Patricia Klein

Booklist: The Christian church has amassed a dauntingly large vocabulary over the millennia. Or should one say vocabularies? Klein's classified dictionary of church terminology contains many pictures of physical artifacts, from church floor plans to symbols of the faith, as well as words. Thus, it defines both verbal and visual signs; hence, vocabularies. The emphasis is on signs that originate in Roman Catholicism, which, after all, predates Orthodoxy and Protestantism. Each of 12 chapters deals with a different set of terms. The first, "Sacred Places, Sacred Spaces," contains architectural and furnishing terms. Subsequent chapters focus on physical features (the altar, vestments), public and private worship, the sacraments, church offices, the liturgical year, and the words of belief. Each chapter is appropriately subdivided, with the index providing a complete alphabet of defined terms. Interestingly, Klein has low-church roots but believes knowing the names of the old ways removes practical barriers between varying Christians and enables them "to lose [themselves] in the Presence of God"--that is, to truly worship. Consider reference as well as circulating copies. Ray Olson
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