Christianity and Church History

Detailed Subjects

Church Fathers

It was only in the mid-nineteenth century that the works of the Latin and Greek Fathers of the Church were finally collected and published in a comprehensive edition which would be widely available to scholars and researchers.

Migne, J. P., Patrologiae Cursus Completus. . .Series Latina (Paris: Migne, 1844-1865), 221 vols., JFM 00-63.

Migne, J. P., Patrologiae Cursus Completus. . . Series Graeca (Paris: Migne, 1857-1880), 166 vols., JFM 00-50.

(For both series by Migne, please check CATNYP under the author's name to obtain the correct volume number. The Latin Fathers are also available in an electronic format on computers in the Library, as noted below.)

Patrologia Latina. Electronic version of Migne's nineteenth-century printed collection of the works of the Church Fathers. This is the complete set, including prefatory material, original texts, critical apparatus, indexes, illustrations, and Migne's column numbers. (available in the Library only)

There is no single translation into English of Migne's comprehensive work. However, there do exist in English several multi-volume editions of the writings of the Church Fathers. There are readily available in the Reading Rooms.

The Ante-Nicene Fathers: Translations of the Fathers down to A.D. 325 (New York: Scribners, 1917-1925), 10 vols., *R-RMRR BR60 .A5.

A Select Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1956 and 1961), two series each of 14 vols., *R-RMRR BR60 .S4.

Ancient Christian Writers: The Works of the Fathers in Translation (New York: Newman, 1978 reprint), 40 vols., *R-RMRR BR60 .A35

Fathers of the Church (Washington: Catholic University of America Press, in progress), 71 vols., *R-RMRR BR60 .F3(followed by initial of author's name).

Library of Christian Classics (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1953-1966), 26 vols., *R-RMRR BR45 .L52.

The following guides to the Church Fathers are recommended:

Dirksen, Aloys Herman, Elementary Patrology (St. Louis: Herder, 1959), *R-RMRR BR67 .D5.

Kelly, J.N.D., Early Christian Doctrines, 5th rev. ed., (London: Black, 1977) JXD 86-75. b2031157

McGuckin, John Anthony, Westminster Handbook to Patristic Theology (London: SCM Press, 2005), *R-RMRR BR162.3 .M38.

Bibles

Readers interested in the Bible and studies on it are advised to consult first the Bible entries under the earlier section on Using the Catalogs. However, the Reading Rooms do contain Bibles and significant works relating to the Bible which merit specific reference here.

Noteworthy Editions

Editions of the whole Bible in English may be found in the South Hall of the Rose Main Reading Room under *R-RMRR BS. The Reading Rooms also contain versions of the Bible in other western languages; speak to a librarian for locations. The following special editions of the Bible ought to be noted:

Bible. Polyglot. 1874. Hexaglot Bible (London: Dickinson and Higham, 1874), 6 vols., *R-RMRR BS1 1874. Complete Bible in Greek, Latin, French, and German, as well as Old Testament in Hebrew and New Testament in Syriac.

Bible. New Testament. English. 1962. New Testament Octapla (New York: Nelson, 1962) *R-RMRR BS2025 1962 .W4. Eight English versions of the New Testament.

Bible. New Testament. Greek. 1968. The Revised Standard Version Interlinear Greek-English New Testament (London: S. Bagster, 1968), *R-RMRR BS1965 1968.

Bible. New Testament. Greek. Scholz. 1975. The English Hexapla: Exhibiting the Six Important English Translations of the New Testament Scriptures (New York: AMS Press, 1975), *R-RMRR BS2025 1975 .S36 1975.

History of the Bible

The Cambridge History of the Bible (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1970), 3 vols., *R-RMRR BS445 .C26. A comprehensive history of the Bible with a particular focus on the development of the English Bible. Valuable for its discussion of the principal English versions and their relation to church, culture, and society.

Daniell, David, The Bible in English: Its History and Influence (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2003), *R-RMRR BS455 .D27.

Metzger, Bruce, The Bible in Translation: Ancient and English Versions (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2001), *R-RMRR BS450 .M46.

