June-August 2003

The summer quarter has proven to be among our most productive to date. We have completed the indexing of eight titles, seven of which had not been begun by the conclusion of the last quarter: Zeitschrift für Religions- und Geistesgeschichte (1948); Vigiliae Christianae: A Review of Early Christian Life and Language (1947-1948); Union Seminary Quarterly Review (1945-1948); Traditio: Studies in Ancient and Medieval History, Thought, and Religion (1943-1948); Theologische Zeitschrift (1945-1948); Nederlands Theologisch Tijdschrift (1946-1948); and Mélanges de Science Religieuse (1944-1948). Todd informs me that he has finished indexing the Journal of Biblical Literature (1881-1948); with the completion of the approval process, a matter of some days, this major ATLAS title will be complete. We are also within 4 issues of completing Orate Fratres, the ancestor of Worship and another ATLAS title, a major commitment in terms of RIP hours since it is a monthly publication.

A variety of factors account for this rapid throughput. Ben Butler has "graduated" from his novitiate into the ancient and honorable society of ATLA indexers (company policy forbids the imbibing of champagne or other spirits on the premises). Too, the RIP staff as a whole has settled into familiar rhythms of indexing and approving since the mid-course correction of last quarter, which, in the case of Todd and Ben, includes balancing three days a week of RIP indexing with 2 days of regular ATLA RDB production. The cutoff for book reviews (a thousand words or more) has drastically reduced the number of bookmasters we must create, always the most time-consuming and soul-destroying facet of ATLA indexing. And, with the exception of Journal of Biblical Literature, all of the newly completed titles began publication in 1943 or later, meaning that the number of volumes indexed were few.

With the coming of the new fiscal year in September, Todd has been promised a newer and more reliable laptop, and Ben will receive one for the first time. At that point, both Ben and Todd will spend more of their RIP hours indexing in Hyde Park than here on South Wacker Drive, increasing overall efficiency and reducing wear on brittle high-lignin volumes.

To date, we have finished RIP indexing for these 16 titles:

	American Catholic Sociological Review (1940-1948)
	Catholic Biblical Quarterly (1939-1948)
	Eastern Buddhist (1921-1939 [publication suspended until 1949])
	Ecumenical Review (1948-1949)
	Estudios Bíblicos (1941-1948)
	Hebrew Union College Annual (1919, 1924-1948)
	Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology (1947-1948)
	Journal of Pastoral Care (1947-1948)
	Zeitschrift für Religions- und Geistesgeschichte (1948)
	Vigiliae Christianae: A Review of Early Christian Life and Language (1947-1948)
	Union Seminary Quarterly Review (1945-1948)
	Traditio: Studies in Ancient and Medieval History, Thought, and Religion (1943-1948)
	Theologische Zeitschrift (1945-1948)
	Nederlands Theologisch Tijdschrift (1946-1948)
	Mélanges de Science Religieuse (1944-1948)
	Journal of Biblical Literature (1881-1948)

Indexing has begun on these 9 titles:

	Christian Century (issues in 1917-1919, 1940, 1941, 1945)
	Church History (1932-1948, lacking 1942 only)
	Journal of the National Association of Biblical Instructors and Journal of Bible and Religion (the ancestors of the Journal of the American Academy of Religion, 1933-1946, lacking 1947-48)
	Orate Fratres (1926-1947, lacking issues in 1948)
	Theological Studies (1940-1942)
	Westminster Theological Journal (1938-1941)
	Commentary (1945-1946)
	Biblical Archaeology (1938-1940)

Titles remaining to be begun:

	Covenant Quarterly (1941-)
	Journal of Jewish Studies (1948-)
	Journal of Religious Thought (1943-)
	Reformed Theological Review (1942-)
	Revue des Études Byzantines (1944-)
	Scottish Journal of Theology (1948-)
	Studia Theologica: Scandinavian Journal of Theology (1947-)
	Theology Today (1944-)
	Unitarian Universalist Christian (1946-)

Indexing has been suspended on:

	Bibliotheca Sacra (1856-1948)
	Christian Century (1900-1939)
	Christian Oracle (1884-1899)

Respectfully Submitted,

Steven W. Holloway, RIP Project Director
August 26, 2003