The Catholic Church has always placed before the eyes of the faithful the example of holiness set by the saints. In the first Preface of the Mass for Holy Men and Women we read: "In their lives on earth you give us an example. In our communion with them you give us their friendship. In their prayer for the Church you give us strength and protection." Moreover, as the Second Vatican Council put it, "every act of love offered by us to those who are in heaven tends to and terminates in Christ, 'the crown of all the saints, ' and through him in God who is wonderful in his saints and is glorified in them." This book, then, should be a welcome addition to the ever increasing number of volumes that treat of the lives of the saints. With the addition of feast days proper to the United States, it is offered to the English-speaking public in the hope that is will foster greater devotion to the saintly men and women who are not only historical figures worthy of our veneration but models worthy of our imitation.

Recent Reference Books in Religion provides incisive summaries and evaluations of more than 350 contemporary reference works on religious traditions ancient and modern that have been published in English, French and German. For maximum usefulness to readers, Professor Johnston has broadly defined religion to include not just the world religion of Christianity , Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism but also such alternative approaches as mythology, folklore, and the philosophy of ethics. Each entry, analyzing a particular work, includes full bibliographic details as well as commentary: outstanding articles and contributors are highlighted, strengths and weaknesses are carefully noted and weighed. Readers are directed to volumes whose strengths and weaknesses are carefully noted and weighed. Readers are directed to volumes whose strengths complement the weaknesses of others. An indispensable guide in any religious studies collection, Recent Reference Books in Religion: 2nd Edition includes works published through the end of 1997. It also includes a Glossary that describes types and functions of refernce books, and five indexes: Titles, Authors, Topics, Persons and Places.

This dictionary provides definitions for over 7,000 terms and names in the history of Christianity. The topics range from the foundational theological developments of the early church to the divisions of the Protestant Reformation to the missionary enterprises of the last two centuries. Nelson's Dictionary of Christianity is an essential resource for anyone who wants to know more about how Christians have lived, built the church, and worked to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ around the world.