Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms

by Donald K. McKim

This unique volume briefly identifies nearly six thousand theological terms. Its concise definitions capture a broad range of theological biblical studies; church history; ethics; feminist theology; liberation theology; ministry; philosophy; Protestant, Reformed, and Roman Catholic theologies; and more. No other single volume provides such easy access to so many theological definitions. Both the novice and the theologically experienced reader will find the Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms to be of immense value.

Genres: Theology, Reference, Religion, Christianity, Christian

310 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1996

About the author

Donald K. McKim is an American Presbyterian theologian and editor. He works as Academic and Reference Editor for Westminster John Knox Press.

McKim studied at Westminster College, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, and the University of Pittsburgh. He has taught at Memphis Theological Seminary and the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary.

McKim is known for his 1979 book The Authority and Interpretation of the Bible: An Historical Approach. Co-authored with Jack B. Rogers, it was Eternity magazine's "Book of the Year" in 1980. In the book, Rogers and McKim argued that the Bible was infallible but not inerrant.

Donald Keith McKim was born in New Castle, Pennsylvania to Keith Beatty and Mary Alisan (Leslie) McKim.

Reviews

[Michael Philliber · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a reader of religious material one tool is essential: a ready recall of theological terms and categories. But even for the seminary-trained reader who is conversant with all of the specialized guild language, unless they have a near photographic memory, that ready recall will have to be augmented with some type of lexical sources. This is where the second edition of “The Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms” comes in to the rescue! The editor of this revised and expanded issue, Donald K McKim, an accomplished author and former Academic Dean and Professor of Theology at Memphis Theological Seminary, has amassed some 7,000 terms into a manageable 382 page volume to make access easier and the material comprehensible.

Each of the entries in “The Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms” is anywhere from one sentence to one paragraph in length. The terms are from multiple categories; the Bible, Theology – Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic or Protestant, Church History, Worship, Ministry, Spirituality, as well as Ethics and Moral Theology. The descriptions are full enough to grasp the concept but short enough to be useful. Though the definition and description of a specific word may not get deep into the nuances, intricacies or opacities of a given term, nevertheless the meaning will contain enough relevant material that the reader will know the sense and back story.

Whether looking for the explanation of acedia or trying to remember the differences between homoousios and homoiousios, the investigator diving into the second edition of “The Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms” will grasp the gist. This is a great resource for pastors, theologians, Bible students, teachers and taught. I highly recommend the book.

Thanks to Westminster John Knox Press and Netgalley for the temporary e-copy of this book used for this review.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an outstanding resource for the student of theology. Generally non-sectarian, fair, and to the point-- just browsing a few pages of this work occasionally will come in handy when reading works of theology.

[Tanja · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used this book for a theology class in college. It was an amazing tool. However, some of the format could have been different to make it easier for the reader.

[Larry Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

just what it sounds like

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a helpful work. I was surprised by the breadth of topics covered. Beyond just theological terms, Mckim's work dealt with historical issues, personalities, and events.

This is not an encycloprdia. It is a dictionary and the entries are appropriately brief. There were times I thought the entries could/should have been a bit more detailed. But, all-in-all, the attention paid to the different entries seemed basically appropriate in length.

I did not dig in to each definition and, even if I had, my knowledge base is too limited to give expert opinion on most theological terms so I won't/can't comment on the accuracy of the definitions with any authority. I will say that those entries that I dove into seemed pretty spot on, so take that for what its worth.

This is a helpful resource for any studying the Scriptures, theology, and church history.

I received a review copy from the publisher.