The New Dictionary of Theology

Written by J. A. Komonchak, M. Collins, D. A. Lane (eds.) Reviewed By Gerald Bray

This Dictionary is the work of an international team of Roman Catholic scholars and theologians, who have tried to condense into a single volume the many-sided theological activity of the Roman Catholic Church since the Second Vatican Council. The accent is contemporary, the subject matter largely philosophical and relevant to modern concerns. Not a few traditional themes get hardly any treatment (e.g. Apophatic Theology), whereas whole pages are devoted to the burning issues of Abortion, which has caused so much anguish in Rome.

The articles are generally well written, though they vary enormously in size. Some are little more than a straight definition of the subject, whilst others are exhaustive articles covering several pages. Comparison with the recently published New Dictionary of Theology (IVP) reveals that the latter is more evenly balanced here, and it is hard not to think that the editors could have smoothed things out more than they have. A little more on Adoptionism, perhaps, and a little less on Art?

Further comparisons with the evangelical volume reveal just how different is the theological atmosphere which Catholics breathe. Looking just at the letter A, the IVP volume has 54 entries, of which eight are biographical. The G & M book has only 43 entries, but none of these is biographical, and it seems that biography is excluded from the Dictionary on principle. But of these there are only 20 entries in common, and only eight which are of comparable length! The eight make an interesting list: Angels, Apocalyptic, Apostasy, Aristotelianism, Ascension, Asceticism, Atheism, and Authority (a long article in both cases!).

There are six common entries where the Catholic side is much more detailed than the evangelical one. These are Abortion, Analogy, Anointing, Anthropology, Apologetics and Apostle, clearly reflecting the philosophical, moral and sacramental leanings of Catholicism. There are also six common entries in which the reverse is the case. These are Adoptionism, Agnosticism, Anonymous Christianity (a surprise, considering the term was popularized by Karl Rahner!), Antichrist, Apostolic Fathers and Arianism. Here the historical and evangelistic bent of evangelicalism clearly comes to the fore.

However, we must not forget that some of the longest entries in the Catholic Dictionary are not reproduced in the evangelical one at all, and vice versa! The Catholic volume has entries covering such subjects as Adoration, Altar, Annulment, Architecture, Art, Assembly, and the Assumption of Mary, which the evangelical book either omits or refers to other entries, whereas the evangelical Dictionary expounds at length on Adam, African Christian Theology, the Alexandrian School, Amyraldianism, Anabaptist Theology, Anglicanism, Arminianism, Assurance and Atonement, which the Catholic side ‘suppresses’ in the same way!

The contrast is truly extraordinary, and one cannot help but think that the two different books will have to be combined before real ecumenical dialogue can begin. In how many important areas do we find ourselves talking not merely at cross purposes, but about completely different things! On the positive side, it can certainly be said that the similarity of title is deceptive—the two books are very different, and students will need both if they are to cover the whole field adequately. Evangelicals may be forgiven if they think that it is not worth their while to purchase a volume which specializes in concerns with which they have little sympathy, but they cannot claim to have a good understanding of Roman Catholicism if they ignore the matters they prefer to leave out. The same, of course, is true for a Roman Catholic as well. Indeed, discussion of the differences between the two traditions could quite well begin with the contents of the two Dictionaries, by asking the participants to try to understand the criteria for selection and treatment used in each.


Gerald Bray

Gerald Bray is research professor of divinity at Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Alabama, where he teaches history and doctrine. He is a minister in the Church of England and the editor of the Anglican theological journal Churchman.