Journal of Contemporary Religion is an international peer reviewed journal. Its purpose is to both document and evaluate the anthropological, sociological, psychological, and philosophical aspects of emerging manifestations of religiosity in any part of the world—whether within innovative movements or mainstream institutions. The term 'religion' in the title of this journal is understood to include contributions on spirituality. Moreover, as the journal title suggests, the focus is on contemporary issues. Therefore, the editors of Journal of Contemporary Religion welcome submissions which deal with:
- classical topics in the study of religion, such as secularisation and the vitality of religion or traditional sectarian movements;
- more recent developments in the study of religion, including religion and social problems, religion and the environment, religion and education, the transmission of religion, the materialisation and visualisation of religion in various forms, new forms of religious pluralism, the rise of new forms of religion and spirituality, religion and the Internet, religion and science, religion and globalisation, religion and the economy, etc.
- theoretical approaches to the study of religion;
- discussions of methods in relation to empirical research;
- qualitative and quantitative research and related issues.
The Journal includes reviews of books which reflect the above themes.
Peer Review Policy:
Research articles and Research notes published in the Journal of Contemporary Religion have undergone rigorous peer review, with at least two anonymous referees assessing the submitted material.
JCR does not have a formal procedure for the submission of book reviews. The editor approaches potential reviewers. However, informal enquiries or suggestions regarding reviews can be sent to the editor.
"The Journal of Contemporary Religion has become one of the most important and interesting journals in the academic study of religion. The excellence, currency, and multidisciplinary character of its articles has earned the journal recognition as one of preferred venues for publication, especially among the rising generation of new scholars seeking to extend the horizon of the field." - Lorne Dawson, University of Waterloo, Canada
"The Journal of Contemporary Religion has contributed significantly to putting the contemporary, the global, and the significant in the scholarly study of religion in the forefront. There are other journals that are simply about religion, and there are journals that are about specific sorts of religion or specific approaches to religion and the study of religion, but the JCR cuts across all these other categories to focus very much on the contemporary and therefore has made an enormous contribution to the idea that religion is alive, changing, never has been on the point of disappearing, and relevant. It is, in sum, a unique journal that makes a contribution no other journal concerned with religion makes." - Peter Beyer, University of Ottawa, Canada
"I’m constantly amazed at the range of material that that JCR covers. It has articles on new religious developments, new looks at established issues, religious analysis of quasi-religious settings, and undernoticed but significant religious esoterica – all from many traditions. Its reviews range even farther, covering an encyclopedic array of books. Both articles and reviews lead me down roads that I might never find on my own. JCR’s authors come from many fields and write to many issues, but the result is anything but cacophony. Instead, the editors give us an astoundingly broad intellectual conversation. I know of no other journal with such richness and such depth." - James V. Spickard, University of Redlands, California, USA
"British social scientists of religion owe a great debt to Peter Clarke for founding, and Elisabeth Arweck for managing, the Journal of Contemporary Religion. In providing a first-class outlet for descriptive and explanatory accounts of current religious phenomena, it served an obvious need. I am proud to have published in it and readily recommend it to all my colleagues." - Steve Bruce, University of Aberdeen, UK
Authors can choose to publish gold open access in this journal.
Read the Instructions for Authors for information on how to submit your article.
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