|
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
Use your browser's print controls to print a copy of this resource guide. Christianity and Church HistoryIntroduction to the CollectionsThe General Research Division, located in Room 315, contains the holdings in certain aspects of Western Religions, as well as in those areas of religion which impinge on other scholarly disciplines. Materials on many religions are available in other divisions in The New York Public Library. The Dorot Jewish Division (Room 84) collects in Judaism, while The Asian and Middle Eastern Division (Room 219) has extensive holdings in Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Shintoism, Bahai, and the other major religious traditions of the East. Among the strengths of the collection are:
Within Christianity, the Library has significant holdings in the following areas:
The Library collects the writings of the principal Christian theologians as well as critical literature about them. The Library does not collect in pastoral theology and counselling, nor in those areas which relate primarily to the practical aspects of clerical and parochial life. The New York Public Library does not collect extensively in Biblical materials; however, there are many editions of the Bible, the standard Biblical commentaries, and works on persons of the Bible in our collections. The Dorot Jewish Division, Room 84, collects in the Old Testament, including critical studies by Jewish and non-Jewish scholars. Background ResearchThe items listed below are meant as a starting point for your research, and are by no means comprehensive. General reference works such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks, and directories offer background information, and quick answers to specific questions. All items are located in the Rose Main Reading Room, unless otherwise noted. Encyclopedias Encyclopedia of American Religions, part of Gale's Ready Reference Shelf, an Online Resource (accessible only from computers within the Library) Encyclopedia of the American Religious Experience; Studies of Traditions and Movements, edited by Charles H. Lippy and Peter W. Williams (New York: Scribner, 1987), 3 vols., *R-ZAY 91-2260. Anthology of scholarly essays examines the history and character of American religions, exploring organizational development and the spread and influence of various movements and trends. The Encyclopedia of Islam, (Leiden: Brill, 1960-) (available in Asian and Middle Eastern Division). Encyclopaedia Judaica, (New York: Macmillan, 1971-1972), 16 volumes with supp.,*R-*PBZ 73-4505 (also available in Jewish Division). Encyclopedia of Mormonism: The History, Scripture, Doctrine, and Procedure of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, edited by Daniel H. Ludlow (New York: Macmillan, 1992), 5 vols., *R-ZZM 92-8962. The Encyclopedia of Religion, (New York: Macmillan, 1987), 16 volumes, *RR-ZAB 87-828. Includes historical and philosophical approaches to religion as well as social scientific interpretations for both Christian and non-Christian religions. Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics, edited by James Hastings, (New York: Scribner, 1970), 13 volumes, *R-ZAB 79-5371. This comprehensive work explores all facets of the field of religion with a particular focus on historical, theological, philosophical, and ethical themes. The New Catholic Encyclopedia, (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1967-1979), 17 volumes with supp., *R-ZLH. The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Reformation, edited by Hans J. Hillerbrand [New York: Oxford University Press, 1996], 4 vols., *R-ZOF 96-16718 Sacramentum Mundi, (New York: Herder and Herder, 1969-1970), 6 volumes,*R-ZEB 72-91. Detailed analysis of the theological principles and concerns of the Roman Catholic Church, and a scholarly guide to the major doctrinal developments and controversies of Christianity. Dictionaries And Handbooks The Book of Saints, (Wilton, Conn.: Morehouse Pub., 1989) *R-ZDK 90-1505. Butler, Alban, Lives of the Saints (New York: Kennedy, 1956), 4 volumes, *R-ZK. (Other dictionaries of the saints may also be found under the call number *R-ZDK.) The Catholic Almanac, (Huntington, Indiana: Our Sunday Visitor, annual; latest edition available at the Information Desk). Handbook of the Roman Catholic Church with succinct information on doctrine, practice, and ethics relevant to that church; includes current liturgical calendar and notable events of the preceding year. Corpus Dictionary of Western Churches, edited by T. C. O'Brien, (Washington: Corpus, 1970), *R-ZEB 73-4948. Includes doctrines, historical