Author: Taras Zvir

A Legacy of Scholarship: Remembering Msgr. Robert Trisco

Posted on by Taras Zvir
Photo credit: Rev. Msgr. Robert Trisco / The Catholic University of America

Fiscal Year 2026 marks the first year in which the library has been able to utilize the generous gift of a devoted friend of the library, Rev. Msgr. Robert Trisco. In December 2020, Msgr. Trisco, Professor Emeritus of Church History, pledged $650,000 in support of the John K. Mullen of Denver Memorial Library and the advancement of scholarship in his field at The Catholic University of America. According to University Librarian Stephen Connaghan, this gift is “one of the largest endowments the library has ever received.”

I am pleased to share that, through this support, Mullen Library has been able to acquire a number of significant works in Church history, strengthening our collections in ways that reflect both the depth and breadth of Msgr. Trisco’s scholarly vision. These new resources not only enrich our existing collections but also open new pathways for discovery, teaching, and dialogue among students, faculty, and scholars.

We are grateful for Msgr. Trisco’s enduring commitment to scholarship, to the Church, and to the mission of the library. His generosity serves as a lasting reminder of the vital role that libraries play in preserving the past while equipping future generations to engage it thoughtfully and critically. It is an honor to continue shaping our collections in a way that reflects his intellectual legacy and supports academic inquiry for years to come.

We look forward to further expanding this collection in Fiscal Year 2027 and beyond. Please use the list below to explore the titles recently acquired through this fund. We welcome your suggestions and feedback. While the library actively monitors publications from major academic publishers, we especially encourage recommendations of works in Church history from lesser-known, international, or specialized presses, whose contributions are often invaluable yet less visible.

Early Church and Late Antiquity

Salisbury, Joyce E. The First Christian Communities, 32-380 CE: Quiet Christians, Visible Martyrs, and Compelling Texts. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2025.

Stowers, Stanley Kent. Christian Beginnings: A Study in Ancient Mediterranean Religion. Edinburgh University Press, 2025.

Longenecker, Bruce W., and David E. Wilhite, eds. The Cambridge History of Ancient Christianity / Edited by Bruce W. Longenecker, Baylor University, Texas, David E. Wilhite, Baylor University, Texas. First edition. Cambridge University Press, 2024.

Lieu, Judith M. Explorations in the Second Christian Century: Texts, Groups, Ideas, Voices. 1st ed. Vol. 120. Brill, 2024.

Lieu, Judith, and Matthijs den Dulk. Early Christian Epistolarity. 1st ed. Vol. 5. Brill, 2025.

Johnson, Samuel B. The Life of Jesus in the Writings of Origen of Alexandria. 1st ed. Cambridge University Press, 2025.

Sutcliffe, Ruth. Blessed Victors: Theology of Persecution in the Third Century Church. T&T Clark, 2025.

Boswell, Brad. The Narrative Conflict of Traditions in the Late Antique World: Cyril Versus Julian. 1st ed. Cambridge University Press, 2025.

Crawford, Matthew R, Aaron P Johnson, and Edward Jeremiah. Against Julian: Introduction and Translation. Cambridge University Press, 2025.

Giulea, Dragoș Andrei. Antioch, Nicaea, and the Synthesis of Constantinople: Revisiting Trajectories in the Fourth-Century Christological Debates. 1st ed. Brill, 2024.

Fernandez, Samuel. Nicaea 325: Reassessing the Contemporary Sources. 1st ed. Vol. 14. Brill, 2025.

Holubeanu, Ionuț. Christianity in Roman Scythia: Ecclesiastical Organization and Monasticism (4th to 7th Centuries). 1st ed. Brill, 2023.

De Blaauw, S. L, S. T. A. M Mols, and L. V Rutgers. Frontiers: The Transformation and Christianization of the Roman Empire Between Centre and Periphery. Proceedings of the 17th International Congress of Christian Archaeology. Acta XVII Congressus Internationalis Archaeologiae Christianae. 1st ed. (4 vols. Each volume has its own catalog record) Peeters Publishers & Booksellers, 2024.

Soon, Isaac T. Literate Workers and the Production of Early Christian Literature. Cambridge University Press, 2025.

