What Does It Take to Build an Open Access Theological Encyclopaedia? Considerations and Challenges

Abstract

The St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology (saet.ac.uk) is a free online reference work dedicated to widening access to theological scholarship. With more than 200 peer-reviewed articles already published, the Encyclopaedia is a readily available resource for students, academics, members of faith-based institutions, and interested laypeople. This contribution shares some reflections on the opportunities and challenges involved in building an open access theological encyclopaedia for the 21st century. In particular, how has the publication’s online format and open access philosophy shaped its behind-the-scenes strategies for information management? This brief overview focuses especially on enriching, preserving, and accessing theological information in the context of a digital encyclopedic resource. Finally, it highlights a particular challenge faced by theological e-resources that do not share the static publication model represented by journals and ebooks.