InterVarsity Press's fully revised second edition of the Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels was named as a finalist in the 2014 ECPA Christian Book Awards (formerly known as Gold Medallion awards) for Bible Reference.

"It is exciting to have the second edition of the Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels nominated as a finalist in the ECPA Awards," said Dan Reid, project editor and senior acquisitions editor for IVP Academic. "I was privileged to usher the first edition to its publication in 1992, and I was gratified then by its reception as a fresh and authoritative recasting of the Bible dictionary genre. That edition served for over twenty years as a first stop in Gospel research and study, and it also enjoyed wide and durable service as a course textbook. The full-on makeover represented by this second edition brims with advances and refinements in our knowledge. It was a delight to bring it to completion and deliver it to a new generation of readers. The contributors and volume editors are to be congratulated for their patient pursuit of excellence!"

More than twenty-one years after its publication, the critically acclaimed 1992 text was almost completely rewritten for the second edition. Over ninety percent of articles have been replaced and written by new contributors, and all other original articles have been thoroughly revised and updated.

This is the fifth book in the IVP Bible Dictionary Series to be recognized as a finalist in ECPA's prestigious book award program, which has been promoting quality and excellence in publishing since 1978. IVP's series, known affectionately as the "black dictionaries" for their cover design, has grown in popularity within the scholarly community over the last two decades. With more than 300,000 volumes sold, the IVP Bible Dictionary Series has been used in countless venues worldwide for contemporary evangelical scholarship and discussion. The previously published volumes have received widespread accolades beyond the ECPA as well, from places like Christianity Today, the Association of Logos Bookstores and the Academy of Parish Clergy.

"Since its initial publication, the Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels has been a key reference work that I've recommended often, and in this revised and updated edition it will surely continue to have my recommendation," said Larry W. Hurtado, professor emeritus at the University of Edinburgh. "It is a handy desk reference for scholars, and an informative introduction and overview of a multitude of topics for students and general readers."

Winners will be named at the ECPA Leadership Summit in Colorado Springs, April 28-30, 2014. To learn more about the IVP Bible Dictionary Series or to purchase the entire set, visit ivpress.us.