Religion

" Written with an emphasis on clarity and concision, all entries are designed to help the reader understand and assess the specifically theological significance of the most important concepts."

"Concise, convenient and comprehensive: this handy dictionary will inform and enlighten all who want to understand how the Bible came together, the history of the various texts behind it, the versions in which it has appeared, the process of editing and compilation, and the different methods of interpretation that have developed over the centuries."

"In the Historical Dictionary of Jesus, author Daniel J. Harrington delves into the ancient literary sources about Jesus, modern methods of approaching these sources, the major events in Jesus' life, persons and places associated with him, the form and content of his teachings, what can be said about his death and the claim that he was raised from the dead, and the contributions of major modern scholars to the quest of the historical Jesus."

This book offers "in one volume articles on all books of the Bible, including the Apocrypha."

"Incorporating the latest research, the contributors examine the books of the Bible in exhaustive detail, taking a historical-critical approach that attempts to shed light on the scriptures by placing them in the context in which their first audiences would have encountered them, asking how they came to be composed and what were the purposes of their authors. The Commentary includes a general introduction, extensive introductions to both testaments and the Apocrypha, and briefer introductions to the particular books, plus an essay with commentary on important post-biblical Jewish and Christian literature."

"Recent archaeological work has uncovered the lifeways of the biblical world and begun to suggest how understanding these lifeways transforms the reading of the biblical text. By going beyond mere architecture and chronology into the social organization of biblical society, the Encyclopedia is an important methodological breakthrough for the study of the Bible and archaeology"

"This encyclopedia explores the intersection between biblical sources and ethical issues, both historical and modern, through extensive analytical and constructive treatments of a wide range of topics by leading biblical scholars and ethicists."

"Extending the work of 19th and 20th century feminist scholarship and more recent queer studies, the Encyclopedia seeks to advance the scholarly conversation by systematically exploring the ways in which gender is constructed in the diverse texts, cultures, and readers that constitute 'the world of the Bible'. "

"The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Bible and Law (OEBL) provides the most up-to-date and extensive treatment of the Bible and law yet attempted, both updating and expanding the scope of previous scholarship in the field. In comprehensive overviews, scholars at the forefront of biblical studies and law address three foci: biblical law itself; the ancient contexts of biblical law; and the afterlife and influence of biblical law in antiquity and in modern jurisprudence around the world."

"'The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Bible and the Arts' (OEBART) is an in-depth, comprehensive reference work that covers the cultural history of biblical texts, themes, characters, images, and the Bible itself in the literary, visual, and musical arts."

"While some issues are clearly rooted in the Bible's historical context like theological perspectives on the creation of the world, covenant, sin, sacrifice and atonement, grace and forgiveness, other issues are rooted in the modern world, where both the secular and religious raise questions biblical authors may not have anticipated. This resource situates itself inside this tension, with the objective of providing a resource for constructive theological reflection in the market place of public discourse."

"Books of the Bible provides a single source for authoritative reference overviews of scholarship on some of the most important topics of study in the field of biblical studies. The Encyclopedia contains almost 120 in-depth entries, ranging in length from 500 to 10,000 words, on each of the canonical books of the Bible, major apocryphal books of the New and Old Testaments, important noncanonical texts, and thematic essays on topics such as canonicity, textual criticism, and translation."

"The Oxford Encyclopedias of the Bible series is a major reference work, consisting of comprehensive essays by scholars from many countries and with a wide variety of perspectives on Biblical Studies. The Digital Collection represents an online expansion of the project, featuring articles previously published on Oxford Biblical Studies Online, now exclusive on Oxford Reference. With bibliographic references and suggestions for further reading, each entry provides a thorough overview of the topic and serves as an entrance point to further research for both seasoned scholars and beginning students."