As noted in earlier posts, the Cambridge Ancient History (CAH) and Cambridge History of Judaism (CHJ) are somewhat similar to handbooks and companions but different enough to merit their own posts. This post applies the same principles to their sister series, the Cambridge History of Christianity (CHC). Specifically, SBL Press treats CHC as it does … Continue reading Citing Reference Works 11: Cambridge History of Christianity
Year: 2018
Epigraphs
Authors sometimes wish to include an epigraph (a short quotation) at the beginning of a volume, a chapter, or a chapter section. Such epigraphs serve primarily as decoration; they are related to the content of a book or chapter but stand apart from the main text in terms of content and formatting. According to CMS … Continue reading Epigraphs
Seneca the Younger’s Apocolocyntosis: A Correction
The Apocolocyntosis (“pumpkinification”) is a first-century political satire of Emperor Claudius attributed to Seneca the Younger. SBLHS 8.3.14.3 incorrectly lists the work as Apolocyntosis, which results in the incorrect abbreviation Apol. The correct form of the work and abbreviation should be as follows: Apocol. Apocolocyntosis A translation of the work by W. H. D. Rouse … Continue reading Seneca the Younger’s Apocolocyntosis: A Correction
Dashes in German Titles
Sooner or later academic writers will likely encounter a German book or article title with a dash of some sort within it, which raises the question: what is the proper way to format the title in an English-language work citing that book or article? This post illustrates the issue and suggests a preliminary answer. Examples … Continue reading Dashes in German Titles
Special Footnotes
Footnotes are typically used to provide bibliographic details (in traditional citation style) and discussions that supplement the main argument. Footnotes can also indicate where a work has been previously published or presented, acknowledge the author’s gratitude for another’s assistance in preparing the current work, or, in the case of Festschriften, express the author’s sentiments toward … Continue reading Special Footnotes
Image Captions
Authors frequently include figures in their works (e.g., line drawings, photographs, maps). Each figure should generally be referenced within the body of the work (e.g., see fig. 3), so readers know why it has been included or to what the figure relates. In addition, the figure should be accompanied by a caption that provides a … Continue reading Image Captions
Publisher Name Changes
Publishers often change names over the course of their histories, as they restructure internally or merge with other publishing houses. For example, when Westminster Press merged with John Knox Press in the early 1990s, the publishing house Westminster John Knox Press was created. In bibliographic entries, the name of the publisher should match the name … Continue reading Publisher Name Changes
Abbreviations Lists
Although not every work needs a list of abbreviations, it is often advisable to include such a list at the beginning of monographs and edited collections, even if one is following the SBL Handbook of Style. This allows a reader quickly to discern the meaning of a given abbreviation without consulting another source that may … Continue reading Abbreviations Lists
Series Volume Identifiers: Old/New and Concurrent Series
Formatting series volume identifiers can be problematic when a series begins anew or is divided into distinct concurrent sections. In such cases, the notation 1/ or 2/ distinguishes the different series. 1. Consecutive Series When a series begins anew, we prefer that authors distinguish between the old and new series with the appropriate label: 1/ … Continue reading Series Volume Identifiers: Old/New and Concurrent Series
Series Volume Identifiers
Publishers use a variety of methods to identify volumes within a given series. This post explains how to format series identifiers in bibliographic entries. 1. Series with Volume Numbers Many publishers today assign volume numbers to volumes in a series. When a volume has an assigned series volume number, it is appropriate to include the … Continue reading Series Volume Identifiers
SBL Handbook of Style 