Longenecker, Bruce W. The Materiality of Early Christ Devotion: Artistic Innovation at Four Archaeological Site. Baylor University Press, 2025.

Pedersen, Nils Arne. On the Matter: Studies on Manichaeism and Church History Presented to Nils Arne Pedersen at Sixty-Five / Edited by Lasse Løvlund Toft, Mattias Sommer Bostrup, René Falkenberg. Brepols, 2026.

Oegema, Albertina, and Seth A Bledsoe. Old Age in Ancient Judaism, Early Christianity, and Their Contexts: Senescence and Its Significations. 1st ed. Vol. 1. Routledge, 2026.

Soon, Isaac T. Literate Workers and the Production of Early Christian Literature. Cambridge University Press, 2025.

Nuffelen, Peter Van, Lieve Van Hoof, Maria Conterno, et al. The Fragmentary Greek Chronicles After Eusebius: Edition, Translation and Commentary. Cambridge University Press, 2025.

Patel, Shaily Shashikant. Magic and Heresy in Ancient Christian Literature. Cambridge University Press, 2025.

Heather, Peter. Christendom: The Triumph of a Religion, AD 300-1300. 1st ed. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2023.

Papacy and Church Governance

Rollo-Koster, Joëlle, Robert A. Ventresca, Melodie H. Eichbauer, and Miles Pattenden, eds. 2025. The Cambridge History of the Papacy. (3 vols. Each volumes has its own catalog record). Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.

Cappuccio, Caterina. Die päpstliche Kapelle (1046-1241): Geistliche Funktionseliten in den Kirchenprovinzen Mailand und Salzburg. 1st ed. Edited by Jochen Johrendt and Harald Müller. Böhlau Köln, 2025.

Christiaens, Kim, Jan De Volder, Sam Kuijken, and Dries Vanysacker, eds. Pius XII and the Low Countries. Turnhout: Brepols, 2025.

White, Christopher C. Pope Leo XIV: Inside the Conclave and the Dawn of a New Papacy. Chicago, IL, 2025.

Hill, James. The Avignon Popes and the Eastern Mediterranean: Power and Authority, 1305-62. 1st ed. Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2025.

Schwarz, Brigide. Careers and Opportunities at the Roman Curia, 1300-1500: A Socio-Economic History of Papal Administration. 1st ed. Brepols, 2024.

D’Avray, D. L. Debating Papal History, c. 250-c. 1300: Responsive Government and the Medieval Papacy. 1st ed. Cambridge University Press, 2025.

Altieri, Christopher R. Leo XIV: The New Pope and Catholic Reform. 1st ed. Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2025.

Arnold, Claus, Francesco Tacchi and Giovanni Vian. The Controversy over Integralism in Germany, Italy and France During the Pontificate of Pius X (1903-1914). 1st ed. Brepols Publishers, 2024.

Armenteros, Carolina, and Francisco Javier Ramon Solans. Inventing the Modern Papacy: (The Birth of Political Ultramontanism (1789-1914). Brill, 2025.

Rossi, Valfredo Maria. Leo XIII and the Rise of Neo-Thomism. Cambridge University Press, 2025.

Reception of the Church Fathers

Timmermann, Josh. In the Footsteps of the Ancient Fathers: The Construction and Use of Patristic Authority in the Carolingian Era. 1st ed. Vol. 3. Brill, 2025.

Pollmann, Karla, and Willemien Otten, eds. The Oxford Guide to the Historical Reception of Augustine. Oxford University Press, 2014.

Councils of the Church

Wyatt, Ben. Christ and the Council: Conflict, Politics, Theology, and the Outrageous, Extraordinary Story of the Church’s First Creed. 1st ed. Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2025.

Ohme, Heinz. Das 6. Ökumenische Konzil von Konstantinopel (680/681): Eine engelgleiche Versammlung? 1st ed. De Gruyter, 2025.

Anastasius. The Acts of the Council of Constantinople of 869-70. Translated by Richard Price. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 2023.

Monasticism, Religious Orders, and Missions

Hurel, Daniel-Odon, ed. Être bénédictin sous l’Ancien Régime: La congrégation de Saint-Maur (1618–1790).

