Call for Submissions: Practical Matters Journal
Call for Submissions to Practical Matters
Issue 12 Call for Submissions
New Directions in Religious Practices and Practical Theology: Revolutions and Re-Imaginations
Deadline: December 1, 2018
practicalmattersjournal.org/submissions
At the nexus of practical theology and the study of religious practices, what is the “state of the field”—and where are we going?
The past ten years have seen a blossoming of scholarship in religious practices and practical theology. Practical Matters has served as a meeting ground for these conversations across borders of methodology, religious tradition, and academic training. Reflecting on the field and our own work, what now animates the study of religious practices—and where do we go next? Where are we re-imagining and theory and method; where is there excitement for new movements in scholarship? Where do our revolutions take us back full circle to old themes, forgotten conversations, or neglected ways of approaching religious practice and practical theology that can be taken up in a new light?
Practical Matters is now accepting submissions for Issue 12. The issue will feature articles on the theme “New Directions in Religious Practices and Practical Theology: Revolutions and Re-Imaginations.” Questions to be addressed may include but are not limited to:
- Methodology: how do we continue to deepen existing methods and explore new modes of inquiry? Where do we see innovation within and outside of ethnographic methods, which have been central to religious practices research? What might be the role of documentary film, literary analysis, oral history, archival work, and/or partnerships with cognitive sciences?
- How are we guided by theory? Is practice theory still a primary thought-partner? Where might there be fruitful dialogue with other theoretical conversations?
- State of the relationship between the study of religious practices and practical theology: Practical Matters is designed to bring these together. How has the relationship grown and/or changed? How does interdisciplinarity more broadly continue to play a role in this work?
- Scholar-activism, and the relationship between the classroom/research conversation and the wider world: how should we handle this balance, and how is this best supported?
- How do new directions in religious practices themselves (i.e. secularization, migrations, new religious movements) impact the way we study and think about them?
In all submissions, we are particularly interested in work that shows as much as it tells—i.e. compelling use of exciting theories, methods, and conversations that help flesh out meta-commentary.
We invite contributions on or from any religious or spiritual tradition as well as from any theoretical position or discipline. The journal includes both peer-reviewed articles (Features and Analyzing Matters) as well as non-peer reviewed content that presents the thoughtful reflections of teachers and practitioners (Practicing Matters and Teaching Matters). Practical Matters accepts submissions that incorporate a variety of media and genres.
Submissions are accepted and published on a rolling basis throughout the year. For consideration in Issue 12, submissions must be received by December 1, 2018. For more information, please see practicalmattersjournal.org/submissions or email pm.issue.editor@emory.edu.