BB - Religion

2009/2010

BB - Religion

Taschenlexikon Religion und Theologie [Pocket Dictionary of Religion and Theology]. Ed. Friedrich Wilhelm Horn and Friederike Nüssel. 5th rev. ed. 4 vols. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht. 21 cm. ISBN 978-3-525-50124- 5: EUR 79.90

The Taschenlexikon Religion und Theologie (TRT) was first published in 1971 in four volumes. A substantially revised version in five volumes appeared in 1983, and the digital version of the latter became available in 2002 as Vol. 73 of the Digitale Bibliothek [Digital Library]. This 5th edition is a completely new version of the work. Many entries have been cut, condensed, or combined. The dictionary‘s four volumes comprise a total of 1,464 pages. The first three volumes contain the articles, which include only very short bibliographies. The fourth volume contains a list of abbreviations, a general index, and an author index. As in the previous editions, one finds a tendency to emphasize a Protestant viewpoint, for example, in the choice of theologians discussed.

The work can be recommended in terms of its quality, and it could certainly be useful as a handy reference work offering a concise and up-to-date perspective on important topics of theology for an interested lay person or an instructor of religion, for example. For more detailed information, however, one would have to turn to a larger work, such as the Theologische Realenzykopädie (see RREA 5:92). The main drawback of the Taschenlexikon is that there are now a number of other large theological dictionaries available in affordable paperback format. A recent example would be the Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche (see RREA 7:72). Still others are available in reasonably priced electronic versions, such as the Evangelisches Kirchen-Lexikon (see RREA 5:91) by the same publisher. [ar/akb]

Dizionario di ecclesiologia [Dictionary of Ecclesiology]. Ed. Gianfrancesco Calabrese, Philip Goyret, and Orazio Francesco Piazza. Roma: Città nuova, 2010. 1567 p. 25 cm. ISBN 978-88-311-9342-9: EUR 140

An RREA Original Review by Thomas M. Izbicki (Rutgers University)

Ecclesiology is the theology of the Church, its nature, mission, and visible institutions. The focus of this extensive dictionary is Catholicism. The emphasis, from the preface to the indexing, is on “the mystery of the Church” and on pastoral care, while history and governing authority receive less attention. These priorities are evident from the structural index provided at the front of the book. Topics such as the Trinity and the Church, sacramentality, and apostolic succession are classified as “fundamental” (fondativa), whereas such issues as Church-state relations, the Roman Curia, and even the papacy are described as “secondary” (secondaria), and Gallicanism and the Oxford Movement, for example, are only “explanatory” (esplicativa).

The bulk of the dictionary is in alphabetical order, from “Ambiti pastorali” [Fields of Pastoral Work] to “Vocazione” [Vocation]. The editors have provided an index of names, an analytical index, and an index of terms (indice delle voci). Individual entries, e.g., “Immagini” [Images], are subdivided into numbered sections. The entries conclude with bibliographical notes, which include some of the works referenced within the texts that they document.

The focus is on the ecclesiology of the Catholic Church since the Second Vatican Council, yet historical topics are not ignored. Thus, the entry on the doctrine of infallabilità [infallibility] does not ignore the controversy, much discussed in the 1970s, over the doctrine’s origins. Biblical and patristic, medieval, and post-Tridentine theologies are treated as the roots of later teachings. This reference work will be useful for support of programs in religion and Catholic Studies.

Il papato nel secolo XIII: cent’anni di bibliografia (1875-2009) [The Papacy in the 13th Century: 100 Years of Bibliography (1875-2009)]. Ed. Agostino Paravicini Bagliani. Firenze: SISMEL, Edizioni del Galluzzo, 2010. xlvi, 812 p. 25 cm. (Millennio medievale, 83; Strumenti e studi, n.s. 23). ISBN 978- 88-8450-339-8: EUR 108

An RREA Original Review by Thomas M. Izbicki (Rutgers University)

This bibliography covers the 13th century, when the papacy was at the height of its influence in Europe. The century is construed broadly to cover the period from the election of Innocent III in 1198 to the death of Benedict XI in 1304. Among the Roman pontiffs treated are Gregory IX, who knew Francis of Assisi, and Boniface VIII, who advanced large claims for papal power but was condemned by Dante. The coverage by publication date includes more than a century of books and articles, many of the earliest publications not being listed in online bibliographies. Topics addressed include not just the papal office and the individual pontiffs but the cardinals, the papal curia, and the possessions of the Holy See. The approaches employed by the authors whose works are listed include history, theology, law, and cultural patronage. The coverage is international and multilingual.

