Historical Dictionary of Catholicism, Edition 0003

William J. Collinge is Professor Emeritus of Theology and Philosophy at Mount St. Mary’s University, Emmitsburg, Maryland. He holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from Yale University. He is Senior Editor of the Journal of Moral Theology and for ten years was Director of Research and Publication of the College Theology Society.

That Roman Catholicism has gone through momentous changes in recent years is without dispute. It is no surprise, therefore, that Collinge has revised his Historical Dictionary of Catholicism twice since its original appearance. This new edition follows the format of its predecessors, with alphabetical entries on a broad range of cross-referenced topics from Abbot to Xavier, Francis St. All entries were evaluated and updated, and each is readable and authoritative. Controversial topics such as the sexual abuse crisis and the role of women in the Catholic Church are current as of 2020. As with the previous two editions, this edition includes more than 500 entries and five useful appendixes: "Popes," "Ecumenical Councils," "Documents of Vatican Council II," "Papal Encyclicals," and "Prayers and Creeds." The chronology, bibliography, and index have also been updated. Given the topic, a fourth edition of this valuable reference tool is likely to appear in the not-too-distant future. Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals; general readers.

It is one of the books all religion journalists and most scholars should have on their desk, not even on their shelves, but on their desk. If more people remember to consult a smart, thorough and thoughtful book like this, rather than relying on Wikipedia, the world would be a lot better informed.

As a single-volume dictionary, it offers short entries related to the wide range of theological ideas in the Catholic tradition. Appendices and a bibliography on matters Catholic have been updated to the date of publication…. This work is most useful to people who are unfamiliar with Catholicism or people who are needing a refresher on the basics of Catholic teaching. As such it is invaluable. The seemingly unending minutia related to the Catholic Tradition is daunting, even for life-long Catholics. For theology students and researchers, it offers a quick reference guide to most Catholic ideas[.]