The Dictionary of Christian Biography

Who increasingly thought of himself as the "bearer of Christ" to the New World? Who was involved in negotiations for the release of American hostages during the Khomeini regime? Which saint was called on a mission to save France and later accused of witchcraft and heresy? Who established the Christian Revival Association (later known as the Salvation Army)?

The answers to these and thousands of other questions can be found in one book, the Dictionary of Christian Biography, compiled by Michael Walsh, librarian of Heythrop College, London. It is the first one-volume biographical reference for those seeking information about the lives of the world's Church leaders irrespective of denomination. Until now, no one book in religion existed to serve as a comprehensive reference tool for those who have, over the last two millennia, contributed to the history and study of Christianity.

The Dictionary of Christian Biography treats a range of figures prominent in Christianity who are no longer living. Each of the nearly 6,000 entries is relatively short about one paragraph yet contains essential information about the significant men and women from the past 2,000 years of Christian history.

The Dictionary of Christian Biography covers the whole Church, geographically as well as chronologically, and embraces all Christian denominations: Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, and Evangelical. Those who figure large in the New Testament are also included as well as some of the major figures of the Old Testament and Apocrypha. This makes the Dictionary of Christian Biography truly comprehensive.

Categories for inclusion are saints, popes, archbishops of Canterbury, and other leaders of major denominations; any theologian, Scripture scholar, or ecclesiastical historian from the earliest times down to the last century who has contributed to the understanding of the Christian faith; founders of important organizations within Christianity such as religious orders, missionary societies, and significant lay movements; and men and women whose work is inspired by their Christian principles. The volume also includes a detailed bibliography of sources to aid readers searching for more information about a particular individual. Entries are arranged alphabetically for ready reference. A comprehensive bibliography is included.

Anyone interested in Church history, whether political or devotional, and in the study of the Christian faith will find the Dictionary of Christian Biography an essential tool for learning about the men and women who had significant impact in Christian history. The Dictionary of Christian Biography:
* includes nearly 6,000 entries and 900,000 words containing biographical details about the world's Church leaders
* contains essential information about the significant men and women from 2,000 years of Christian history
* includes alphabetically listed entries for easy accessibility
* includes entries on the lives of saints with the feast day listed, both according to the traditional and to the reformed calendar, and their iconographic symbol
* includes entries of Christian writers and a discussion of the influences upon them, and of their influence upon subsequent scholarship, as well as listing their major works
* includes a detailed bibliography of sources to aid readers searching for more information about a particular individual. Some entries include: Agnes of Assisi Albert the Great Alexander I Amadeus VIII of Savoy Anastasia Andrew of Crete Anthony of Egypt Augustine Baldwin of Canterbury Balthasar of St. Catherine of Siena Barton, Elizabeth Basil Bede Beethoven, Ludwig van Bellarmine, Robert Benedict Bernini, Giovanni Lorenzo Blakely, Paul Lendrum Booth, William Boutroux, Etienne Emile Marie Browning, Robert Butler, Charles Byrne, Patrick James Caesaria Caldwell, Mary Gwendoline Canute, King of England Cardoso, Manoel Castellanos, Juan de Catherine of Alexandria Charbooneau, Joseph Clare of Assisi Constantine I (the Great) Cotton, John Cyril Damasus I Day, Dorothy Demetrius of Alexandria Dominic Dunn, Joseph Drer, Albrecht Eddy, Mary Baker Edmund the Martyr Elizabeth I Este, Alfonso d' Eugene II Eybler, Joseph von Faber, Peter Farley, John Murphy Felix, of Nola Fenwick, Edward Dominic Finn, Francis James Flanagan, Edward Joseph Ford, Ita Foucauld, Charles Eugene de Francis de Sales Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen Garet, Jean Gaston, William Joseph Genevieve George of Saxony Gogh, Vincent Van Goretti, Maria Teresa Grassi, Anthony Gregory of Antioch Gual, Pedro Hamilton, Patrick Hassler, Hans Leo Healy, John Helena Henry the Navigator Hildegard of Bingen Howard, Thomas Ignatius of Loyola Innocent Jeanne Marie de Maille Joan of Arc John Cantius John Paul I Judge, Thomas Augustine Julius II Jungmann, Josef Andreas Kakubilla Kavanagh, Edward Keating, Geoffrey Kennedy, John Fitzgerald Kilmer, Alfred Joyce Kraus, Franz Xaver LaGrange, Marie Joseph Lambeck, Peter Jan Laski Lawrence, of Canterbury Lazarus the Confessor Lejay, Paul Leo X Leonardo de Vinci Lewis, Frank J. Linus Locke, John Lopez, Carlos Antonio Luther, Martin Major, George Mann, Thomas Manuel, II Marchand, Louis Marco Polo Margaret, of the Blessed Sacrament Marie Antoinette Mary Stuart Matthews, William Merton, Thomas Mezger, Paul Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus Murphy, John Joseph Napoleon III Neri, Philip Neumann, Theresa Newton, Isaac Noyes, Alfred O'Connor, Thomas Francis Olaf I Olmos, Andres de Ott, Michael Pike, James Albert Pio, Padre Quasten, Johannes Rausch, James Romero, Oscar A. Rowley, Harold Henry Ryan, Dermot Sheed, Francis Joseph Sheridan, Terence James Smith, Virginia Beck Spellman, Francis Tillich, Paul Torres, Camillo Turner, Thomas Wyatt Van der Veldt, James H. Villot, Jean Vogels, Heinrich Joseph Ward, Barbara Wright, John Joseph Zachary Zamora, Alfonso de Zeno of Verona Zimmer, Patrick Zolli, Giuseppe