Edward Feser has a strange story about a 4-volume encyclopedia on Christian Civilization published by Wiley-Blackwell has been recalled and is to be destroyed despite the fact that, according “to the encyclopedia’s editor, George Thomas Kurian, the set had been copy-edited, fact-checked, proofread, publisher-approved, printed, bound, and formally launched (to high praise) at the recent American Academy of Religion/Society of Biblical Literature conference.” Read more»
R. Scott Clark
R.Scott Clark is the President of the Heidelberg Reformation Association, the author and editor of, and contributor to several books and the author of many articles. He has taught church history and historical theology since 1997 at Westminster Seminary California. He has also taught at Wheaton College, Reformed Theological Seminary, and Concordia University. He has hosted the Heidelblog since 2007.
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Incredible. If they wanted the books recalled for the reasons mentioned in the article, can you imagine what the reaction would’ve been like if they brought up the traditional, Confessional Reformed and Lutheran views of the papacy as the antichrist and his church as the Whore of Babylon?
Pure and simple, the academic standard for unbelieving acadamia is this: if it has anything to do with a public, creedal it is not scholarly.
Well I’m with Paul, God has rejected the “wisdom” of this world. I can’t wait to see their jaw drop when Christ makes his appearing.
Correct me if I’m wrong. It’s it called the Encyclopedia of CHRISTIAN Civilization. What did they expect?
What was the stated intent of the books?
“But protests from a small group of scholars associated with the project have led the press to postpone publication”
-When Christians jump in the sack with pagans should they expect godly children?
Dr. Clark, didn’t you write that scholarship was elitist not democratic? Whoever was the head elitist, over-ruled the rest. I probably blew your point when you mentioned that first.
the word “faith” should’ve come after the word “creedal.”
(sigh) That’s what I get for typing too fast and not checking over my comment.
This is amazing (although it really shouldn’t be). Any plans from Christian scholars to push back and have this encyclopedia published? Or is that the point of the class-action lawsuit?
The publication of Encyclopedia of Christian Civilization, which Blackwell Publishing Limited (now part of Wiley-Blackwell) contracted in 2006 as a major cross-disciplinary reference work, has been delayed to enable the review by its Editorial Board that was envisioned at the outset of this project. At that time, the Encyclopedia’s Editor, George T. Kurian, approved and helped to appoint an Editorial Board of prominent theologians and scholars to perform this responsibility.
After serious concerns were raised by contributors about the Introduction, which was written by Mr. Kurian, we contacted members of the Editorial Board directly for feedback. We learned that Mr. Kurian did not engage the Editorial Board in the manner we had agreed to at the beginning of the publishing process; therefore, we requested that they perform these responsibilities to ensure that the Encyclopedia meets Wiley-Blackwell’s standards of scholarship. We acknowledge that we should have been aware of the shortcut Mr. Kurian took in his editorial process sooner, but that does not change our responsibility to rectify the situation now.
We will not speculate on the outcome of the Editorial Board’s review. No decision has yet been made about the inventory that is being stored in our distribution facilities.
While we understand and share the concerns of contributors to the Encyclopedia regarding the delay, we must fulfill our responsibilities as a respected global publisher. We sincerely appreciate that many of the Encyclopedia’s contributors have taken the time to understand the issues that we and the Editorial Board are attempting to address, rather than making hurtful and damaging accusations.
Susan Spilka
Corporate Communications Director
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Jackson,
I deleted your comment not because you said that Jesus saves. I deleted your comment because you are being rude. The doctrine of justification is not justification for being an ass.
Keep it up and I’ll ban you from the HB.
Okay “Jackson” you’re banned.