The book begins with a substantive introduction by its distinguished editor, Agostino Paravicini Bagliani, one of the leading experts on this period of papal history. The bibliography is structured in 19 sections with multiple subsections. The major divisions (as translated from the Italian) are: “General Questions; “ “Personalities;” “Roman Centrality and Christendom;” “Papal Power;” “Rites and Symbols;” “Titles, Maxims, Metaphors, and Images;” “Artistic Commissions and Patronage;” “The Popes and Rome;” “Polemics and Prophetic Expectations;” “The Roman Curia;” “The College of Cardinals;” “The Life of the Court”; “The Government of the Church;” “The Papacy and the Clergy;” “The Papacy and the Universities;” “Repression, Exclusions, and Condemnations;” “East and West;” “The Papacy and the Jews;” “Missionary Activity;” and “Temporal Power.” The volume concludes with a table of sigla and abbreviations; addenda; an index of names and places; and an index of manuscripts and archival documents. Both indexes are substantial; please note that they are tied to individual item numbers rather than page numbers. We can only hope that this volume will be digitized and updated frequently.

Augustinus-Zitatenschatz [Treasury of Augustinian Quotations]. Ed. Cornelius Mayer. 5th, extensively expanded and annotated ed. Würzburg: Zentrum für Augustinus-Forschung, 2009. 210 p. ill. 30 cm. EUR 30.00 + postage for deluxe ed. with colored ill.; EUR 20.00 + postage for standard ed. (sekretariat@ augustinus.de)

This very useful and attractive compendium of quotations from Saint Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, was compiled by Cornelius Mayer, director of the Zentrum für Augustinus- Forschung [Center for Augustinian Studies]. Meyer has published extensively on Augustine, for example, the Augustinus-Lexikon (see RREA 2:85) and the Augustine text database Corpus Augustinianum Gissense: CAG (see RREA 2:89 and RREA 13:70)

This 5th edition of the Augustinus-Zitatenschatz is substantially expanded, with longer quotations and references to recent publications. The quotations appear in the original Latin as well as German translation, giving insight into Augustine’s language as well as his thoughts. Selections highlight the Church Father’s Christian spirituality. The quotations are followed by a citation to the exact source and a brief understandable but not superficial commentary on the major theological and philosophical concepts discussed in the passage, along with cross-references. The quotations are arranged in alphabetical order by keyword which allows for quick identification of relevant texts. The preliminaries include a list of the keywords and a bibliography of the source publications. This publication serves as a good introduction to Augustine’s thought. [tk/rg]

Joseph Ratzinger, Papst Benedikt XVI, das Werk: Bibliographisches Hilfsmittel zur Erschließung des literarisch-theologischen Werkes von Joseph Ratzinger bis zur Papstwahl [Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI, His Works: Bibliographical Aid for Accessing the Literary and Theological Works Written by Joseph Ratzinger before his Election as Pope]. Ed. Vinzenz Pfnür. Augsburg: Sankt-Ulrich-Verlag, 2009. 445 p. 22 cm + 1 CD-ROM. ISBN 978-3-86744-002-8: EUR 59.90

The works of Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, have been the subject of bibliographies from the 1960s onward, but as his list of works has grown, so has it become increasingly difficult for non-specialists to keep up with his output or locate information on specific titles. Now we at last have a truly thorough and comprehensive bibliography of Benedict’s works—even though it is unfortunately limited to the works he wrote prior to his election to the papacy. This is too bad, but surely can be corrected in a future supplement.

The bibliography is divided into three main sections, each one organized chronologically: (1) stand-alone monographs and collections; (2) contributions to larger works, e.g., essays, reviews, encyclopedia articles, letters, prefaces, lectures, sermons, and meditations; and (3) works that Ratzinger edited or helped to edit. There are separate overviews of encyclopedia articles (listed by the title of the encyclopedia) and reviews (listed under the title of the work reviewed). These sections are followed by a list of the seminars Ratzinger taught in Freising, Bonn, Münster, Tübingen, and Regensburg. The entries contain bibliographical data for the original publication as well as subsequent reprints and editions and also give a list of translations. Titles in non-Latin scripts are given in the original characters as well as in transliteration. Entries further include a list of reviews of the work in question as well as its table of contents—a particularly helpful feature.

