JOURNAL OF RELIGION

Scope & Guideline

Cultivating Critical Analysis of Spiritual Phenomena

Introduction

Welcome to your portal for understanding JOURNAL OF RELIGION, featuring guidelines for its aims and scope. Our guidelines cover trending and emerging topics, identifying the forefront of research. Additionally, we track declining topics, offering insights into areas experiencing reduced scholarly attention. Key highlights include highly cited topics and recently published papers, curated within these guidelines to assist you in navigating influential academic dialogues.
LanguageEnglish
ISSN0022-4189
PublisherUNIV CHICAGO PRESS
Support Open AccessNo
CountryUnited States
TypeJournal
Converge1982, from 1996 to 2024
AbbreviationJ RELIG / J. Relig.
Frequency4 issues/year
Time To First Decision-
Time To Acceptance-
Acceptance Rate-
Home Page-
Address1427 E 60TH ST, CHICAGO, IL 60637-2954

Aims and Scopes

The JOURNAL OF RELIGION focuses on the interdisciplinary exploration of religious phenomena, emphasizing the diverse expressions of spirituality, belief systems, and their cultural contexts. It aims to contribute to the understanding of religion through various methodologies, including historical, phenomenological, theological, and sociocultural analyses.
  1. Interdisciplinary Studies of Religion:
    The journal publishes works that integrate various academic disciplines, providing a comprehensive view of how religion interacts with philosophy, sociology, anthropology, and history.
  2. Cultural and Historical Contextualization:
    A significant focus on the historical development and cultural manifestations of religions, examining how context shapes belief systems and practices.
  3. Theological Reflections and Debates:
    The journal encourages theological explorations, fostering discussions around contemporary and classical theological issues, including ethics, law, and spirituality.
  4. Phenomenological and Existential Approaches:
    Research often employs phenomenological methods to understand the lived experiences of believers, exploring the existential dimensions of faith and spirituality.
  5. Engagement with Contemporary Issues:
    The journal addresses current societal challenges through a religious lens, often exploring the intersections of religion with politics, environment, and social justice.
Recent publications in the JOURNAL OF RELIGION indicate a dynamic evolution of themes, showcasing emerging interests that reflect contemporary scholarly concerns and societal shifts.
  1. Intersections of Religion and Environmentalism:
    A growing trend is the exploration of how religious beliefs intersect with environmental ethics and activism, highlighting the role of faith in addressing climate change and ecological crises.
  2. Post-Secularism and Pluralism:
    There is an increasing focus on post-secular perspectives that examine the resurgence of religious discourse in public life and the challenges posed by pluralistic societies.
  3. Global and Transnational Religious Dynamics:
    Emerging studies emphasize the global interconnectedness of religions, examining transnational movements and their cultural implications in a globalized world.
  4. Religious Identity and Politics:
    Recent themes explore how religious identities shape political behavior and social movements, reflecting a heightened interest in the relationship between faith and political activism.
  5. Material and Visual Cultures of Religion:
    There is an increasing emphasis on the material and visual dimensions of religious practices, including the role of art, media, and technology in shaping contemporary spirituality.

Declining or Waning

The JOURNAL OF RELIGION has seen a shift away from certain themes that previously garnered attention. This decline reflects broader trends in the field of religious studies and changing academic interests.
  1. Traditional Doctrinal Studies:
    There has been a noticeable decrease in articles focused solely on doctrinal or dogmatic studies, as scholars increasingly seek to contextualize religious beliefs within broader cultural and societal frameworks.
  2. Exclusively Western Perspectives:
    The emphasis on Western religious traditions is waning, as the journal increasingly prioritizes global and pluralistic approaches to religion, reflecting a more inclusive understanding of spirituality.
  3. Static Historical Narratives:
    Research that presents static narratives of religious history without engaging with contemporary implications or interdisciplinary connections is becoming less common.
  4. Reductionist Analyses of Religion:
    The journal is moving away from overly simplistic or reductionist views of religion that do not account for the complexities and nuances of faith experiences.

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