Melvani, Nicholas. Politics, Conflict and the Monastic Topography of 15th-Century Constantinople. Vol. 1. 1st ed. London: Routledge, 2026.

Thompson, Augustine, O.P., ed. Ritual Life in the Medieval Dominican Order: Liturgical Expressions. Toronto: Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies, 2025.

Jackson, Robert H. The Creole Jesuits in Nueva España in 1767: Architecture, Organization, Profile, and Identity. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2025.

Holubeanu, Ionuț. Christianity in Roman Scythia: Ecclesiastical Organization and Monasticism (4th to 7th Centuries). 1st ed. Leiden: Brill, 2023.

Enyegue, Jean Luc, S.J. Competing Catholicisms: The Jesuits, the Vatican and the Making of Postcolonial French Africa. First edition. Woodbridge, UK: James Currey, 2022.

Alonge, Guillaume. A History of Jesuit Missions in Japan: Evangelization, Miracles and Martyrdom, 1549–1614. 1st ed. London: Routledge, 2024.

Yocum, Demetrio S., and S. J. Molvarec. Carthusian Monasticism: History, Life, World, Texts. Kalamazoo, MI: Medieval Institute Publications, 2025.

Church Institutions and Ecclesiastical Governance

Panzram, Sabine, and Pablo Poveda Arias. Bishops under Threat: Contexts and Episcopal Strategies in the Late Antique and Early Medieval West. 1st ed. Edited by Pablo Poveda Arias and Sabine Panzram. Vol. 150. De Gruyter, 2023.

Coello de la Rosa, Alexandre. Archbishops and Cathedral Chapters of the Colonial Philippines: Reinvigorating the Diocesan Church, 1653-1697. 1st ed. Palgrave Macmillan, 2025.

Alexander, John D. The Church of England and the Second World War: Ethical Traditions in Anglican Public Theology. 1st ed. Vol. 13. Brill, 2025.

Balfour, Sharifa, Janelle Duke, Chris Fauske, et al. The Anglican Church in the Anglophone Caribbean: Historical and Cultural Perspectives. 1st ed. Bloomsbury Publishing USA, 2025.

Dryburgh, Paul, Sarah Rees Jones, Katherine Harvey, et al. The Church and Northern English Society in the Fourteenth Century: The Archbishops of York and Their Records. 1st ed. York Medieval Press, 2024.

Komatina, Predrag. Church Policy of Byzantium after the Triumph of Orthodoxy (843–886) / by Predrag Komatina. 1st ed. 2025. Springer Nature Switzerland, 2025.

Dahlke, Benjamin. Catholic Theology in a Time of Upheaval and Transition: The German-Speaking Regions, 1750-1850. 1st ed. Vol. 1. Brill, 2025.

Jacobs, Bert, Herman Teule, and Joseph Verheyden. Dionysius Bar Salibi: Guardian of the Syriac Orthodox Tradition. Vol. 37. Brill, 2025.

Philippides, Marios, and Walter K Hanak. Cardinal Isidore, c.1390-1462: A Late Byzantine Scholar, Warlord, and Prelate. Routledge, 2018.

Reformation and Counter-Reformation

Methuen, Charlotte, Gury Schneider-Ludorff, and Lothar Vogel. Reformation Movements in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries. 1st ed. 7.1. Society of Biblical Literature, 2024.

Havens, Earle, and Mark Rankin. The Elizabethan Catholic Underground: Clandestine Printing and Scribal Subversion in the English Counter-Reformation. 1st ed. Brill, 2025.

Guyer, Benjamin M, and William E Engel. Researching the English Reformation: Essays in Honour of W.B. Patterson. Vol. 15. Brill, 2025.

Zwingli, Ulrich, Johann Oecolampadius, Nigel (Nigel Wallace) Harris, and Sharon Van Dijk. The Correspondence of Zwingli and Oecolampadius. Brill, 2025.

Gilbert, David. The End of Catholic Mexico: Causes and Consequences of the Mexican Reforma (1855-1861). Vanderbilt University Press, 2025.