The bibliography contains 135 stand-alone titles in Part 1 and 1,375 titles in Part 2. For better readability it would have been better to break up the long chronological sequences into a segment for each year. The bibliography has an index of names and a subject index. The number of abbreviations used is somewhat excessive in these days, and some of the abbreviations are difficult if not impossible to interpret. The accompanying CD-ROM contains, somewhat disappointingly, not a database but rather the full text of the bibliography as a PDF file. Still, the CD is fully searchable and thus definitely useful. For reasons of space, secondary literature is listed only on the CD-ROM, not in the print version—and this list is of necessity incomplete, since the amount of literature written about Pope Benedict since his election is already well beyond the capacity of any single bibliography.

This is an excellent reference work, well-researched and well-produced. It has the usual limitation of all print-based resources of not being updateable; it is to be hoped that in the future, more works of this nature will appear as updateable (and, preferably, freely accessible) Web resources. [ar/crc]

Herders neues Klösterlexikon [Herder’s New Monastery Handbook]. Thomas Sterba. Freiburg im Breisgau: Herder, 2010. 909 p. ill. maps. 29 cm. ISBN 978-3-451-30500-9: EUR 58.00

This weighty handbook of monasteries in large format is not, as the title suggests, a revised version of a previous edition. It is instead a completely new work. The scope is restricted both geographically and chronologically, including only monasteries located in today’s Germany and founded between the 7th century and 1530, i.e., before the Reformation, and then only if the present-day architecture of the structure has not been substantially modernized. A more accurate title for the work would have been “Pre- Reformation Monasteries in Germany.” Included are articles about 1,300 monasteries in existence in Germany which still have a medieval architectural character; shorter articles about 400 monasteries that have completely lost their original buildings; and brief mentions of 150 monasteries that now exist only in a post-Reformation architectural form. Some 1,000 of the articles are illustrated with color photos (outside and inside views) taken by the author.

The author intends his work for a general readership, rather than a specialized, academic one. As such, it is still useful for academic libraries, both as a source for basic information and for bibliographic citations.

There is currently no other work on the market that gives such a complete inventory of German monasteries. With only 200 articles, Matthias Untermann’s Klöster in Deutschland [Cloisters in Germany] (Stuttgart, 2008—IFB 08-1/2-121) is less appealing and substantive. Most other guide books to German monasteries have a more regional scope, such as Wolfgang Zimmermann and Nicole Priesching’s Württembergisches Klosterbuch (see RREA 11:79); Rainer Braun’s Klöster in Bayern um 1800 (see RREA 11: 80); Karl Hengst’s Westfälisches Klosterbuch [Westphalian Cloister Book] (Münster, 2003); Manfred Groten’s Nordrheinisches Klosterbuch (see RREA 15/16:80); Hildrud Kier and Marianne Gechter’s Frauenklöster im Rheinland und in Westfalen [Women’s Convents in the Rhineland and in Westphalia] (Regensburg, 2004—see IFB 05-1- 096); and Dieter J. Mehlhorn’s Klöster und Stifte in Schleswig-Holstein [Cloisters and Monasteries in Schleswig-Holstein] (Kiel, 2007—see IFB 07-2-339). [sh/akb]

Nordrheinisches Klosterbuch: Lexikon der Stifte und Klöster bis 1815 [The Monasteries of the Northern Rhine Valley: A Lexicon of Religious Foundations and Monasteries to 1815]. Ed. Manfred Groten and Wolfgang Rosen. Siegburg: Schmitt. ill. maps. 25 cm. (Studien zur Kölner Kirchengeschichte, 37).

Vol. 1. Aachen bis Düren [Aachen to Düren]. 2009. 576 p. ISBN 978-3-87710- 453-8: EUR 39.90

This is the first volume of a planned five-volume work. There has been quite a boom recently in books about monasteries, intended for a popular readership and usually making extensive use of photographs. This publication, in contrast, is founded on excellent scholarship and is modeled on the exemplary Westfälisches Klosterbuch (Münster, 1992- ) and the Brandenburgisches Klosterbuch (Berlin, 2007). At its completion, the Nordrheinisches Klosterbuch will constitute a complete inventory of all the monasteries and convents located in the monastery-rich territory of North Rhine-Westphalia. Plans for this publication began in 2002 and 2003, when many exhibitions were being mounted to mark the 200th anniversary of the dissolution of so many German monasteries.

Volume 1 covers 91 monasteries, of which 32 were located in Aachen, 20 in Bonn and 11 in Düren. Monasteries are listed under the names of the towns in which they were located. Under the name of each town, monasteries are listed in alphabetical order under the name of their religious order or their church. All monasteries that existed prior to 1815 are listed. If they continued to exist after 1815, there is a brief note about their further history. The concluding volume 5 will include an account of monasteries that were founded after 1815. All contributions are signed; in all, 48 contributors are named. Each article has a uniform structure and covers all aspects of a particular monastery’s institutional history. An appendix offers an index of place names with see-references from variant names, along with four helpful maps.

