Collection Development Policy Theology

PROGRAMS AND CLIENTELE SUPPORTED:

The Department of Theology is within the College of Arts and Letters at the University of Notre Dame. The department offers various degrees at the graduate as well as undergraduate levels of study: PH.D., M.A., M.T.S., M.Div., and B.A.

The doctoral program encompasses five theological areas: Christianity and Judaism in Antiquity (biblical and patristic studies), History of Christianity, Philosophical and Systematic Theology, Moral Theology/Christian Ethics, and Liturgical Studies.

The M.A. in Theology during the regular academic year offers various areas of specialty: biblical studies, history of Christianity, liturgical studies, moral theology, spirituality (summers only), and systematic theology. A special program adjusted to summer sessions can focus on either theological, biblical, or liturgical studies.

The Master of Theological Studies (M.T.S.) is designed to train graduate students for future doctoral work in the various disciplines within the study of theology. Areas of concentration include biblical studies, history of Christianity, liturgical studies, moral theology, and systematic theology.

The Master of Divinity program accredited by the Association of Theological Schools leads to a professional degree in the pastoral area, and covers the basic fields of biblical, historical, theological and moral studies as well as homiletics, liturgy, and pastoral care.

The two-year interdisciplinary M.A. program in Early Christian Studies is sponsored jointly by the Departments of Classics and Theology. It offers beginning graduate students basic training in philology, theology, history, liturgy, art history, and philosophy.

The Bachelor program at the undergraduate level offers a major in theological studies, and also serves those undergraduates who wish to study theology as a second major in addition to another specialty. The department also serves the entire undergraduate student body of the university with theological courses centering around the foundations of the Christian tradition; university requirements in theology are two courses (6 credit hours).

SUBJECT LIBRARIAN:

Alan D. Krieger
Theology Librarian
210 Hesburgh Library
University of Notre Dame
(574) 631-6663
Krieger.1@nd.edu
FAX:  (574) 631-6772

GENERAL COLLECTING GUIDELINES:

Languages:  Priority is given to primary texts, regardless of language; in view of the large undergraduate population and undergraduate course requirements in theology, special attention is given to English language sources.

Classical texts and scholarly secondary works are collected in other major languages, particularly in German and French as well as Latin and Hebrew, but to a lesser extent in Italian (except for liturgical and moral studies as well as ecclesiastical documentation) and Spanish (except for current theological trends, particularly in Latin American countries).

Time frame:  From the earliest recorded texts to the present in each field.

Geographical coverage:  American, Western European, Near Eastern (Judaic and, to a lesser extent, Islamic thought), and Asian (Indian and, to a lesser extent, Chinese and Japanese religious studies).

Priorities:  Collecting goals in theology/religion focus on two major areas. First, on scholarly materials, both primary and secondary, in most branches of religious studies, and secondly, on subject-related materials appropriate for the undergraduate curriculum and assignments in theological studies. The only popular and devotional works collected are those by important authors. Normally, popular contemporary religious literature and juvenilia are excluded.

Format:  In the acquisition of books and journals, printed materials are preferred, except in the case of large retrospective collections produced in micro format only. Microform publications are acquired when the print form is unavailable or excessive in cost. Electronic products are acquired selectively, principally in response to major research needs. Theses and dissertations are acquired only to support immediate needs.

COORDINATION INFORMATION:

The work of the department overlaps or interlocks closely with other university areas: certain philosophical fields, such as the philosophy of religion, ethics and medieval philosophy; research fields in the Medieval Institute; early modern and American religious history as emphasized in the History Department; and also with the Notre Dame's Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism.

In addition, the faculty of the department has access to the Regenstein Library at the University of Chicago and the United Library (Garrett-Evangelical/Seabury-Western Seminaries) on Northwestern University campus. For specialty items, students and faculty have access to nearby seminary and college libraries of other religious denominations: Andrews University (Seventh Day Adventist) at Berrien Springs, MI; Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary Library at Elkhart; and, Goshen College at Goshen (Radical Reformation tradition).

COLLECTING LEVELS:

Subject		Collecting Level
History of Religion & Religious     Movements	BL - BX	3
Philosophy of Religion	BL 5	4
Anthropology of Religion	BL 65-619	2
Psychology of Religion	BL 53	2
Myth, Folklore, Superstition	BL 300-325, BR 35-36	2
Sociology of Religion	BL 60	2
Religion and Society	BL - BX	3
Ancient and Near Eastern Religions	BJ, BL - BM	3
Greek and Roman Religions	BL 600-820	2
Jewish Religious Thought	BM	4
Halacha	BM 497-509	3
Aggada	BM 510-578	3
Cabala	BM 525	4
Medieval Jewish Philosophy	BM 180-182	4
Practical Religion (General)	BM 650-747	3
Liturgy & Ritual	BM 656-7, BM 660-697	4
Other forms of Judaism	BM 900-990	3
Islamic Religion	BP	3
Asian religions (general)	BL, BQ	2
Buddhism	BQ	3
Hinduism	BL 1100-1510	3
Christianity (general)	BJ, BR - BX	4
History	BR	4
Scripture	BS	4
Patristics	BR 60-67	4
Medieval Church & Thought	B, BR, BX	4
Reformation & Counter Reformation	BR, BX	4
Systematic Theology	BT, BV	4
Moral Theology/ Christian Ethics	BJ 1200-1280	4
Liturgical Studies	BV 170-194, BX	4
Pastoral Theology	BV	3
Homiletics	BV	3
Canon Law	BX 1935-1939, KBG	3
Hagiography	BR, BX	3

NB: The University Library follows the Conspectus used by the Research Libraries Group participating in the North American Collections Inventory Project for library collections nationally. Hence the accepted indication of collecting level in each of the relevant areas of the subject follows this scale:

1 = minimal level
2 = basic information level
3 = instructional support level
4 = research level

CURRENT CONSIDERATIONS:

1. Holdings in Greek patristics, Byzantine history, and medieval eastern church history are supplemented by the Anastos Collection of approximately 40,000 volumes, which is presently being incorporated into the library's holdings.
   
   
2. Renewed collecting effort is continuing in Judaic Studies, Reformation Theology (particularly Swiss and English), History of Religions (particularly Islamic and Indian religions), Pastoral Theology, and Homiletics.

 

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