Modern Catholicism and Protestantism

Bouwers, Eveline G., ed. Catholics and Violence in the Nineteenth-Century Global World. 1st ed. London: Routledge, 2024.

Kuziner, Igor. Social History of the True Orthodox Christians Wandering in Russia: Capitalism, Communism, and Apocalypse, 1900–1930. 1st ed. London: Routledge, 2026.

Cyrocki, Damian. The Mariavites: Heresy, the Apocalypse, and Poland’s Female Savior. Sheffield, UK: Equinox, 2026.

Clifford, Catherine E., Massimo Faggioli, Richard Lennan, and Ormond Rush, eds. Vatican II in North America, Australia, and Oceania. Leuven: Peeters Publishers, 2025.

 

Research & Instruction: Acta Sanctorum Database

Posted on by Taras Zvir

The Acta Sanctorum is a scholarly series published by the Société des Bollandistes over a course of three centuries. It is one of the most authoritative sources for the study of the saints’ lives and for understanding the societies, cultures, and religious life of early Christian and medieval Europe. The collection offers insight into theology, literature, folklore, and art and reveals the enduring influence of hagiography on European identity. It is a unique source of information on every aspect of life from the beginning of the Christian era to the end of the sixteenth century. It records not only the spiritual and moral ideals of the time but also the practical details of everyday life: customs, rituals, beliefs, and traditions, through the lens of the lives of the saints.

Originally published in print, the Acta Sanctorum comprises sixty-eight volumes of text, critical apparatus, and indices, along with reference numbers from the Bibliotheca Hagiographica Latina (BHL), a standard reference tool for hagiographic research used by scholars to identify hagiographical texts. The BHL includes literary accounts of the saints’ lives, the translations of their relics, and accounts of miracles. It is arranged alphabetically by saint’s name and covers texts composed before 1500. Together with the Bibliotheca Hagiographica Graeca (BHG) and the Bibliotheca Hagiographica Orientalis (BHO), it remains an essential tool for anyone studying the lives of the saints.

The Acta Sanctorum is organized according to the saints’ feast days, with each volume corresponding to a month of the liturgical year. The series begins with the two January volumes published in 1643 and concludes with the Propylaeum to December published in 1940. Each entry presents a critical edition of primary documents such as the Vitae, Passiones, Miracula, Translationes, and Gloria posthuma, often including the commentaries and notes from the Bollandist scholars.

Acta Sanctorum Database

Now available in digital format, the Acta Sanctorum Database provides students and scholars with convenient and comprehensive access to this corpus of hagiographical research. The database reproduces the entire printed edition, including prefatory materials, original texts, critical apparatus, and indices. It includes Latin hagiographical texts written before 1500 that appear in the BHL, as well as those written after 1500, not included in the catalog. The database allows users to search quickly and efficiently by name, topic, or theme.

All Latin text is fully searchable, with Unicode support ensuring accurate display of diacritics and enabling searches using Greek keywords. Texts in other languages, such as Syriac, Arabic, Coptic, Ethiopic, Armenian, Georgian, Slavic, and Celtic, are available as high-quality scanned images displayed at the appropriate point within the text.

The database offers both simple and advanced search options. A keyword search can be used to locate a saint, concept, or theme. The system automatically retrieves variant forms, such as plurals, adjectives, or alternative spellings. Quotation marks can be used to search for exact phrases. The advanced search function allows users to search by saint, lexicon term, feast day, gender, or BHL reference.  Searches may also be limited by document type or by type of religious work.

The database also features Jan Frederik Niermeyer’s Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, which opens in a separate window when selected. This concise lexicon allows users to look up Latin terms quickly and explore their meanings through keyword searching or by browsing alphabetically.

Each entry provides detailed references, and related sources are displayed conveniently at the bottom of the screen, allowing users to expand their research to related materials, including works outside the Acta Sanctorum.

Several specialized indexes enhance the search experience, including the Index Chronologicus, Index Graeco Barbarum, Index Historicus, Index Moralis, Index Onomasticus, Index Sanctorum, and Index Topographicus, which can be searched individually or collectively.

