The ''Journal of Contemporary Religion'' is a triannual

peer-review Peer review is the evaluation of work by one or more people with similar competencies as the producers of the work ( peers). It functions as a form of self-regulation by qualified members of a profession within the relevant field. Peer revie ...

academic journal An academic journal or scholarly journal is a periodical publication in which scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published. Academic journals serve as permanent and transparent forums for the presentation, scrutiny, and ...

which covers anthropological, sociological, psychological and philosophical aspects of religion.

History and format

The journal was established in 1985 as ''Religion Today'' by the Centre for New Religions at King's College London. Its founding editor was Peter B. Clarke (later at

Wolfson College, Oxford Wolfson College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Located in north Oxford along the River Cherwell, Wolfson is an all-graduate college with around sixty governing body fellows, in addition to both research a ...

).Clarke, Peter Bernard. ''New Religions in Global Perspective: A Study of Religious Change in the Modern World'', Routledge 2006, p. 46, The journal, which changed its name to the current title in 1995, is published by

Routledge Routledge () is a British multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanities, behavioural science, education, law ...

. Its current editor is Elisabeth Arweck (

University of Warwick , mottoeng = Mind moves matter , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £7.0 million (2021) , budget = £698.2 million (2020� ...

); Peter B. Clarke, who died in June 2011, remained listed as co-editor until the end of that year out of respect for his contributions to the field. Lipner, Julius (1997-10-17)
"Social science & humanities journals: Prayers for today"
''

Times Higher Education ''Times Higher Education'' (''THE''), formerly ''The Times Higher Education Supplement'' (''The Thes''), is a British magazine reporting specifically on news and issues related to higher education. Ownership TPG Capital acquired TSL Education ...

''. Retrieved 2010-06-19. An issue of the triannual journal typically features five or six major articles. Other content includes conference reports, research notes, book reviews and review articles, and articles are sometimes illustrated with graphics or photographs.

Reception

The ''

'' stated in a 1997 review of the journal that "The contributors are invariably academics, mainly from North America and Europe. The style ranges from the homely, almost chatty at times, to the more formal. The articles, however, are on the whole scholarly and, as advertised, treat of a wide range of subjects, from the

Brahma Kumaris The Brahma Kumaris are a spiritual movement that originated in Hyderabad, Sindh, during the 1930s.Sahaja Yoga Sahaja Yoga (सहज योग) is a religion founded in 1970 by Nirmala Srivastava (1923–2011). Nirmala Srivastava is known as Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi (trans: ''Revered Immaculate Mother'') or, simply, as "Mother" by her followers, who a ...

, from the '

Toronto Blessing The Toronto Blessing, a term coined by British newspapers, refers to the Christian revival and associated phenomena that began in January 1994 at the Toronto Airport Vineyard church (TAV), which was renamed in 1996 to Toronto Airport Christian ...

' to the nature of

fundamentalism Fundamentalism is a tendency among certain groups and individuals that is characterized by the application of a strict literal interpretation to scriptures, dogmas, or ideologies, along with a strong belief in the importance of distinguish ...

, from 'The Protestant eruption into modern Brazilian politics' to 'Deconfessionalisation in the Netherlands' (in the last three decades or so). There are fieldwork reports, ethnographic accounts, and historical and conceptual studies. The standard of research and analysis is what one would expect from a good academic journal." The review criticised the small number and seemingly arbitrary selection of book reviews, but concluded by stating that "On the whole, then, the journal is a valuable research tool and source of new knowledge for scholars, teachers and others interested in studying the phenomenon of contemporary religion. With nothing really comparable available in the field, it is highly recommended."

Abstracting and indexing

The ''Journal of Contemporary Religion'' is abstracted and indexed in Applied Social Sciences Index & Abstracts,

British Humanities Index The British Humanities Index is a database published by ProQuest ProQuest LLC is an Ann Arbor, Michigan-based global information-content and technology company, founded in 1938 as University Microfilms by Eugene B. Power. ProQuest is known ...

Worldwide Political Science Abstracts CSA (formerly ''Cambridge Scientific Abstracts'') was a division of Cambridge Information Group and provider of online databases, based in Bethesda, Maryland before merging with ProQuest of Ann Arbor, Michigan in 2007. CSA hosted databases of a ...

EBSCOhost EBSCO Information Services, headquartered in Ipswich, Massachusetts, is a division of EBSCO Industries Inc., a private company headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama. EBSCO provides products and services to libraries of very many types around the ...

Educational Research Abstracts Online Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Var ...

, Multicultural Education Abstracts,

New Testament Abstracts The Boston College School of Theology and Ministry (STM) is a Jesuit school of graduate theology at Boston College. It is an ecclesiastical faculty of theology that trains men and women, both lay and religious, for scholarship and service, especi ...

Religious & Theological Abstracts Religious and Theological Abstracts is a database that indexes many religious and theological journals and other literature. In 2005, one ''Guide to Research'' described it as a "popular reference" , covering more than 600 periodicals in most ma ...

Sociological Abstracts CSA (formerly ''Cambridge Scientific Abstracts'') was a division of Cambridge Information Group and provider of online databases, based in Bethesda, Maryland before merging with ProQuest of Ann Arbor, Michigan in 2007. CSA hosted databases of ...

, and

Studies on Women and Gender Abstracts Routledge () is a British multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanities, behavioural science, education, law, and ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Journal Of Contemporary Religion Religious studies journals Publications established in 1985 Triannual journals Taylor & Francis academic journals English-language journals 1985 establishments in the United Kingdom