review of religious research

The Official Journal of the Religious Research Association

Excluded or Part of the Team? Investigating of the Role of Grandparents in Christian Faith Nurture, Using Discourse Analysis

• Sarah E. Holmes

Pandemic Spiritual Leadership: A Trans-national Study of Innovation and Spiritual Practices

• Steve Taylor
• Dustin D. Benac

Religious Schools, Home Schools, and Gender-Role Beliefs in Adulthood

• Shanna Corner
• Julie W. Dallavis

To Protect and Serve? Race and Police Use of Force Across Religious Contexts

Eating Your Cake and Having it Too: US Megachurches and Factors Associated with Attending Multiple Congregations

• Katie E. Corcoran
• Stephanie M. House-Niamke
• Scott L. Thumma

Health Disparities Between Religious Majority and Minority: A Cross-National Analysis

• Xiaozhao Y. Yang

Review of Curriculum Renewal for Islamic Education: Critical Perspectives on Teaching Islam in Primary and Secondary Schools by Nadeem A. Memon (Ed), Mohamad Abdalla, Mariam Alhasymi, 2021

• Anisah Setyaningrum
• Muhammad Misbah

Are Women Elders Paid Less than Men? A Brief Report from the North Carolina Statewide Longitudinal Survey of United Methodist Clergy

• Josh Gaghan
• David E. Eagle

Correction to: Theological Education as “Being With” the Future Church: Applied Research Among Local Leaders in an Australian Baptist Denomination 10.1007/s13644-021-00480-z

Changes in religiosity and reliance on god during the covid-19 pandemic: a protective role under conditions of financial strain.

• Laura Upenieks
• Christopher G. Ellison

Religiosity over the Life Course and Flourishing: Are There Educational Differences?

• Scott Schieman

Correction to: Does Religion Foster Prejudice Among Adherents of All World Religions? A Comparison Across Religions

• Rachel Kollar
• Fenella Fleischmann

A Field Study Update on Organizational Satanism and Setianism in the United States

• Steven Foertsch

Review of Stuck: Why Clergy are Alienated from their Calling, Congregation, and Career… and What to do About it by Todd Ferguson and Josh Packard, 2022

• Anna Holleman

Humble with God? How Education and Race Shape the Association Between God-Mediated Control and Humility in Later Life

• Neal M. Krause

“I Just Wanted Support”: Examining How LDS Clergy May Effectively Minister to Sexual and Gender Minority Congregants

• Samuel J. Skidmore
• G. Tyler Lefevor
• Kirsten A. Gonzalez

Does Religion Foster Prejudice Among Adherents of All World Religions? A Comparison Across Religions

Religious Attendance and Health Behavior in Cross-National Perspective: The Role of Religious Context

• Jong Hyun Jung

Review of Global Christianity: A Guide to the World’s Largest Religion from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe by Gina A. Zurlo, 2022. Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI.

• Noah R. Karger

Motivations and Types of Religious Change in Contemporary America

• Nadia Beider

Review of Secular Surge: A New Fault Line in American Politics by David Campbell, Geoffrey Layman, and John C. Green. 2021

• Hilary Jordan Zedlitz

The Social Activity of Polish Migrants in the Republic of Ireland from the Perspective of Their Religiosity

• Wojciech Sadlon

Review of The Struggle to Stay: Why Single Evangelical Women are Leaving the Church by Katie Gaddini, 2022

• Lori G. Beaman

Is it the Sermon or the Choir? Pastoral Support, Congregant Support, and Worshiper Mental Health

• Gabriel A. Acevedo
• Reed T. DeAngelis
• Brandon Vaidyanathan

Financial Hardship, Religious Experience, and Health

“I Come Out Because I Love You”: Positive Coming Out Experiences Among Latter-day Saint Sexual and Gender Minorities

• Adlyn M. Perez-Figueroa

Review of Church Planters: Inside the World of Religion Entrepreneurs by Richard N. Pitt, 2022

• Joel Thiessen

Review of Work pray code: when Work Becomes Religion in Silicon Valley by Carolyn Chen, 2022

Social class and social cohesion among american jews.

• Laurence Kotler-Berkowitz
• Ira M. Sheskin

Is Together Better? Investigating the Relationship Between Network Dynamics and Congregations’ Vitality and Sustainability

• Jennifer M. McClure

‘God will protect us’: Belief in God/Higher Power’s ability to intervene and COVID-19 vaccine uptake

• Bernard D. DiGregorio
• Christopher P. Scheitle

Wuthnow, Robert. 2021. Why Religion is Good for American Democracy . Princeton: Princeton University Press

• David E. Campbell

Evangelical Organizations’ Responses to Domestic Violence: How the Cultural Production of Religious Beliefs Challenges or Enshrines Patriarchy

• Meredith Whitnah

Review of 20 Myths about Religion and Politics in America by Ryan P. Burge, 2022

Review of studying lived religion by nancy ammerman, 2021 and what happens when we practice religion: textures of devotion in everyday life by robert wuthnow, 2020.