The relatively short span of time between the work’s inception and the publication of this initial volume gives one hope that the remaining volumes will appear fairly quickly. The third volume of the set will be dedicated entirely to the city of Cologne and its more than 70 monasteries. [sh/crc]

Jüdisches biographisches Lexikon: eine Sammlung von bedeutenden Persönlichkeiten jüdischer Herkunft ab 1800 [Jewish Biographical Lexicon: A Selection of Prominent Personalities of Jewish Descent After 1800]. Hans Morgenstern. Wien; Münster: Lit-Verlag, 2009. iv, 946 p. 24 cm. ISBN 978-3-7000-0703-6 (Wien); ISBN 978-3-8258-0509-8 (Münster): EUR 89.90

This volume contains approximately 6,000 biographies of individuals of Jewish descent who have made notable contributions to European and North American culture, as well as to Jewish culture specifically. The biographies and attached lists of works are very short and sketchy. An appendix groups individual names according to allegiance to broad professional groups. This work would appear to draw heavily on earlier, specialized and general, biographical sources, unfortunately without necessarily acknowledging its debt. [sh/cjm]

“... meldet den Austritt aus dem mosaischen Glauben”: 18000 Austritte aus dem Judentum in Wien, 1868-1914; Namen ,Quellen, Daten [“... Reports Resignation from the Jewish Faith”: 18,000 Resignations from Judaism in Vienna, 1868- 1914. Names, Sources, Data]. Anna L. Staudacher. Frankfurt am Main: Lang, 2009. 826 p. 21 cm. ISBN 978-3-631-55832-4: EUR 98

With this work, the historian Anna L. Staudacher has continued her three volumes on forced conversions in Vienna, Wegen jüdischer Religion—Findelhaus: Zwangstaufen in Wien 1816-1868 [Due to Jewish Religion—Orphanage: Forced Baptisms in Vienna, 1816-1868] (Frankfurt am Main, 2001), Jüdische Konvertiten in Wien 1782-1868 [Jewish Converts in Vienna, 1782-1868] (Frankfurt am Main, 2002), and Jüdischprotestantische Konvertiten in Wien 1782-1914 [Jewish-Protestant Converts in Vienna, 1782-1914] (Frankfurt am Main, 2004). Unlike the previous titles, which each had a narrative volume and a documentation volume, this one only includes the latter.

On 25 May 1868 the Hapsburg law was altered to require that a change in religion begin with resignation from one’s present faith community. This resignation gave the person the status of “non-denominational,” from which one could then decide whether to continue in that status or join a different religious community. This new status led to a civil list kept by the political authorities, which, together with the resignation lists of the Jewish community forms the source for the present source book.

The names are listed in tabular form and include detailed personal information on some 8,000 women and 10,000 men. Footnotes on sources of information are given for prominent persons. Since the sources only document resignations in Vienna, former Jews who came from Vienna or worked there are missing if they declared their resignations elsewhere (for example, Gustav Mahler converted to Catholicism in Hamburg in 1897, a condition of his being appointed to leading musical positions in Vienna). [sh/gh]

Quellenbuch zur jüdischen Geschichte und Literatur [Source Book of Jewish History and Literature]. Julius Höxter. New rev. ed. Michael Tilly. Wiesbaden: Marix-Verlag, 2009. 672 p. 22 cm. ISBN 978-3-86539-198-8: EUR 25

Originally published in five volumes and a supplement between 1927 and 1935, Höxter’s Quellenbuch took as its objective the raising of consciousness and appreciation of Jewish history and literature. Not being intended as a scholarly work, it presented source texts without linguistic or historical commentary. The work was published in English translation as the Source Book of Jewish History and Literature, with Hebrew Supplement (London, 1938) and the German original was reprinted in two volumes (Zürich, 1983). This new edition introduces few substantive changes to the style or structure of the original. The texts have been reset and the orthography updated to current German standards. A small selection of 20th- and 21st-century source texts has been added, and a very selective bibliography of recent secondary literature in German has been included. [sh/cjm]

Handbuch des Antisemitismus: Judenfeindschaft in Geschichte und Gegenwart [Handbook of Antisemitism: Emnity toward Jews in History and Contemporary Culture]. Ed. Wolfgang Benz. Berlin: De Gruyter Saur. 25 cm.

