Having recently announced the integration of the ATLA Catholic Periodical and Literature Index® (ATLA CPLI®) into the full ATLA Religion Database® (ATLA RDB®), one of the key areas of development for ATLA full-text is Roman Catholic content. This focus has given us the opportunity to develop and expand relationships with publishers in this field. In developing our content strategy, we took a strong international view, and, based on the current publishing landscape, ultimately took a deep dive into Rome.
There is an incredible concentration of Roman Catholic publishing in and around the city. While there are commercial publishers like Gregorian and Biblical Press (GBP) in the area, there are many more scholarly journals published by Pontifical colleges and religious orders that ATLA has not yet worked with. In the past year, ATLA has licensed a cross-section of these journals, covering both a range of institutions and subject areas within Catholicism and including them in ATLASerials PLUS™ (ATLAS PLUS™).
Four New Catholic Journals from Gregorian and Biblical Press (GBP) Added
The largest number of new journals in this area came from an expansion of our relationship with GBP. Having included their journals Biblica and Orientalia in ATLASerials® (ATLAS®) for some time, ATLA licensing staff traveled to Italy and met with additional GBP sponsoring institutions and received support to license four new journals for ATLAS PLUS: Archivum Historiae Pontificiae, Gregorianum, Periodica de re canonica, and Studia Missionalia.
La Civiltà Cattolica, Italian Version Available in Full Text
Many users of ATLAS PLUS will also be excited to find the important La Civiltà Cattolicaavailable. Newsworthy in its own right under current editor Antonio Spadaro for launching digest versions in four different languages, ATLAS PLUS now includes the primary Italian version. Published by the Jesuits in Rome since 1850, La Civiltà Cattolica recently released its 4,000th issue, an incredible run for any journal. With an aim of active participation in the current cultural debate, this journal provides content that complements journals such asChristian Century and Christianity Today.
Gregg Taylor, ATLA Licensing Manager, at St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City, Rome
Seminal Journal of Eastern Churches Available Digitally for the First Time
One of the most exciting journals licensed in Rome is Studi sull’Oriente Cristiano. This important journal of the Eastern Churches is published by the Accademia Angelico Costantiniana di Lettere Arti e Scienze, under the direction of President Avv. Alessio Ferrari Angelo-Commeno and Editor Prof. Gaetano Passarelli. Scholars and students will benefit from their peer-review articles found in the ATLAS PLUS database.
Full-Text Journals from Pontifical Universities Added
Representing the Salesian tradition, we have included Salesianum, published by Editrice LAS on behalf of Pontificia Università Salesiana. In keeping with the mission and history of this Pontifical University, the journal publishes scholarship from the Salesian faculty across its teaching disciplines.
From the order Opus Dei, two journals, Annales Theologici and Acta Philosophica, have been licensed for full-text. Published by Fabrizio Serra Editore, these journals represent different facets of the same institution. Curated by the theological and philosophical faculties respectively, these peer-reviewed journals bring together scholarship from around the world.
The initial launch of ATLAS PLUS contained many other titles from Rome. Ecclesia Orans is an exceptional title of historical value, and we have written about it previously.
ATLA is truly excited about the partnerships, both new and old, that we have established within the Roman Catholic publishing world. This is a critical step toward the expansion of our coverage in this subject area. As always, we welcome coverage suggestions.