The ''International Standard Bible Encyclopedia'' refers to two different versions of a Bible encyclopedia: a 1915
fundamentalist
Fundamentalism is a tendency among certain groups and individuals that is characterized by the application of a strict literal interpretation to scriptures, dogmas, or ideologies, along with a strong belief in the importance of distinguishi ...
edition, and a 1979–1995 revised
evangelical
Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide Interdenominationalism, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being "bor ...
edition.
The first version was published under the general editorship of the fundamentalist
James Orr (1844–1913), among other objectives to counteract the impact of
higher criticism. The original encyclopedia was published by the Howard-Severance Co., Chicago, in 1915. It is in the public domain and can be found freely available at various sites.
A revised version, edited by
Geoffrey W. Bromiley, was published by
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company is a religious publishing house based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Founded in 1911 by Dutch American William B. Eerdmans (November 4, 1882 – April 1966) and still independently owned with William's daught ...
in the years 1979 (Vol. 1, Vol. 2 appeared in 1982) to 1995 (Vols. 3 and 4). It contains articles by nearly 200 evangelical scholars about
archaeological
Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...
discoveries, the language and literature of Bible lands, customs, family life, occupations, and the historical and religious environments of Bible people.
Reception
Second edition
The first two volumes both won the
Gold Medallion Book Award
The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) is an international non-profit trade association whose member companies are involved in the publishing and distribution of Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to ...
for reference books.
Writing in a 1984 book review for ''
The Churchman
''Churchman'' is an evangelical Anglican academic journal published by the Church Society. It was formerly known as ''The Churchman'' and started in 1880 as a monthly periodical before moving to quarterly publication in 1920. The name change to "C ...
'', Stephen Motyer said the conservatism of the ''International Standard Bible Encyclopedia'' "is that of broad, main-line
evangelicalism, although it seems to be slightly more conservative than the work it replaces". He also says it makes "dogmatic use of the Bible", and adds: "sometimes it seems to go over the top somewhat". However, he concludes "The criticisms I have made do not, to my mind, qualify the great solid worth of this production....I...seriously commend this encyclopedia..."
[Stephen Motyer]
Book Reviews – ''The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia'' (PDF)
/ref>
References
External links
''International Standard Bible Encyclopedia'' (1915 revision)
– (studylight.org)
Online Version of ''ISBE'' at gospelhall.org (1915 revision)
Eerdmans Publishing Company
1915 non-fiction books
1989 non-fiction books
Reference works in the public domain
Encyclopedias of religion
Bible dictionaries
20th-century encyclopedias
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