events, personalities, movements, and institutions which have characterized the life of western Christianity. Dictionary of Comparative Religion, edited by S. G. F. Brandon, (New York: Scribner, 1970), *R-ZAB 72-998. Information on the principal beliefs, practices, and concerns of the major religious traditions; some subjects (such as immortality) are also treated comparatively where the interpretations of different religions are presented. Eerdmans' Handbook to Christian Belief, (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1982), *RR-ZFD 86-3778. Eerdmans' Handbook to Christianity in America, (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1983), *RR-ZDW 86-3762 Eerdmans' Handbook to the History of Christianity, (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1977), *RR ZDB 86-3793. Eerdmans' Handbook to the World's Religions, (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1982), *RR-ZAC 86-3779. Kelly, John N. D., The Oxford Dictionary of Popes, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1986) *RR-ZLH 86-3488. Mead, Frank Spencer, Handbook of Denominations in the United States, (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1995; available at the Information Desk). Brief description of the major Christian bodies in the United States, including beliefs, practices, polity, and history. Melton, J. Gordon, The Encyclopedia of American Religions, 6th edition, (Detroit: Gale Research, 1999; available at the Information Desk .) Dictionary of American religious bodies, Christian and non-Christian, providing basic information on their history, doctrine, and practice; especially valuable for its coverage of small or new religious movements which are not examined elsewhere. New Westminster Dictionary of Liturgy and Worship, edited by J. G. Davies, (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1986), *RR-ZH 86-6443 Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, edited by F. L. Cross, 3rd edition, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1997),*R-ZEB 97-3047 The most comprehensive one-volume work dealing with all aspects of the Christian Church. Parrinder, Edward G., Dictionary of Non-Christian Religions, (Amersham: Hulton, 1971), *R-ZAB 72-1544 Piepkorn, Arthur Carl, Profiles in Belief: The Religious Bodies of the United States and Canada, (New York: Harper and Row, 1977-1979), 4 volumes in 3, *R-ZDW 77-1161. An examination, sensitive to theological and historical concerns, of the principal Christian bodies in North America; includes extensive historical information and doctrinal analysis. Richardson, Alan, Dictionary of Christian Theology, (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1969), *R-ZEB Westminster Dictionary of Christian Ethics, (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1986), *R-ZAB 86-3781 Westminster Dictionary of Christian Spirituality, (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1983), *R-ZIK 86-3866 Westminster Dictionary of Christian Theology, (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1983), *R-ZEB 86-3874 World Christian Encyclopedia, edited by David B. Barrett, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1982), *R-ZDB 85-7. A comprehensive work which attempts to list every Christian body by country; valuable for its statistical information on membership and attendance. Provides historical commentary and analysis of present and future trends for Christianity in every country. Directories Annuario Pontificio, (Vatican City: Libraria Editrice Vaticana, annual; latest edition at the Information Desk.) List of Roman Catholic officials throughout the world as well as of the offices which constitute the Roman Catholic bureaucracy. Notable for its enumeration of all Roman Catholic dioceses and archdioceses. Church Directory, (New York: Council of Churches of the City of New York, 1993/94; available at the Information Desk.) Listing of non-Roman Catholic churches in the City of New York, arranged by borough. Directory of Religious Organizations in the United States of America, 3rd ed. (Detroit: Gale Research Inc., 1993; available at the Information Desk.) Directory of organizations (not denominations or religious bodies) which may or may not have ties with ecclesiastical bodies. Episcopal Church Annual, (Wilton: Morehouse-Barlow, annual; latest edition available at the Information Desk.) Listing of all Episcopal dioceses, parishes, and clergy. Particularly valuable for providing the names of all former diocesan bishops (arranged under the name of the appropriate diocese where they served). National Directory of Churches, Synagogues, and Other Houses of Worship, (Detroit: Gale Research Inc., 1994- ), 4 vols., *R-ZDWA 94-442. Arranged geographically and, within that, by denomination, this guide provides the only comprehensive listing of houses of worship throughout the country. Official Catholic Directory, (Wilmette, Illinois: P. J. Kenedy, annual; latest edition available at the Information Desk.) Lists all Roman Catholic dioceses, archdioceses, parishes, and clergy in the United States and Canada; all Roman Catholic organizations and institutions (including parochial schools) are listed under the name of the appropriate diocese. Names of former bishops of dioceses may be found under the entries for the dioceses where they served. Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches, (Nashville: Abingdon, annual; latest edition available at the Information Desk.) Includes the principal Christian churches of the United States and Canada and lists the headquarters, principal officers, juridical divisions, and publications of each body. Using the Library Catalogs to locate materials at NYPLFor general instructions on using the Library's catalogs, please consult "How To Find Books". The following information is specific to the subject of Religion.. When researching an item in the catalogs, check under the subject entry most specific to your interest:
In performing your research at The New York Public Library, you may need to consult two catalogs, The Dictionary Catalog, an 800-volume set of materials acquired by the library before 1972, and CATNYP, the online catalog of materials acquired after 1972. (Please note that as a result of an active retrospective conversion project, many of the items in The Dictionary Catalog will also be found in CATNYP). CATNYP employs Library of Congress Subject Headings, available at the Information Desk. For advice on subject headings in the pre-1972 Dictionary Catalog, consult the librarians at the Information Desk. Searching by subject will usually generate the most accurate and beneficial results. However, if you are not certain of the correct subject heading to use, you may have better luck with a keyword search in CATNYP. Saints Works by or about Christian saints are to be found under the name of the saint in question. Thus, if you wish to research Saint Bartholomew, check under Bartholomew, not Saint Bartholomew. Church History In the field of church history, there are different arrangements in the Library's two catalogs. The Dictionary Catalog uses the subject heading Church History to include not only general works in the area, but also materials dealing with church history in specific countries. Therefore, books on Polish church history will be found under Church History-Poland. However, CATNYP lists the church histories of individual countries directly under that country, Poland-Church History. Similarly, the Dictionary Catalog lists works on the Quakers under Friends, Society of, while CATNYP places this same group under two separate subject headings, Society of Friends and Quakers. The churches of Eastern Christianity are placed under the subject heading Eastern Orthodox Church in the Dictionary Catalog, but CATNYP uses the subject heading Orthodox Eastern Church. The Bible The different editions of the complete Bible are listed in the Dictionary Catalog before the editions of the New and Old Testaments and other separately published parts of the Bible. Different editions of the complete Bible are arranged by language and, within that, by year. In the Dictionary Catalog these listings commence with the heading Bible. Polyglot (volume 71, page 344) and continue with listings by individual languages beginning with Bible. Afrikaans. 1957 (volume 71, page 347). For English language Bibles look under Bible. English (volume 71, page 358); like all other entries, these are broken down by year beginning with the earliest imprint. The first editions of the King James Bible are listed in the Dictionary Catalog under Bible. English. 1611 (volume 71, page 373). The Roman Catholic Douai-Rheims version of the Bible is found under Bible. English. Douai Rheims (volume 71, page 455). These same subject headings can be used to search CATNYP. You may also find items of interest by doing a keyword search instead of a subject search. Two electronic databases offer access to the Bible in full-text. Please note that these databases are only available from within the Library.:
The Bible in English
