Cyclopaedia Bibliographica: A Library Manual of Theological and General Literature, and Guide to Books for Authors, Preachers, Students, and Literary Men. Analytical, Bibliographical, and Biographical : Subjects, Holy Scriptures

Published in London in 1854 by James Darling, this massive undertaking represents a significant effort to organize the vast landscape of 19th-century theological literature. Darling, a bookseller and publisher who specialized in religious texts, designed the Cyclopaedia to serve as a comprehensive reference tool for clergy and scholars who found themselves overwhelmed by the sheer volume of emerging theological commentary and scholarly discourse during the Victorian era.

The volume is structured as an analytical guide, meticulously cross-referencing authors with their works and specific scriptural subjects. Darling’s methodology was driven by the practical needs of the library of his own 'Clerical Library' in London, aiming to bring order to the chaotic shelves of the period. While intended as a functional manual, its detailed bibliographic entries are now prized by historians for the window they provide into the intellectual priorities and reading habits of mid-19th-century religious circles.