Brandel Library

BTS 2640: Western Theological Tradition (Veeneman)

Primary Sources

Tests and Translations

  • Your presentation and paper assignments require you to use primary sources.
  • You will need to identify and read (portions of) one or more of the writings of the theologians or traditions you have selected.
  • For theologians from earlier periods of the church or modern and contemporary persons who did not write in English, the original writings will be in another language(s) and so you will be working with translations of their writings.
  • In many, if not most cases, Brandel Library has multiple editions and translations of these writings, so you will need to select the appropriate translation and edition for your paper.
    • The most recent edition is usually a wise choice, though not always the best choice. Sometimes older editions are preferable for specific reasons, such as editorial policies or translation philosophy.
    • Complete editions are generally preferable to abridged editions, even if you are only using a portion of the work for your research, though this depends on how severely abridged the text is.
    • Any abridgement must be evaluated for the quality of its editing: how reliable and accurate are the choices of what to delete and what to keep? The quality of the editors and of the publisher are important indicators of the reliability of the abridged edition.
    • Scholarly editions are based on the best available editions (and availability sometimes increases over time) of the original texts, and especially "critical" texts, if they have been produced. 
    • Scholarly editions also usually include introductions and notes that are significant guides to understanding the texts in its original context and its subsequent reception history. These introductions and notes are themselves secondary sources and thus should not substitute for your own reading of the text, but they should be used critically to aid your reading.

Identifying editions and translation

  • Reference book articles on your theologian or tradition are good sources for identifying the principal editions and translations of their writings. 
    • Focused reference books (on the period or tradition) are more useful than broader, general books.
    • Oxford Encyclopedia of the Reformation is preferable to the Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, but the Oxford Handbook of Martin Luther's Theology is preferable to both, especially because this last work is more recent than the others.
  • Most such articles will list the principal editions in the original language, especially critical editions, if they exist. If you happen to be able to read in that language, even if not fluently, these are always preferable to translations.
  • These articles will also list principal translations.
    • If a complete edition in translation is underway or completed, that will be listed.
    • If not, the author will provide a list of primary editions at least for the major works.
  • To identify the most recent editions and translations, consult the most recent reference book.

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