Norton, David, A History of the Bible as Literature, (Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 1993), 2 vols., *R-RMRR BS585 .N67

Concordances of the Bible

Concordances to the Bible may be found in the Main Reading Room under *R-RMRR BS425.

Bible Dictionaries and Guides

The Anchor Bible Dictionary (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 6 vols., *R-RMRR BS440 .A54 and another set in Jewish Division.

Calvocoressi, Peter, Who's Who in the Bible (London: Viking, 1987), *R-RMRR BS570 .C35.

Cambridge Companion to Biblical Interpretation, edited by John Barton (Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 1998), *R-RMRR BS511.2 .C35.

The Complete Who’s Who in the Bible (London: Marshall Pickering, 1995), *R-RMRR BS570 .C645.

HarperCollins Bible Dictionary (San Francisco: Harper, 1996), *R-RMRR BS440 .H235.

Hastings, James, ed., Dictionary of the Bible, revised edition, (New York: Scribners, 1963), *R-RMRR BS440 .H5 1963.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1979-1982), 2 vols., *R-RMRR BS440 .I6.

Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible (Nashville: Abingdon, 1962), 4 vols., *R-RMRR BS440 .I63.

Kittel, Gerhard, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1965-1976), 10 vols., *R-RMRR BS2312 .K5813. Another copy available in the Jewish Division. This dictionary is based upon the Greek text.

Leon-Dufour, Xavier, Dictionary of the New Testament (New York: Harper and Row, 1980), *R-RMRR BS2312 .L4513.

The Oxford Companion to the Bible, edited by Bruce M. Metzger and Michael D. Coogan (New York: Oxford University Press, 1993), *R-RMRR BS440 .M434.

The Oxford Guide to Ideas and Issues of the Bible, edited by Bruce M. Metzger and Michael D. Coogan (New York: Oxford University Press, 2001), *R-RMRR BS 440 .O94.

The Oxford Guide to People and Places of the Bible, edited by Bruce M. Metzger and Michael D. Coogan (New York: Oxford University Press, 2001), *R-RMRR BS570 .O94.

Ramsay, William M., The Westminster Guide to the Books of the Bible (Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1994), *R-RMRR BS475.2 .R36.

Tischler, Nancy Marie, All Things in the Bible: An Encyclopedia of the Biblical World (Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2006), 2 vols., *R-RMRR BS440. T57.

Vos, Howard Frederic, Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Manners and Customs: How the People of the Bible Really Lived (Nashville, Tenn.: Nelson Publishers, 1999), *R-RMRR BS635.2 .V67.

Bible Commentaries

Bible. English. 1964. The Anchor Bible (Garden City: Doubleday, 1964- ), 44 vols. (in progress), *R-RMRR BS192 .2 .A1. A multi-volume set with each volume devoted to one book (or books) of the Bible.

Black, Matthew, ed., Peake's Commentary on the Bible (Sunbury: Nelson, 1977), *R-RMRR BS491 .B57.

Mercer Commentary on the Bible (Macon, GA: Mercer University Press, 1995), *R-RMRR BS491.2 .M47.

New Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture (London: Nelson, 1969), *R-RMRR BS491.2 .N48.

The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, edited by Raymond E. Brown and others, (Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1990), *R-RMRR BS491.2 .N485.

The New Interpreter's Bible (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1994- ), multi-volume set in progress, *R-RMRR BS491.2 .N484. b3376523 See also the older edition entitled The Interpreter’s Bible (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1979-1985), 12 vols., *R-RMRR BS491.2 .I55.

Oxford Bible Commentary, edited by John Barton and John Muddiman (Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2001), *R-RMRR BS491.3 .O94.

Liturgy and Worship

Researching the liturgies and prayer books of different Christian churches requires the utilization of different strategies. Even a cursory examination of the Library’s catalogs indicates a variety of subject headings for this topic, even within the parameters of one church. In searching CATNYP for the Roman Missal, both before and after Vatican II, it is recommended that a keyword approach be employed. The following are recommended:

Catholic Church and Liturgy

Catholic Church and Prayers and Devotions

Missal

Missals

Missale Romanum.

Roman Missal. (All these options ought to be used.)