Vol. 1. Länder und Regionen [Countries and Regions]. 2008; 2010 (corrected reprint). 443 p. ill. maps. ISBN 978-3-598-24071-3: EUR 99.95; 79.95 (subscription price)

Vol. 2. Personen [Persons]. 2009. 2 pts. (xxii, 934 p.) ISBN 978-3- 598-24072- 0: EUR 199.95; 159.95 (subscription price)

Vol. 3. Begriffe, Theorien, Ideologien [Concepts, Theories, Ideologies]. 2010. xii, 388 p. 25 cm. ISBN 978-3-598-24074-4:EUR 119.95; 99.95 (subscription price)

Vol. 4. Ereignisse, Dekrete, Kontroversen [Events, Decrees, Controversies]. 2011. xv, 492 p. 25 cm. ISBN 978-3-598-24076-8: EUR 119.95; 99.95 (subscription price)

Founded in 1982 and to date the only research facility of its kind, the Zentrum für Antisemitismusforschung der Technischen Universität Berlin [Center for Anti-Semitism Research at the Technical University in Berlin] has issued research in a number of publications, including Jahrbuch für Antisemitismusforschung [Yearbook of Anti-Semitism Research]. Between 1989 and 1993 the Center published its library’s catalog in four volumes, entitled Bibliographie zum Antisemitismus, (see RREO 94-3/4-423). The first two volumes of the handbook under review are part of a projected five-volume compendium of research on the phenomenon of anti-Semitism throughout history and across cultures.

Volume 1 has 85 signed articles about contemporary countries and historical regions. The articles lack a uniform structure but follow Jewish history from its beginnings to the present time. Most of these articles include only a short bibliography with between five and 10 citations at most. In addition, the appendix contains a short glossary and an index of cities and regions but lacks a name index. Volume 2 is in two parts which together contain 686 biographies of individuals from every historical era, from Hippolytus of Rome through the present, including many who are still alive. The biographies are not only of individuals acting as perpetrators of anti-Semitism, but also of those who were victimized and of those who fought against it. Moreover, the volume includes not only well-known names, but less familiar figures as well. As might be expected, a high proportion of Europeans, particularly Germans, are among those named. [sh/jmw]

Ed. note. Since this review appeared in IFB, volumes 3 and 4 have appeared in print, volume 1 has been re-printed with corrections, all published volumes are also available as e-books on the De Gruyter platform, and the series will be expanded to seven volumes (five were described in the IFB review). The citations for the new print volumes are included with the above abstract.

According to information on De Gruyter’s Web site (www.degruyter.com), volume 3 contains 150 articles by 88 authors, covering terms, theories and ideologies of anti- Semitism from Abwehr [resistance] to Zwangstaufe [forced baptism]. The authors explain terms, metaphors such as “race defilers,” phenomena such as Holocaust denial, and the different political contexts of hostility towards Jews. Volume 4 contains 207 articles that discuss events, legislative and administrative acts of discrimination, affairs, scandals and controversies, motives, and many more topics. And also the authors provide examples of prevention and resistance to anti-Semitism.

Detailed price and availability information about this set, and more descriptions, can be found at http://www.degruyter.com/cont/fb/ge/geMbwEn.cfm?rc=38414.

Die Verfolgung und Ermordung der europäischen Juden durch das nationalsozialistische Deutschland 1933-1945 [The Persecution and Murder of European Jews by National Socialist Germany, 1933-1945]. Ed. Götz Aly. München: Oldenbourg. 25 cm.

Vol. 2. Deutsches Reich 1938 bis August 1939 [The German Reich, 1938 to August 1939]. Ed. Susanne Heim. 2009. 864 p. ISBN 978-3-486-58523-0: EUR 59.80

VEJ, the abbreviation for the complete work, is a 10-year project initiated by the Federal Archives, the Institute for Contemporary History, and the Department of Modern and Recent Historyat the University of Freiburg. This is the second in a planned 16-volume series that will serve as a written memorial to those European Jews who were persecuted and executed between 1933 and 1945. Five volumes will be devoted to the German Empire (including the so-called Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia); three to Poland; one each to Western and Northern Europe, the Soviet Union including annexed areas, and Slovakia, Romania, and Bulgaria; Southeastern and Southern Europe; Hungary; and the Auschwitz Concentration Camp (1942-1945), including the period of the death marches. Volume 1 appeared in 2007 (see RREA 13:77), and volume 3 (Poland, September 1939- July 1941) and volume 7 (The Soviet Union and Annexed Territories, Part1) appeared in 2011.

