. The encyclopedia has a strong editorial voice. The work concerns itself mostly with people and places.
** Encyclopedia Britannica 11th Edition 29 vols. 1911
This was the best, longest and most in-depth Encyclopedia Britannica ever printed. When published in 1911, this encyclopedia contained over 40 million words in nearly 40,000 articles written by 1,500 authors respected in their fields. For this reason it represented the sum of human knowledge at the beginning of the 20th century.
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Bible & Theological Encyclopedias
1800’s
** McClintock & Strong – Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature 12 vols. 1867-1887 Conservative
ed. Schaff, Philip – A Religious Encyclopaedia, or Dictionary of Biblical, Historical, Doctrinal and Practical Theology, vol. 1 (A-D), 2 (E-L), 3 (M-R), 4 (S-Z & Bios of Living Divines) 1891
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1900’s
Cheyne, T.K. & J. Sutherland Black – Encyclopedia Biblica, vol. 1 (A-D), 2 (E-K), 3 (L-P), 4 (Q-Z) 1899-1903 Liberal
ed. Fallows, Samuel – The Popular and Critical Bible Encyclopaedia and Scriptural Dictionary, vol. 1 (A-E), 2 (F-Ord), 3 (Ord-Z) 1922 Liberal
** International Standard Bible Encyclopedia ed. James Orr, etc. 1915/1939 Conservative/Evangelical
Buttrick, George – The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible: an Illustrated Encyclopedia, vol. 1 (A-D), 2 (E-J), 3 (K-Q), 4 (R-Z) Supplementary Volume 1962 Abingdon is liberal
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Church History Encyclopedias & Biography
Most of the encyclopedias above under Bible, and below under Religious, contain much of the same scope of material.
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Trollope, Thomas Anthony – An Encyclopaedia Ecclesiastica: or a Complete History of the Church, containing a Full and Compendious Explanation of All Ecclesiastical Rites and Ceremonies, vol. 1 (A-F) 1834
** McClintock & Strong – Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature 12 vols. 1867-1887
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Special Time-Period Encyclopedias
Early-Medieval Church
Encyclopedia of Early Christianity Buy 1990 1,252 pp. ed. Everett Ferguson
** Encyclopedia of the Early Church, 2 vols. Buy 1992 Oxford
Fitzgerald, Allen – Augustine Through the Ages: an Encyclopedia Buy 1999 951 pp.
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Reformation
** Oxford Encyclopedia of the Reformation, 4 vols. Buy 1996
ed. Bietenholz, Peter & Thomas Deutscher – Contemporaries of Erasmus: A Biographical Register of the Renaissance and Reformation, 3 vols. Buy 1985-7
ed. Lamport, Mark – Encyclopedia of Martin Luther and the Reformation Buy 2017 1,000 pp.
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Religious Encyclopedias
General
The Protestant Theological and Ecclesiastical Encyclopedia, being a Condensed Translation of Herzog’s Real Encyclopedia, with Additions from Other Sources, vol. 1 (A-C), 2 (Con-Jos), 3 1858
** The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge 12 vols. 1908-1914
** ed. Hastings, James – Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics, vol. 1 (A-Art), 2 (Arthur-Bunyan), 3 (Burial-Confessions), 4 (Confirmation-Drama), 5 (Dravidians-Fichte), 6 (Fiction-Hyksos), 7 (Hymns-Liberty), 8 (Life & Death-Mulla), 9(Mundas-Phrygians), 10 (Picts-Sacraments), 11 (Sacrifice-Sudra), 12(Suffering-Zwingli) 1908-1927
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Specific Religions
The Catholic Encyclopedia 1907-1912
The 1914 Catholic Encyclopedia was the most comprehensive resource on Catholic teaching, history, and information ever gathered in all of human history. Originally printed in fifteen hardcopy volumes, it covered science, literature, history, doctrine, saints, government, art and much more in the 11,000+ entries.
Jewish Encyclopedia 1901-1906
The 1901 Jewish Encyclopedia, prepared by more than four hundred scholars and specalists, was a descriptive record of the history, religion, literature and customs of the Jewish people from the earliest times to the present day.
Islam
ed. Hughes, Thomas Patrick – Encyclopedia of Islam 1913
ed. Meri, J. – Medieval Islamic Civilization: an Encyclopedia, vol. 1, A-K, 2, L-Z Preview 2006
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