The Comprehensive Theological Bibliography: What is its Future?

Abstract

The article compares WorldCat’s bibliographic records with prominent theological library holdings to establish a case that comprehensive or non-specialized publications under the LC classification “theology--bibliography” fell sharply after 1990. While many reasons might be given for this, two are examined in depth. First, theological interpretation/methodology shifted away from historical approaches to focus on new concerns and forms of scholarship. The sheer volume and numerous types of information that were published challenged the usefulness of the comprehensive theological--bibliography. Second, technology radically changed the way people read and approach theology. New formats and information access points, made the comprehensive theological bibliography obsolete. The article concludes with a discussion of the present state of bibliography, focusing on ways librarians and bibliographers might be able to create bibliographies going forward.