Liturgical Press Reference Collection (7 vols.)

This authoritative encyclopedia combines a wealth of information with an attractive, easy-to-read format into a reference of value for professionals, parishes, and families alike. A generation has passed since Vatican Council II, and the enthusiasm and euphoria which exhilarated Catholic life in the years that followed the council are misted memories now. The council handed down to us new hopes, new dreams, new challenges; but, above all, it gifted us with a fresh vision of the Church as a pilgrim people.

This second edition of The Modern Catholic Encyclopedia gives a succinct and contemporary view to the beliefs, practices, and history of this people. It contains many revisions and over 150 new entries, over 1,300 cross-references, from Abel to Armageddon, from feminism to the zealots. Also included are black-and-white maps, drawings, and photographs. Over 200 such illustrations provide valuable visual information and add to the attractiveness of this volume.

Ecumenical in scope and cross-cultural in its perspective, Worship Music focuses on the worship music of English-speaking North Americans. Its over 2,500 entries range across every major denomination within Western Christianity, the Byzantine/Slav tradition, and Judaism. It includes brief descriptions, histories, and explanations of musical-liturgical terms and personnel. Bibliographies and extensive cross-referencing can be found throughout the volume.

Designed to give readers a simple but accurate idea of a Latin expression, this dictionary compiles, translates, and briefly explains the phrases found in theological writings and canon law that may puzzle readers unfamiliar with Latin or the theological meaning and nuances of these terms.

Consecrated phrases refer to expressions which are used, often in shorthand manner, to express a certain theological position or thought, which express a significant position of Roman Catholic sacramental theology as defined at the Council of Trent. Often these terms appear in a given theological text with little or no translation or explanation. Consecrated Phrases provides that explanation in concise and understandable language.

Entries are listed according to the form most likely to be used in the expressions themselves as found in theological writings. Each entry begins with a "literal" translation of the Latin term or phrase and then provides a brief explanation on the theological meaning or significance of the term. While most of the entries contain theological, liturgical, canonical, or philosophical terms primarily from the Roman Catholic tradition, important expressions in the various Protestant traditions are also included, as well as a number of common classical aphorisms, Latin titles of many Church documents, and some common scholarly abbreviations.

The New Dictionary of Catholic Social Thought brings together writers from around the world, writing on present-day social issues as well as historical issues and movements that have shaped our current views. Included are articles on the great social encyclicals, from Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum to John Paul II’s Centesimus Annus, and the Vatican II documents and various episcopal documents that relate to social concerns and the field of social ethics. The articles on fundamental human rights include such issues as poverty, homelessness, exploitation, and feminism. Also included are articles dealing with economics, industry, labor, political systems, and environmental concerns, as these impact and influence modern Catholic social thought. Theological concerns, liturgical movements, and scriptural foundations are well represented.

Structured as a theological and pastoral resource, New Dictionary of Sacramental Worship covers a wide range of activities that are constitutive of a sacramental Church. The entries include the strictly theological, the practical liturgical, the pastoral, and the social. Contributors to this dictionary have been selected from all over the English-speaking world, and it is to the concerns of the English-speaking churches that these essays are primarily addressed.

The New Dictionary of Catholic Spirituality, with a parallel aim and purpose, is intended as a companion to he New Dictionary of Theology and The New Dictionary of Sacramental Worship. This is a collaborative attempt to take stock of the remarkable developments in the Church and the world since the Second Vatican Council, but with a specific focus on the reform and renewal of Catholic spirituality that the Council set in motion.

The dictionary is intended to serve as a reliable theological and pastoral resource, not just for experts, but for all those interested in spirituality: teachers at all levels, writers, preachers, and students. In addition to the over 500 entries, the dictionary includes alphabetical and topical indices, and cross-referencing that connect to source material throughout your library.

New Dictionary of Theology, a 1,120 page book, includes the expert knowledge of 165 pastorally concerned contributors who are the elite of the theological and biblical worlds. An invaluable reference work.