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A Review of “Global Dictionary of Theology”

The Global Dictionary of Theology is a unique and helpful resource that “was conceived to provide a general overview of theological reflection and practice throughout the world” (p. xii). The editors, William Dyrness (professor of Theology and Culture) and Veli-Matti Karkkainen (professor of Systematic Theology), both work at Fuller Theological Seminary and have significant experience working outside of the United States. The two associate editors, Juan Francisco Martinez and Simon Chan, provide expertise in understanding theology within the Hispanic and Asian contexts. This ambitious work, providing a perspective on theology in its larger, global context, stems from a realization that Christianity is growing most rapidly in places outside of the West—most significantly in South America, Africa, and Asia. In light of this major shift, the editors considered it essential that their dictionary have a global focus. Yet this work comes from an evangelical perspective, though an open and broad one. As a result, there is a good deal of attention to missions and outreach, as well as to specific theological topics. Given the unique approach, this dictionary does not have entries on individual theologians—the focus is on “themes, country and areas studies, movements, and traditions” (xiii). The emphasis is more corporate than individual, which makes sense but also could be seen as a limitation of the work. Entries vary in length from one to twenty pages, though they average approximately four pages. One hundred ninety authors provide a total of 245 articles. Contributors come from varied parts of the globe and range from young scholars to older, well-established ones. Some of the latter include Jurgen Moltmann, Clark Pinnock, and Glen Stassen. Some entries, such as Christology, community, eschatology, revivalism, salvation, sin, and spirituality, cover topics one would expect to find in a dictionary of theology. When discussing such topics, attention is given to particular regions. For example, the entry on sin has a section dealing with the African understanding of the term. Some entries would seem unusual in a traditional theological dictionary but seem appropriate here. Topics in this category include ancestors, capitalism, dance, folk religion, Our Lady of Guadalupe, hybridity, and migration. A number of the topics covered have