Complete information on these and the remaining planned volumes is available at the VEJ Web site: http://www.edition-judenverfolgung.de. The Web site also gives detailed information about the people involved in the project, a list of related events, a summary in English, and a bibliography of sources and reviews.

The complete work will incorporate a selection of diverse source materials (excluding photographs, memoirs, reports, and legal documents, although such documents may be commented on). The actual documents that are included are arranged chronologically and consist of official notices, private letters and diary entries, newspaper articles, and reports of foreign observers, among others.

Volume 2 contains 329 documents chronicling the persecution of Jews in the 20 months between January 1938 and August 1939—a period that, among other key events, saw the annexation of Austria and the Night of Broken Glass [Reichskristallnacht] in November 1938. A 50 -page introduction discusses topics such as the status of German Jews at the beginning of 1938, preparations for war and the persecution of Jews, the concentration camp system, Aryanization of Germany, and many others. Examples of the wide variety of document types collated in the second volume include a school essay by a fifth grader on the topic of Jews, a questionnaire on racial membership, a plea submitted to Pope Pius XII requesting help for “non-Aryan” Catholics, a report by the U.S. ambassador in Berlin about anti-Jewish demonstrations, and many more. From this vast array of documentation readers gain a complete picture of the deteriorating situation of European Jews during this tumultuous period.

A glossary provides useful explanations of terms, and there is a systematic index to the documents referenced. In addition, an index of institutions, companies, and magazines, an index of locations, and an index to persons round out the critical apparatus that accompanies this work. [jli/jb]

Biographisches Handbuch der Rabbiner Deutschland 1933-1945 [Biographical Dictionary of Rabbis]. Ed. Michael Brocke and Julius Carlebach. 2 pts. in 4 vols. München: Saur. 25 cm. ISBN 3-598-24870-9 (set)

Pt. 2. Die Rabbiner im Deutschen Reich 1871-1945: mit Nachträgen zu Teil 1 [The Rabbis of the German Empire, 1871-1945: With Supplements to Part 1]. Ed. Katrin Nele Jansen. 2 vols. 2009. xxvii, 745 p. 25 cm. ISBN 978-3-598- 24874-0: EUR 298

Das Berliner Rabbinerseminar 1873-1938: seine Gründungsgeschichte – seine Studenten [The Berlin Rabbinical Seminary, 1873-1938: Its Founding – Its Students]. Mordechai Eliav and Esriel Hildesheimer. Ed. Chana Schütz and Hermann Simon. Transl. from the Hebrew, rev. and expanded by Jana Caroline Reimer. Teetz; Berlin: Hentrich & Hentrich, 2008. 302 p. ill. 25 cm. (Schriftenreihe des Centrum Judaicum, 5). ISBN 978-3-938485-46-0: EUR 32

Die Rabbiner im Deutschen Reich 1871-1945 forms the second part of Biographisches Handbuch der Rabbiner. The first part, Die Rabbiner der Emanzipationszeit in den deutschen, böhmischen und großpolnischen Ländern 1781-1871, was published in 2004 (see RREA 10:73). The current publication includes 751 bio-bibliographies of rabbis active in Germany from 1871-1945 (as its boundaries were then defined). Entries on rabbis who survived the Holocaust continue past 1945, even if they did not return to Germany after World War II. This publication is intended to be a complete registry of rabbis, including information on their families, birth and death, educational, religious, professional, and publishing activities, archival materials, and primary and secondary literature. Due to the difficulty in gathering information, some of the entries are very sparse, while those of well-known rabbis are extensive. Part 2 includes alphabetical place and personal name indexes and an appendix with updates to part 1. Additional indexes relating to the set are available online at www.steinheim-institut.de, with more to follow.

The Berliner Rabbinerseminar was founded by Esriel Hildesheimer in 1873 and closed by the Nazis in 1938. It was the most important Orthodox seminary in Germany, with numerous rabbis studying or teaching there. Das Berliner Rabbinerseminar 1873-1938 is based on a Hebrew text, Bet ha-Midrash le-Rabanim be-Berlin, 1873-1938 (1996, 2001) originally written by Esriel Hildesheimer, grandson of the seminary’s founder, and revised by Mordechai Eliav. The current revised and expanded German text is by Jana Caroline Reimer. The first and longest section is made up of biographical entries for circa 600 students. The entries are of varying lengths, from a few lines to two pages. This is followed by a much shorter section on 13 lecturers, including some entries where little more than the family name known. The volume includes a bibliography, glossary, and essays on related themes, such as a history of the founding of the seminary. [sh/rg]