The King James Bible The New Testament The Library has many separate editions of the New Testament and the Old Testament. Like whole editions of the Bible, these two divisions are also arranged by language and then by year. In The Dictionary Catalog, entries for the New Testament begin with Bible. New Testament. Polyglot (volume 72, page 372) and continue with Bible. New Testament. Albanian (volume 72, page 373). Other languages following in alphabetical order. Bible. New Testament. English. begins in volume 72 on page 382. Dual-language New Testaments are normally found after the primary language. Thus, Bible. New Testament. Spanish-English follows Bible. New Testament. Spanish (volume 72, page 491); Bible. New Testament. Greek-English. appears in volume 72, page 468 and Bible. New Testament. Greek-Latin is found in volume 72, page 469. Specific books of the New Testament are also included in the Dictionary Catalog; thus Bible. New Testament. Acts is found in volume 73 on page 25, and other books of the New Testament follow this entry in alphabetical order. Note that the New Testament Apocrypha (in English) is found under Bible. New Testament. Apocrypha. English beginning on page 39 of volume 73. The Old Testament The arrangement of entries for Bible. Old Testament parallels that for Bible. New Testament. The entries for the former begin in volume 73, page 267, with Bible. Old Testament. Polyglot (arranged by year) followed by the alphabetical arrangement for different languages. Like the New Testament, the listings for the Old Testament are also subdivided according to the appropriate book beginning with Bible. Old Testament. Amos (volume 73, page 389). There also exist distinct references for Bible. Old Testament. Pentateuch (volume 73, page 551), Bible. Old Testament. Apocrypha (volume 73, page 392), and Bible. Old Testament. Pseudepigrapha (volume 74, page 166). Locating Journal ArticlesPeriodical Indexes (electronic resources) Please note that electronic resources are only accessible from within the Library. You can find dedicated computers located in Room 315, the Public Catalog Room and the Rose Main Reading Room, as well as in many of the divisions throughout the Library. For a complete listing of electronic resources available, please visit the Selected Electronic Resources page.
Social Sciences Index
ATLA Religion Indexes
Humanities Index
Art Index and Art Index Retrospective Periodical Indexes (print resources) The following resources are located on the open shelves of the Rose Main Reading Room. Catholic Periodical Index (Haverford: Catholic Library Association, 1930-1966), *RS-ZA 82-919. Catholic Periodical and Literature Index (Haverford: Catholic Library Association, 1967- ),*RS-ZA 82-920. Like its predecessor, this index to Roman Catholic periodicals includes both scholarly and popular publications. Index to Religious Periodical Literature (Chicago: American Theological Library Association, 1949-1976), *RS-ZA 78-1431. Religion Index One: Periodicals (Chicago: American Theological Library Association, 1977- ), *RS-ZA 78-1432. An index to scholarly periodicals in religion with an emphasis on those analyzing various elements of the Christian traditions. Religion Index Two: Multi-Author Works (Chicago: American Theological Library Association, 1970- ), *RS-ZA 82-744. An index to multi-author works (such as collections of essays or articles) within the field of religion. Most of the entries are not indexed elsewhere. Religion Index Two: Festschriften. 1960-1969 (Philadelphia: American Theological Library Association, 1980), *RS-ZA 82-1406. Indexes to Jewish periodical literature may be found in the Dorot Jewish Division, Room 84. especially appropriate are Religion Index, Humanities Index, Social Sciences Index, and Art Index. Selected Internet Sites on the World Wide WebThe Internet now offers many web sites in the field of religion. The following ones are especially recommended: American Academy of Religion (http://www.aarweb.org), an organization which fosters and encourages the study of religion. Society of Biblical Literature (http://www.sbl-site.org), a society which specializes in the critical study of the Bible and cognate literatures. American Bible Society (http://www.americanbible.org ), translates the Bible into many languages and maintains a library of rare and notable Bibles. American Society of Church History (http://www.churchhistory.org), a society promoting scholarship and research in church history, with a particular focus on the American scene. The Catholic Encyclopedia (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/), contains information on the entire cycle of Catholic interests, action, and doctrine. Detailed SubjectsChurch 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 Prima (Latin) (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 in the Reading Room.) 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., *RR-ZEL. 