Reviews of Peer-Reviewed Journals in the Humanities and Social Sciences
We give you the scuttlebutt on academic journals—aiding you in selecting the right journal for publication—in reviews that are sometimes snarky, sometimes lengthy, always helpful. Written by Princeton University graduate students and Wendy Laura Belcher.
Religion and American Culture: A Journal of Interpretation
For those interested in publishing articles that explore the connections between religion and other spheres of American culture. It is in the discipline of history not anthropology. Articles are generally focused on the Judeo-Christian tradition post-1800. Race, class, and gender are a focus. Articles are well-crafted, not theory dense. In a 2015 article titled “The Role and Future of Academic Journals,” the journal stated that academic journals have the “pedagogical function” of being “classrooms for perfecting the art of historical writing,” which suggests that they work well with junior scholars.
Religion and American Culture accepts submissions that deal with religion in its American contexts from a variety of methodological approaches and theoretical perspectives. Articles may deal with specifically focused topics, events, or persons; however, they also need to shed light on broad patterns or implications of American life. Manuscripts should be fully documented and contain a clear thesis or argument. Over the past five years, the journal has published a wide range of articles that explore the intersection of religion and race, class, and gender. While it has published articles that reflect a range of religious traditions, it leans heavily towards histories of Judeo-Christian denominations. Religion and American Culture also seems to draw from the large base of graduates of the Young Scholars in Religion program (see below) providing scholars with exposure to new voices in the field.
The University of California Press publishes Religion and American Culture: A Journal of Interpretation, based out of The Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture which was established in 1989 at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. The Center is a research and public outreach institute that supports the ongoing scholarly discussion of the nature, terms, and dynamics of religion in America. Along with the journal, The Center supports and advances the scholarly study of religion through a wide range of programs and initiatives including national conferences and symposia, fellowships for new scholars, the Young Scholars in Religion Program that assists early career scholars as well as supporting other publications and research projects.
Reviewed by KW
Useful for Submission
Word Count: 25-35 pages
Issues per year: Two
Current volume number: Winter 2017, Volume 27, No. 1
Articles per year: 7-8, sometimes includes forums
Citation style: Latest version of Chicago Manual of Style. Endnotes preferred to footnotes, do not use parenthetical citations
Abstract length (if required): required, 250 words max.
Upcoming special issues (if available): N/A
Relevant Editors: Tracy Fessenden (Arizona State University), Philip Goff (Co-Editor, IU-PUI), Amy Koehlinger (Oregon State University), Laura Levitt (Temple University), Stephen J. Stein (Indiana University, Emeritus), Peter J. Thuesen (Co-Editor, IU-PUI) and Judith Weisenfeld (Princeton).
About Wendy Belcher
