Scholarly Writing in Theology: Sources, Abbreviations and Reference Works
Anyone doing scholarly work in theology has to cite sources in a way readers can follow. How much a consistent system matters is shown by the list of abbreviations for the Theologische Realenzyklopädie. Siegfried M. Schwertner compiled it in 1976, and a second, expanded edition appeared in 1994. But how do you find your way among abbreviations, journals and reference works? And how do you keep a paper easy to read for supervisors and examiners? The basics below address these questions.
What Is a List of Abbreviations in Scholarly Work?
A list of abbreviations sets out the short forms used in footnotes and in the bibliography. In theology it matters especially, because writers often refer to journals, book series and multivolume reference works. Their full titles would take up a lot of room in footnotes. Abbreviations save that space, but readers must be able to resolve them without doubt.
The list should be matched to the subject and the university. A paper on the Bible draws on different journals and reference works than one on church history. Which formal rules apply is decided by the department or the supervisor. Those requirements come first and should be known before you start writing, not merely guessed at.
Theological Reference Works: Which Abbreviations Come Up Most Often?
LThK, RGG and TRE are among the most widely used theological reference works. Their abbreviations appear in lists of abbreviations because so many papers in the field draw on these encyclopedias. For the LThK, the edition is also given as a superscript number. This small detail helps keep the editions apart and lets you find the article you need quickly.
A simple rule follows for authors: every abbreviation that appears in a footnote needs an entry in the list. If a reference work exists in several editions, the list and the footnotes must make clear which one was used. That way reviewers are left with no puzzle about the intended edition, and the paper becomes clearer overall.
Where Can You Find Ready-Made Templates for Abbreviations?
A good first point of reference is Schwertner's list of abbreviations for the Theologische Realenzyklopädie. A more recent template is the International List of Abbreviations for Theology and Related Fields, known as IATG3, published in Göttingen in 2014. Both lists put the abbreviations common in theological literature in order. They help you avoid making up arbitrary short forms of your own.
There is no need to adopt a complete list, though. Only the abbreviations that actually occur in your own paper belong in it. The exact rules for quotations and footnotes are set by the department or the supervisor. Before handing in, check whether the paper meets the university's requirements.
Summary
A coherent list of abbreviations and a deliberate use of reference works are part of good theological writing. Templates such as Schwertner's list or the IATG3 make the task easier. What counts in the end, however, is what the university and the supervisor require. As a simple rule, every abbreviation in a footnote needs an entry in the list.