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., *RR-ZEL. Ancient Christian Writers: The Works of the Fathers in Translation (New York: Newman, 1978 reprint), 40 vols., *R-ZEL 79-1044. Fathers of the Church (Washington: Catholic University of America Press, in progress), 71 vols., *RR-ZEL F2 (followed by initial of author's name). Library of Christian Classics (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1953-1966), 26 vols., *RR-ZEC. The following guides to the Church Fathers are recommended: Dirksen, Aloys Herman, Elementary Patrology (St. Louis: Herder, 1959) *R-ZEK. Kelly, J.N.D., Early Christian Doctrines (London: Black, 1958) *RR-ZEK. 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 North Hall of the Rose Main Reading Room under *R-*YCD and *R-*YCF. 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., *RR-*YAB+. 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) *RR-*YAE. 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-*YBM 76-7406. 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-*YCP 75-9452. History of the Bible The Cambridge History of the Bible (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1970), 3 vols., *R-*YIH. 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. Concordances of the Bible Concordances to the Bible may be found in the Reading Rooms under *R-*YIE; a concordance is also available at the Information Desk. Bible Dictionaries and Guides The Anchor Bible Dictionary (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 6 vols., *R-*YID 92-10862 and another set in Jewish Division. Calvocoressi, Peter, Who's Who in the Bible (London: Viking, 1987), *R-*YID 87-5901. Harper's Bible Dictionary (San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1985), *R-*YID 86-201. Hastings, James, ed., Dictionary of the Bible, revised edition, (New York: Scribners, 1963), *R-*YID. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1979-1982), 2 vols., *R-*YID 80-867. Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible (Nashville: Abingdon, 1962), 4 vols., *R-*YID. Kittel, Gerhard, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1965-1976), 10 vols., *R-*YBM 92-18031. This dictionary is based upon the Greek text. Leon-Dufour, Xavier, Dictionary of the New Testament (New York: Harper and Row, 1980), *RR-*YID 81-1199. Richardson, Alan, A Theological Word Book of the Bible (New York: Macmillan, 1951), *R-*YID. Bible Commentaries Bible. English. 1964. The Anchor Bible (Garden City: Doubleday, 1964- ), 44 vols. (in progress), *RR-*YIT (Anchor). 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-*YIT 78-1903. Harper's Bible Commentary (San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1988), * R- *YIT 89-241 Mercer Commentary on the Bible (Macon, GA: Mercer University Press, 1995), * R- *YIT 95-1932 New Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture (London: Nelson, 1969), *R- *YIT The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, edited by Raymond E. Brown and others, (Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1990), *R-*YIT 90-991. The New Interpreter's Bible (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1994- ), multi-volume set in progress, *R-*YCF 94-13217. Book Reviews Index to Book Reviews in Religion (Chicago: American Theological Library Association, 1986- ), *RS-ZA 86-2775. Prior to the beginning of this publication, an index to book reviews in the field of religion appeared in Religion Index One: Periodicals, *RS-ZA 78-1432. Religious Statistics Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches, (Nashville: Abingdon, annual; latest edition available at the Information Desk.) For statistics pertaining to the United States and Canada. World Christian Encyclopedia, edited by David B. Barrett, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1982), *R-ZDB 85-7. 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 at the Information Desk). The Statesman's Yearbook ( London: MacMillan Press Ltd., annual; atest edition available at the Information Desk). Information on religious affiliations by state. Worldmark Encyclopedia of the States (New York : Worldmark Press, triennial; latest edition available at the Information Desk). Information on religious affiliations by state within the United States. Where to Go for More HelpThis resource guide is a small sample of what The New York Public Library can offer you in your research. For further assistance, the librarians of The New York Public Library are here to help you. General Research Division,
Humanities and Social Sciences Library
Dorot Jewish Division,
Humanities and Social Sciences Library
Asian and Middle Eastern
Division, Humanities and Social Sciences Library
Ask Librarians Online |