• Mie Astrup Jensen

The Effects of Role Differentiation Among Clergy: Impact on Pastoral Burnout and Job Satisfaction

• Thomas V. Frederick
• Scott E. Dunbar
• Mimi Almero

Catalysts of Connectedness: A Case for Greater Complexity in Religious Identity Formation Research

• Adina Leah Bankier-Karp

Religious/spiritual struggles and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic: Does “talking religion” help or hurt?

Understanding Coping Mechanisms during the COVID-19 Pandemic: a Case Study of Stakeholders of the African Sisters Education Collaborative

• Draru Mary Cecilia
• Tara Lopatofsky
• Mary L. Gautier

Correction to Various articles

R. khari brown, ronald e. brown, and james s. jackson: race and the power of sermons on american politics.

• Claire Chipman Gilliland

Societal Inputs, Religious Outputs, and Young Adults: A Cross-Cohort Analysis of Attitudes Toward Same-Sex Relations and Civil Liberties for Gays and Lesbians

• M. N. Barringer

Theological Education as “Being With” the Future Church: Applied Research Among Local Leaders in an Australian Baptist Denomination

Review of exploring the public effects of religious communication on politics by brian calfano (ed.), 2021.

• Joseph Roso

A Matter of Conscience: American Women Religious, Feminist Agency, and the Catholic Church

• Ryan P. Murphy

A Smaller Pie with a Different Taste: The Evolution of the Western-European Religious Landscape (European Values Study, 1981–2017)

• Dick Houtman

Religion and Americans’ Fear of Crime in the 21st Century

• Philip Schwadel
• Amy L. Anderson

Religion and Intergroup Boundaries: Positive and Negative Ties Among Youth in Ethnically and Religiously Diverse School Classes in Western Europe

• Müge Simsek
• Frank van Tubergen

Religious Congregations’ Technological and Financial Capacities on the Eve of the COVID-19 Pandemic

• Mark Chaves

Review of Signs of Life: Catholic, Mainline, and Conservative Protestant Congregations of Canada by Bill McAlpine, Joel Theissen, Keith Walker, Arch Chee Keen Wong

• Brian Clarke
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Call for Papers

The  Review of Religious Research  (RRR) journal publishes empirical social-science research and provides a forum for research across multiple disciplines and approaches. The topics, religious groups, disciplinary approaches, methods, and types of analysis are detailed further in the  Aims & Scope . The RRR welcomes manuscripts of the following types.

Original Research Articles

Original research articles present scholarly and methodologically rigorous empirical analysis. Sections: Introduction, Literature Review (typically labeled by topical headings), Data and Methods, Results, Discussion (including limitations, implications, conclusions). Before submitting a manuscript, authors should read the journal’s Aims & Scope for more information. Maximum 10,000 words, 40 double-spaced manuscript pages, including references.

Research Notes

Research notes are similar to original research articles in presenting scholarly and methodologically rigorous empirical analysis. Notes are briefer than articles and typically provide less theoretical framing and literature reviewing than articles. The focus is on the study design and results. Sections: Introduction, Data and Methods, Results, Discussion (including limitations). Maximum 7,500 words, 30 double-spaced pages, including references.

Review Articles

Review articles provide a comprehensive summary of relevant existing studies, including a synthesis of their relevant theory, methods, and findings on topic(s) of interest to the journal (see Aims & Scope). Sections: Introduction, Background, Data and Methods (describe sources, inclusion and exclusion criteria), Results, Discussion (limitations, implications, conclusions). Maximum 10,000 words, 40 double-spaced pages, including references.

Applied Research Abstracts

Applied research abstracts briefly present the results of an applied study. Sections: Background, Purpose, Methods, Results, Conclusions, and Implications. Applied abstracts are 350-550 words and should include a footnote explaining to readers how to access the report, data, or additional information on the study.

Contexts of Religious Research

Contexts include award announcements, memoriams, commentaries about the process of conducting research (e.g., applications of research methods to topics relevant to the journal), profiles of denominational research organizations, or invited addresses from the Religious Research Association. It is rare that a manuscript of this type would be unsolicited; authors should consult the editor before submitting this type of manuscript. Max 1,000 words.

Book Reviews

Book reviews provide a summary of a scholarly book that identifies the purpose and central themes, highlights important claims or contributions, and offers critical evaluation of the theories, methods, approach, or limitations (about 800 words). If you would like to review a book for the journal, contact the Book Review Editor, David Eagle, PhD [email protected].

