In partnership with the Global Center for Religious Research (GCRR), the peer-reviewed academic journal, Socio-Historical Examination of Religion and Ministry (SHERM journal), is now accepting article submissions from all qualified persons relating to any one of the following fields of study:

 

• Religious History

• Historical Theology

• Historical Jesus

• Psychology of Religion

• Sociology of Religion

• Anthropology of Religion

• Philosophy of Religion

• Religious Trends and Demographics

• Issues in Contemporary Theology

• Ancient, Medieval, and Contemporary Christian Literature

• Patristic, Medieval, and Contemporary Exegesis

• Ancient Near Eastern Languages and Writings

• Ancient Israelite Religion and Second Temple Judaism

• History and Literature of Contemporary Judaism

• Hebrew Bible

• New Testament

• Textual Criticism

• Islamic Studies

• Mormon Studies

• Native American Religion

• Hinduism, Buddhism, and Other World Religions

• Historical and Contemporary Religious Revivals and Sects

• New Religious Movements (Cults)

• Religious Violence

• Religious Liberty

• Freedom from Religion

• General Religious Studies
   

• Ancient, Medieval, and Contemporary Ministry Practices

• Experimental Faith Communities

• Ecclesiastical Trends and Issues

• Economic, Political, Social, and Ecological Issues in Ministry

• Ethical, Racial, Sexual, and Gender Issues in Ministry

 

SHERM is a biannual, free peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes the latest social-scientific, historiographic, and ecclesiastic research on religious institutions and their ministerial practices. SHERM is dedicated to the critical and scholarly inquiry of historical and contemporary religious phenomena, both from within particular religious traditions and across cultural boundaries, so as to inform the broader socio-historical analysis of religion and its related fields of study.

For the ministerial part of the journal, researchers may utilize social-scientific research (demographic trends, issues in psychology or sociology, etc.) or studies in the evolution of religious belief systems (e.g. the impact of deconstructionism on the phenomenological philosophy of religion) and apply those insights to a vocational setting as it relates to congregational life and ministry programs. As an example, researchers might implement an experimental study with a particular church or synagogue involving a new way to deal with racial inequality or sexual abuse issues in society as it pertains to religious practices. The researchers could then report their findings in our ministry section of the journal. Or researchers might present different ways to accommodate societal changes in philosophies, belief systems, or approaches to religiosity and how those changes are likely to influence future congregational characteristics.

 

Also, SHERM is a 100% not-for-profit journal with independent funding, so we never ask our authors for money to publish their research with us.

 

For questions about the journal or suggestions for an upcoming issue, feel free to contact the General Editor at editor@shermjournal.org.