Midwest Publishing Association Award of Excellence (Scholarly/Reference) Readers' Choice Awards Honorable Mention The Encyclopedia of Ancient Christianity covers eight centuries of the Christian church and comprises 3,220 entries by a team of 266 scholars from 26 countries representing a variety of Christian traditions. It draws upon such fields as archaeology, art and architecture, biography, cultural studies, ecclesiology, geography, history, philosophy, and theology. This three-volume encyclopedia offers unparalleled, comprehensive coverage of the people, places, and ideas of ancient Christianity. The encyclopedia's A-to-Z coverage extends from "Aaron (iconography)" to "Zosimus, pope" and chronologically from Christianity's origins to Bede (d. 735) in the West and John of Damascus (d. ca. 749) in the Greek East, with detailed emphasis on the first four centuries of Christian history. This edition updates and expands on previous Italian and English-language editions with the addition of more than 500 new articles (added to the current Italian or English edition), including 30 articles exclusive to IVP's edition. Extensive cross-referencing provides ease in exploring related articles, and helpful bibliographies, including primary sources (texts, critical editions, translations) and key secondary sources (books and journal articles), give access to the very latest in-depth scholarship in countless disciplines of study. IVP's new Encyclopedia of Ancient Christianity (2014) is translated from Nuovo dizionario patristico e di antichita cristiane (2006-2008), produced by the Institutum Patristicum Augustinianum, the world's foremost center for partristic studies, under the direction of Professor Angelo Di Berardino, and it greatly updates and expands the 1992 Encyclopedia of the Early Church (Oxford University Press/James Clarke). "The most thorough and extensive collection of information on the early church available. . . . Recommended for theological, academic, and large public libraries." -- Christopher McConnell, Booklist, July 2014 "This three-volume set edited by Di Berardino and a team of consulting editors offers a comprehensive alphabetical listing of people, places and concepts important to the Christian Church's first eight centuries. . . . The list of contributors, most of them from one of several prestigious European universities, assures the reader that the content is authoritative and thoughtfully considered. . . . Recommended for scholars, this encyclopedia set, with its academic and precise content, is aimed at those whose interest in ancient Christianity is beyond general." -- Annette Haldeman, Library Journal, April 15, 2014 "Given this resource's breadth of coverage and caliber of scholarship, its value cannot be overstated―even more so because scholarly interest in this period is currently expanding. Summing Up: Essential. Lower-level undergraduates and above; general readers." -- D. R. Stewart, CHOICE, September 2014 "The Encyclopedia of Ancient Christianity is highly recommended as a front line source for information on all aspects of the early church. . . . It is a must for any seminary, training school, or other educational institution. Those specializing in church history will want to have this reference set within arm's reach at their desk." -- Dennis M. Swanson, The Master's Seminary Journal, Fall 2014 "The revised and expanded Encyclopedia of Ancient Christianity is certain to become the standard work of reference for patristics and the study of Late Antiquity. The range of subjects covered by the articles is astounding, including virtually everyone about whom anything at all is known, as well as geography, literary and legal culture, art and symbolism, architecture and liturgy. These articles, together with their extensive and up-to-date bibliographies, make the Encyclopedia the portal of choice to the world of Late Antiquity." -- Andrew Louth, Professor Emeritus of Patristic and Byzantine Studies, Durham University "When Tom Oden is asked about these volumes his excitement nearly overwhelms the conversation, which is understandable. This will become one of the more important works for English readers for decades." -- Jerry Pattengale, Executive Director, Green Scholars Initiative "Words fail me for celebrating the fullness and excellence of this unique pioneer compendium, which brings together just about everything that is known about the first eight Christian centuries. A must-have for libraries, it will prove an invaluable resource for scholars and students alike. All praise to IVP for making it available to us English readers who could not handle the original Italian." -- J. I. Packer, Board of Governors' Professor of Theology, Regent College "This wonderful new and greatly expanded Encyclopedia of Ancient Christianity is the very best reference work on the foundational period of Christian thought and life available in English. We all owe An