Juden in Charlottenburg: ein Gedenkbuch Gedenkbuch.[Jews in Charlottenburg: A Memorial Book]. Ed. Verein zur Förderung des Gedenkbuches für die Charlottenburger Juden. Berlin: Text Verlag Edition Berlin, 2009. 456p. ill. 24 cm. ISBN 978- 3-938414-50-7: EUR 20.00

This volume was published by a local history society founded for the purpose of researching the fate of Jewish residents of the Charlottenburg district of Berlin. Thirteen chapters focus on various aspects of Jewish life in Charlottenburg, including gathering places, self-help societies, prominent community members, professions, remembrances for citizens who emigrated, anti-Jewish laws listed in chronological order, and Charlottenburg as a center for Jewish life from 1945 to 2009. The volume contains an alphabetical list of 6,000 Jewish residents who became victims of fascism. The list includes: first name, last name, maiden name, date of birth, last known address, date of deportation, destination (prison or camp), date of death, with a separate column for suicide.

Charlottenburg and Wilmersdorf were the districts of Berlin with the highest number of Jewish residents. While there is a comprehensive memorial book for the city of Berlin, Gedenkbuch Berlins der jüdischen Opfer des Nationalsozialismus [Berlin’s Memorial Book for Jewish Victims of National Socialism] (Berlin, 1995), the present volume is the first treatment specifically of Charlottenburg. [sh/hm]

Jüdisches München [Jewish Munich]. Alexander Kluy. Wien: Mandelbaum- Verlag, 2009. 221 p. ill. maps. 21 cm. (Mandelbaum City-Guide). ISBN 978-3-85476-314-7: EUR 15.80

This city guide to Munich does not fulfill its promise. In many cases there is nothing left to see at the designated sites, since numerous Jewish-owned buildings no longer exist, and those that survived are often unmarked. The failure to include the new synagogue is incomprehensible, as it is of particular interest to visitors and represents a change in public consciousness in the former Nazi stronghold toward its historical treatment of the Jewish community. The sites are difficult to locate due to the guide’s organization, and the poor-quality maps do not include the location of the sites, requiring the user to purchase a separate street map. The text is clearly patched together from the works listed in the bibliography. The appendix includes a directory, short glossary, and flawed index of names. [sh/rg]

Lexikon der Bibelhermeneutik: Begriffe, Methoden, Theorien, Konzepte [Lexicon of Biblical Hermeneutics: Terms, Methods, Theories, Concepts]. Ed. Oda Wischmeyer and Susanne Luther. Berlin: de Gruyter, 2009. lxx, 695 p. 25 cm. ISBN 978-3-11-019277-3: EUR 169.95

The editors of the Lexikon der Bibelhermeneutik have created a very useful reference work deserving attention outside the circle of theologians. The numerous contributors offer up-to-date discussions of Biblical hermeneutics exemplifying an “interdisciplinary, responsible hermeneutic for classic texts appropriate in the postmodern era.” The user is provided with solid information on diverse approaches within both the field of Biblical hermeneutics and neighboring disciplines of textual interpretation.

The trans-disciplinary approach to biblical hermeneutics is ensured by six introductory essays on the “Bible,” “Old Testament,” “New Testament,” “Hermeneutics,” “Exegesis,” and “Text.” These are followed by 21 major articles on fundamental terms of hermeneutics, 136 articles treating various themes, and 49 articles primarily concerning philosophicaltheological- hermeneutical concepts. The lexicon is not beholden to any confessional or religious perspective or any particular interpretive approach. The premise of the lexicon is that the Bible belongs to all of human culture and not just to the church and Christianity. Accordingly, Biblical hermeneutics is portrayed not as “sacred philology” but as the theory and method of understanding a certain eminent text corpus and its interpretive literature. Ecclesiastical and theological approaches to the Bible are not privileged.

Articles often contain sub-sections, each presenting a particular disciplinary perspective on a topic. For example, the article on “Geschichtsschreibung” (historical writing) is treated from the perspective of (1) the Old Testament, (2) the New Testament, (3) church history, (4) classical studies, and (5) literary history. In other cases, terms are also defined from the perspective of systematic theology, Islamic studies, text-linguistics, Judaism, or philosophy. Each individual section within the articles is written by a specialist and is supplied with a brief bibliography.