Finally, a particularly useful feature for students and researchers is the ability to cite any document or passage with a single click, in the citation style of their choice. Citations can also be exported directly to RefWorks, EndNote, or Zotero.

Click here to search the Acta Sanctorum Database.

 

Research & Instruction: World Council of Churches Online: Relations with the Roman Catholic Church

Posted on by Taras Zvir

The history of ecumenical dialogue between Christian churches and denominations is rich and complex, with significant steps toward unity involving the Roman Catholic Church. The Church has played a crucial role in the modern ecumenical movement, particularly through initiatives like the Second Vatican Council and ongoing dialogues with various Protestant and Orthodox churches.

The World Council of Churches (WCC), as stated on their website, is a fellowship of churches working together to promote Christian unity, centered around one faith and one eucharistic fellowship, demonstrated through shared worship and life in Christ. The WCC is the ecumenical movement, consisting of 352 member churches.  How does the World Council of Churches (WCC) Online: Relations with the Roman Catholic Church database contribute to the study and research of this historical relationship?

Screenshot of the database logo

The World Council of Churches Online is part of the BrillOnline Primary Sources. It offers a unique opportunity to explore the documents of the Catholic Church dealing with her efforts to advance ecumenical dialogue with other churches and denominations to fulfill one of churches’ many missions and goals—namely, to unite all Christians, as commanded in Scripture: “…so that all may be one…” (John 17:21-23). Building on this rich history of dialogue and collaboration, the collection brings together key documents that shed light on the Catholic Church’s engagement in the ecumenical movement and its ongoing efforts to foster Christian unity. It provides access to a significant portion of the ecumenical archives covering the years 1948-1992, a period of crucial developments in interchurch relations. The collection includes invaluable primary sources such as correspondence with prominent Catholic leaders, including Pope Paul VI (1963-1978), Pope John Paul II (1978-2005), and Cardinal Bea (1959-1968), as well as communications with the Community of Taizé.  Researchers investigating the ecumenical movement will find these documents essential for understanding the evolving relationship between the World Council of Churches and the Roman Catholic Church.

Key aspects of cooperation documented in this collection include jointly sponsored studies on theological themes such as “common witness and proselytism” and “catholicity and apostolicity.” The archive also covers collaborative initiatives such as Roman Catholic participation in the World Council of Churches’ Commission on Faith and Order, consultative relations with the Commission on World Mission and Evangelism, and shared efforts in organizing the Annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Other noteworthy areas include bilateral doctrinal agreements, interconfessional Bible translations, and discussions on the Roman Catholic Church’s potential membership in the World Council of Churches.

The collection consists of a wide array of materials, including correspondence, reports, press cuttings, and unpublished notes, that can be categorized into five main parts:

  1. General Documentation
  2. Diplomatic Relations & Correspondence
  3. Bilateral Relations with Churches & Denominations
  4. Vatican II Council
  5. Joint Working Group

Searching World Council of Churches Online.

The materials are organized in boxes and contain digitized papers that are exact images that include handwritten notes, signatures, stamps, etc.  The database features a search option to search the entire collection with a simple keyword search and Advanced Search. The collection can be also browsed by Contents or Box Listing with the ability to search within each smaller group of documents.

Screenshot of the Contents and Box Listing

While the database offers full-text searching for all the materials within the collection, there are some exceptions for some documents due to occasional low-quality images or presence of special characters such as hand written notes that are hard to recognize by the optical character recognition.  Images can be previewed to show exactly what document it is about before opening it.  Each document can be copied, downloaded, or printed. When downloading, one must indicate the range of pages to download, mainly because each page represents a scanned image as opposed to a simple text, and the final document can be quite large in size.

Download options

These images are downloaded as zip files to save space and will require a simple software tool to unzip them in order to view them.

Citing the Documents

Archival documents are often complex in their structure and arrangement, and require some knowledge to properly cite them. The World Council of Churches Online provides an automatic citation tool that allow to cite any portion of the collection or individual document with an option to export citation to RefWorks or EndNote.

Citation sample

Please check citations for accuracy before using them. For more details about citation and citation tools, visit this link.  Click here to search World Council of Churches: Relations with the Roman Catholic Church.

