They are from the same author (Walter Elwell) and publisher (Baker). Are they different versions of the same book or completely different?
Thanks.
They are completely different books.
Oh, then Logos only offer the former one in a collection. It is too expensive to buy it.
While both are published by Baker and both have Walter Elwell as editor, they are in fact quite different. Each dictionary contains entries developed by different individuals and the two dictionaries often contain entries on a topic by different authors. More than that, they each cover a different scope. The Evangelical Dictionary of Theology is published by Baker Academic whereas the Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology is published by Baker Book House, but is by no means an "entry level" dictionary.
For example: The entry on "Angel of the Lord" in the Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology is by Louis Goldberg and about 50% larger than the entry by T.E.McComiskey on the same topic in the Evangelical Dictionary of Theology (Second edition), yet the entry in the Evangelical Dictionary of Theology tends to be more scholarly and the entry in the Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology more for the average church member intent on further study and learning.
In the Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, the entry following "Angel of the Lord" is about "Anger" (The Anger of God then Human Anger), then it moves to "Animals" (and God as their Creator and sustainer.), then to "Anoint", an entry again by Louis Goldberg. It then moves to "Anthropomorphism"
In contrast, the Evangelical Dictionary of Theology moves from "Angel of the Lord" to the "Anglican Communion", "Anglo-Catholicism" then "Annihilationism" before reaching "Anoint", an entry here by J. Van Engen (about 500% the size of that in the Biblical Theology volume) . It then moves to "Anselm of Canterbury"
Given they come as parts of different collections, it is quite appropriate to try to get both dictionaries.
As to WHY two different dictionaries with similar but not identical titles, yet of apparently similar concepts but different scopes were compiled, I would have to leave that explanation to the Editor and to Baker.
How you compare that to "New Bible Dictionary"?
The Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology (which defines 500 terms and contributions from more than 125 evangelical Bible scholars) is available from Logos seperatly for $40 http://www.logos.com/ebooks/details/evdictbt (First edition 1997, file name evdictbt.lbxlls ). It is (was?) also available as part of the Baker Digital Reference Library Level 3 collection (not currently available from Logos) (which was available in Logos 2 format and probably did not get updated to Libronix 3, although the individual book titles in the collection did - can still be added to your Logos collection if you can find an unused CD somewhere). http://www.libronix.com/page.aspx?id=partner98#BAKER
The Second edition of the Evangelical Dictionary of Theology (1312 pages, published 2001, file name evdicttheo.lbxlls ) is available as part of the Baker Theology Collection (11 volumes) http://www.logos.com/products/details/4481 for $280
Myself, I would put either of those Baker Evangelical Dictionaries of Theology significantly ahead of the New Bible Dictionary from the "Essential IVP Reference Library".
Kolen, I would read up on the product descriptions if I were you (and probably you have now), but here are the differences as I see them:
The EDT deals with "theology" as a discipline, looking at major players (theologians, etc), concepts, events, and the like. You can read about Wolfhart Pannenberg, inerrancy, etc. But you will not read about those in the EDBT which will focus on theological themes in the Bible, hence "Biblical Theology"
How would you compare the New Dictionary of Theology and the New Dictionary of Biblical Theology in the IVP Essential then?
i.e. Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Theology vs IVP's New Dictionary of Theology
Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology vs IVP's New Dictionary of Biblical Theology