The Lexikon der Bibelhermeneutik offers solid, basic information of high quality. The user will gain much instruction and will want to have the volume within easy reach. [tk/rc]

Die Bibelsammlung der ehemals Reichsstädtischen Bibliothek Lindau (Bodensee): kommentierter Katalog der Bibeln und Bibelteilausgaben des historischen Bestandes [The Bible Collection of the Library of the Former Imperial City of Lindau (Bodensee): Annotated Catalog of the Bibles and Partial-Edition Bibles in the Historical Collection]. Henning Wendland for the Museumsverein Lindau e.V. Lindenberg im Allgäu: Kunstverlag Fink, 2008. 240 p. ill. 28 cm. (Neujahrsblatt / Museumsverein Lindau, 48/49). ISBN 978-3-89870-551-6: EUR 28

With 195 items, the Lindau library, founded in 1538, has one of the smallest, almost unknown collections of Bibles. The collection is nonetheless significant, because it includes seven incunabula and a considerable number of 16th- and 17th-century imprints. A brief history of the library by Heiner Stauder appears on pages 19-22 of this catalog.

The catalog is organized by language groups. By far the largest group is that of 77 German-language Bibles, among which four picture Bibles are presented separately. Luther’s translation comprises the largest portion, with about 50 exemplars. The collection also includes nine Hebrew editions, 18 Greek, 33 Latin, and five polyglot editions. Modern language versions include French (9), Italian (6), English (4) and Spanish (2). Anglo-Saxon, Aramaic, Bohemian (i.e., Czech), Danish, Dutch, Ethiopic, Hungarian, Japanese, Lithuanian, Persian, Rhaeto-Romanic, Russian, Swedish, Sorbian, and Syriac are each represented by a single edition.

The catalog descriptions include each volume’s shelf mark followed by an indication of the type and extent of the edition (e.g., complete edition, partial edition: New Testament), place and year of publication, and complete title information including line breaks. The descriptions also include information on editors, printer/publisher, format, illustrations, graphical features, additional details (the extent of which varies greatly) regarding book decoration and binding, references to exemplars held by other libraries, and select bibliography.

The descriptions of more significant editions include a brief characterization of the edition and the circumstances of its origin. The catalog is enriched by a series of color reproductions. A useful glossary, bibliography, and title/name index complete the catalog, which documents an interesting collection. [ch/rc]

Die Bibel und Württemberg: die Bibelsammlung der Württembergischen Landesbibliothek: Katalog zur Ausstellung der Württembergischen Landesbibliothek Stuttgart vom 13. Mai bis 31. Juli 2009 [The Bible and Württemberg: The Bible Collection of the Württemberg State Library: Catalog of the Exhibition … in Stuttgart May 13-July 31, 2009]. Eberhard Zwink. Stuttgart: Württembergische Landesbibliothek, 2009. 228 p. ill. 24 cm. ISBN 978-3-88282-070-6: EUR 22

The Bible collection of the Württemberg State Library, which includes items from the incunabular period to the 18th century, may be considered one of the richest in the world. It has an especially large number of editions in the “sacred” languages of Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, as well as German-language editions. The presence of a number of Bible societies in Stuttgart has resulted in many editions in non-European languages being included in the collection, which totals around 19,000 editions.

Eberhard Zwink, the long-time curator of the collection who was responsible for both the exhibition and catalog, sketches the history of the collection and the circumstances contributing to its growth in an introductory essay. Each of the 172 catalog entries includes the complete title, place of publication, publisher, year of publication, scope of the edition, shelf mark, and where possible, references to descriptions in the available volumes of the printed catalog of the collection Die Bibelsammlung der Württembergischen Landesbibliothek Stuttgart (see RREA 2:86-87 and RREA 10:66).

The 172 entries are divided into four sections, the first of which (nos. 001-099) covers Bible editions from the late Middle Ages to the modern period. The second section (nos. 100-134), features modern editions originating in Württemberg, either at the Württembergische Bibelanstalt [Württemberg Bible Institute], founded in 1812 (today: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft [German Bible Society]), at the monastery in Beuron, or at the Katholisches Bibelwerk [Catholic Bible Society], publisher of the so-called Unified Translation (Einheitsübersetzung). The third section features eight “family bibles” dating from the 16th to the 20th centuries, and the fourth section contains illustrated Bible editions dating from 1800 to 2008 (nos. 143-172), all of which were either printed in Württemberg or designed by Württemberg artists.

The first of two appendices has brief biographies of almost all named persons in the catalog. The second contains a glossary of technical terms for the history of the book and the textual and printing history of the Bible. A bibliography of cited literature and 18 color reproductions round out the volume.

Based on the number of interesting individual observations and the informative appendices, the catalog is recommended to anyone interested in the history of the Bible. It belongs in the reference collection of libraries with significant holdings of Bibles. [ch/rc]

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