Research & Instruction: Encyclopedia of the Bible and Its Reception (EBR) Online

Posted on by Taras Zvir

The Bible is the most-read document in the world and there are many resources dedicated to its study. How is the Encyclopedia of the Bible and Its Reception different from the rest?

The online version of this title, originally published in print in 2009, includes approximately 1,500 new articles each year and updates, as necessary, older articles.  It is published in English and comprises all the material found in the print edition.  Certainly, EBR is an important resource for those who study the Bible, theology, and religion, but those who study a range of other disciplines, including literature, comparative studies, philosophy, history, social sciences, and art history, will be delighted by the breadth of information in this resource that relates to other areas of study. The EBR does not advocate for any specific religion and aims to assist even those who are of no faith.  It offers information on how the people, places, ideas, concepts, and various themes in the Bible affected Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and other religions including secular traditions and movements.  It shows how the Bible was received in literature, visual arts, music, film and dance, and other disciplines.  One can find information on many prominent individuals ranging from religious artists like Caravaggio to poets like Geoffrey Chaucer and statesmen like Thomas Jefferson.

The editorial board of the EBR features seven main editors (Constance M. Furey, Peter Gemeinhardt, Joel LeMon, Thomas Römer, Jens Schröter, Barry Dov Walfish, and Eric J. Ziolkowski) who work with other smaller editors and thousands of authors in over 55 countries that contribute content to the EBR. This includes several faculty members from the Catholic University of America. The average length of articles in the EBR can vary significantly, ranging from a few hundred words to several thousand words or more in case of significant figures, topics, or themes. They typically include a Table of Contents where each section is written by a separate author based on his or her expertise and area of study (Literature, Art, Music, Film, etc.).  In addition to that, each section within the articles features its own bibliography with links to search in Google Scholar included under each source.  Articles also contain color illustrations, images, and plates, where applicable.  It is important to note that they appear only in black and white in the print edition.

Searching EBR Online

There are a few ways of searching the EBR Online.  Full Text allows for a simple keyword search across the entire content of the database with an option to use Boolean operators (AND, OR, and NOT).  However, if one needs to search for specific terms within the titles of the articles, it is recommended to search by Lemma (lemma refers to the main word or form of a word as it appears in the dictionary).

Enter a desired keyword, term, or phrase and hit Search.  A powerful suggested search feature provides a list of other terms and concepts as you type.  For example, the word “John” will also display “John the Baptist”, “John Chrysostom”, “John Calvin”, and “Johnny Cash”. To see the entire list of articles please click on LEMMAS A-Z.  One can also search by author, publication, type, bibliography, and year or browse the entire set.  Of special note is the Biblical Passage search option.  It allows one to search for entries with references to specific passages (Book and Chapter).  For example, “Mark 16” will produce a list of articles that mention the last chapter of the Gospel of Mark.  The list of results can be further refined by Publication and other search criteria. For more information about the search options please read the HELP SEARCH section.

How can students use EBR? 

Students can use EBR for their term papers by selecting a particular thinker to explore how their thoughts were influenced by the Bible and progressed in their teaching, career, or life. The EBR can also assist students in choosing and exploring some topics and themes from the Scriptures, such as “love,” “hope,” or “evil,” and examining how these themes are presented in the Old Testament and New Testament, in Jewish and Christian thought, and in other religions. Additionally, students can explore how these themes were received in literature, visual arts, music, and film.

Articles can be cited and shared on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn with a click of a button. They can also be downloaded as PDFs.  Please note that downloaded articles are presented in the same format as they appear in the print edition and include page numbers.  This feature is particularly useful when writing research papers, as page numbers must be included for any in-text citations.

Click here to search Encyclopedia of the Bible and Its Reception Online.

Research Guide on Medieval Philosophers

Posted on by Taras Zvir

Taras Zvir in Religious Studies and Humanities Services has created a research guide on Medieval Philosophers. This guide is intended to become a starting point for students, scholars, and researches to philosophers of medieval times (AD 400 – 1400).  It lists prime sources and selected secondary sources, and any other applicable materials on a given philosopher such as companions, biographies, or bibliographies.