In the Dictionary Catalog, the appropriate subject heading is:

Catholic Church, Roman - Liturgy and Ritual. This is then subdivided into headings such as Breviary, Missal, Hours, etc.

The following titles are especially useful, but search the catalog for other appropriate entries.

Catholic Church. Saint Andrew Daily Missal (Saint Paul: E. M. Lohmann, 1956), B-10 526. A comprehensive and detailed text, with notes, of the pre-Vatican II liturgy.

Catholic Church. Daily Roman Missal: Sunday and Weekday Masses for Proper of Seasons, Proper of Saints, Common Masses, Ritual Masses, Masses for Various Needs and Occasions, Votive Masses, Masses for the Dead: Complete with Readings in One Volume, Including Devotions and Prayers, 6th ed. (Huntington, Ind.: Our Sunday Visitor, 2003). Contains the current sacramentary and lectionary for all Sundays, holy days, and weekdays. On order.

Catholic Church. New Latin-English Sunday Missal (Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Association for Latin Liturgy, 1982) JFC 92-3662.

Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic Daily Missal, 1962 (Kansas City, MO: Angelus Press, 2004) JFC 07-365. This is the text of the Roman Missal immediately before Vatican II; it is this edition which is now authorized by the Vatican for the celebration of the post-Tridentine Mass.

Catholic Church. Sacramentary (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1985) JFF 87-561. Contains the text of the liturgy (including collects [prayers], Eucharistic prayers and prefaces, and certain chants) for the current celebration of the Mass with an appendix of major texts in Latin.

Catholic Church. Lectionary for Mass (New York: Catholic Book Pub. Co., 1970) JXF 87-26. Contains the text of Scripture readings for the Mass as well as the intervening chants.

Catholic Church. Lectionary for Mass, 2nd typical ed. (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1998- ), 4 vols. This is the revised edition of the above volume and contains the text of Scripture readings for all Sundays, holy days, and weekdays as well as the intervening chants. On order.

Catholic Church. New St. Joseph Sunday Missal: The Complete Masses for Sundays, Holydays, and the Easter Triduum (Totowa, NJ: Catholic Book Pub. Co., 1999) JFC 03-2202. Contains the current sacramentary and lectionary for all Sunday and holyday Masses; valuable for its commentaries and explanations by the Rev. John C. Kersten.

Catholic Church. New Saint Joseph Weekday Missal (Totowa, NJ: Catholic Book Pub. Co., 2002), 2 vols. Contains the current sacramentary and lectionary for weekday Masses. On Order.

The Book of Divine Worship: Being Elements of the Book of Common Prayer Revised and Adapted According to the Roman Rite for Use by Roman Catholics Coming from the Anglican Tradition (Mt. Pocono, PA Newman House Press, 2003) JFE 04-8487. A missal incorporating elements of the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer as revised in accordance with the theology and practice of the Roman Missal.

In researching the liturgies and worship of other Christian churches, please employ a keyword search in CATNYP linking the church with the appropriate subject, as seen in the following examples.

Episcopal Church and Liturgy

Lutheran Church and Prayer Books

Episcopal Church and Prayer Books

Lutheran Church and Prayers and Devotions

It is recommended that all three subjects be used in separate searches and linked with the appropriate church.

Religious Statistics

Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches, (Nashville: Abingdon, annual; latest edition available under Pub. Cat. BR513 .Y4.) For statistics pertaining to the United States and Canada.

World Christian Encyclopedia, edited by David B. Barrett, 2nd ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2001), *R-RMRR BR157 .W67. Information on the number of religious adherents internationally or by country.

The World Almanac and Book of Facts (New York, World Almanac, annual; latest edition available under Pub. Cat. AY67 .N5 W7.) This is also available in print in other divisions and also electronically.

The Statesman's Yearbook ( London: MacMillan Press Ltd., annual; latest edition available under Pub. Cat. JA51 .S7.) Information on religious affiliations by state.

Worldmark Encyclopedia of the States (New York: Worldmark Press, triennial; latest edition available under *R-RMRR E156 .W67.) Information on religious affiliations by state within the United States.