Lexicon

Reading the Bible or a work of theology means meeting words that carry a history: a Hebrew term whose translation hesitates, a notion coined in the fourth century to express the faith, a distinction on which a whole argument depends. This lexicon aims to help readers understand these words, and also to show where the questions they raise begin.

Shed light, open, connect. An entry sheds light on a term, its history and the debates it gives rise to. It may also open a question the reader had not yet asked. Finally, it connects texts, interpretations and, in the end, people: texts lead to words, words open new readings, and readings become occasions for meeting. The lexicon therefore also includes notions not yet worked on elsewhere on Meletan; some of them will become the starting point of a study or a shared reading.

A standard. No statement without a source. Each entry distinguishes the sources used in drafting it (Provenance), the checked references (Bibliography) and the references noted but not yet read (Further reading). It also distinguishes what ancient texts say from what a theology of today may draw from them, and avoids founding a doctrine on an etymology. A debated question is not settled: positions are presented as such. Rigour and openness are not opposed: one can learn to read together, to argue and to disagree without giving up on conversation.

What you will find. Notions of theology and exegesis, and three vocabularies: biblical Hebrew, biblical Aramaic, New Testament Greek. An entry gives a definition, the German, Hebrew and Greek equivalents, biblical passages and cross-references; the developed entries add sections on the words, Scripture, the history of the notion and the questions it raises. A label indicates the field, a note the state of research: established definition or debated question.

A work in progress. The lexicon is an experimental version: all its entries are being reviewed.

About the English version. The English text is a machine translation of the French original, which remains authoritative. Bibliographical references are given as in the French version. Entries not yet translated are shown in French.

Why can’t corrections be suggested? The lexicon remains an open work: its errors can be corrected, its references completed and its interpretations discussed. It does not, however, offer a contribution form. In a field such as theology, messages received could reveal the religious or philosophical convictions of their authors. To respect their privacy, Meletan has chosen not to collect or keep such contributions. This precaution does not call into question the purpose of the site: to encourage reading, meeting and conversation.

Conventions. Citations follow the Chicago style. IRC refers to Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion (Institution de la religion chrétienne); Es, to the book of Isaiah (Ésaïe).