The Review of Religious Research is willing to consider special issue ideas on a case-by-case basis. To inquire about interest in a special issue, email the Editor-In-Chief at [email protected]

Editorial Process

Review of Religious Research is a refereed journal with an anonymized peer review policy. Review of Religious Research adheres to a double-blind, anonymized peer review process in which the authors are de-identified from the manuscript, and the reviewers names are in turn anonymized. The Editor-In-Chief will review manuscripts to assess whether they are relevant to the Aims & Scope of the journal. Authors are advised to carefully review the Aims & Scope prior to submitting and to directly address goodness-of-fit within manuscript cover letters. If a manuscript is relevant to the journal, it will be sent to qualified reviewers who are experts in their fields. Thoughtful keyword selection during the submission process will aid manuscripts in being reviewed by scholars that are most aligned with the topic, approach, and country of data collection in the study. Authors are advised to review the Editorial Board members to gain a sense of the types of expertise most readily available within the journal reviewers.

Manuscript Submission and Processing Fee

Manuscripts should be submitted via the Sage ScholarOne system. After logging in to ScholarOne and selecting “New Manuscript Submission,” authors will need to select the type of article, identify relevant keywords from the Aims & Scope, and follow the rest of the directions embedded in the submission system.

Authors who are not members of the Religious Research Association (RRA) are required to pay a $35 manuscript processing fee before their manuscript undergoes peer-review. The submission fee includes a year of free membership to the RRA.

Authors must submit a cover letter with their submission that includes the following information:

• A statement confirming that all the authors have read the final version of the manuscript and agreed to submit it to Review of Religious Research. (Do not submit your manuscript unless this is true.)
• A statement confirming that the manuscript has not been published previously and that it is not currently being reviewed for publication by another journal. (Do not submit your manuscript unless this is true.)
• A statement explaining how the manuscript fits into one or more of the topical areas listed in the journal’s Aims & Scope. This statement should also briefly identify at least one of the empirical research methods and analysis listed in the Aims & Scope, or specify an additional empirical method or analysis that is not listed.
• The full name, institution, and email address of at least one author of the manuscript who is currently a member of the Religious Research Association, OR; A statement acknowledging the authors agree to pay the $35 fee for the manuscript to be peer-reviewed (if it is initially assessed to be potentially suitable for publication), if no author of the manuscript is a member of the Religious Research Association. See the Fee section below for more details. The waiver of the $35 fee only applies to manuscripts that are authored or co-authored by a member of the Religious Research Association. The fee will not be waived for any other reason.

Sample Letter 1

Dear Editor:

All the authors have read the final version of the manuscript and agreed to submit it to Review of Religious Research . The manuscript has not been published previously, and it is not currently being reviewed for publication by another journal.

The authors think the manuscript fits within the topical areas of Religious Leaders and Religion & Civics because it investigates the ways that people in faith-based organizations draw upon religious language in volunteer recruitment efforts. This is an empirical research study that utilized surveys to collect data for the quantitative analysis and in-depth interviews to inform the qualitative analysis.

Sample Letter 2

The authors think the manuscript fits within the topic area of Religious Beliefs because it reviews how scholars attend to Muslim, Christian, and Jewish religious texts in published research. Although the manuscript does not appear to fit into any of the methods listed in the Aims & Scope, the authors think the manuscript is consistent with the Aims & Scope because the study employs bibliometric techniques to inform a quantitative and qualitative analysis of existing publications.

As none of the authors currently belong to the Religious Research Association, [Name of Corresponding Author] agrees to pay the $35 fee for the manuscript to be peer-reviewed if it is initially assessed to be potentially suitable for publication via the Religious Research Association website (payment will be confirmed with the RRA before proceeding with peer review).

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• Description
• Aims and Scope
• Editorial Board
• Abstracting / Indexing
• Submission Guidelines

Aims & Scope:

The Review of Religious Research (RRR) journal aims to publish manuscripts meeting these six scope criteria: (1) reports empirical research; (2) attends to religiosity and spirituality topics; (3) identifies religious groups and their adherents; (4) engages in interdisciplinary social science research practices; (5) describes methods and analytical techniques; and (6) applies research with relevance for practitioners. Criteria are described below.

Empirical Research

Manuscripts meet the empirical social science research scope criteria by reporting on observable behaviors, actions, orientations, and more of social groups. The goal is to understand and analyze rather than seeking to propagate a religion, proselytize, evangelize, or in other ways directly represent a religious view. Valuing the goal of replicability and peer review, empirical research typically includes a methods section that explains how data were collected, why, using what procedures, under which conditions, and toward what types of analysis.

Relevant Topics – Scroll below for an expanded list of specific topics.For a full list of topics please click here .  

• Religious leaders, services, programs, participation, practices, beliefs, organizations, changes, movements
• Religion & civics, family, gender, sex, race, youth, education, science, poverty, crime, attitudes, wellbeing
• Spirituality, spiritual practices, spiritual communities

Applied Practitioners

The journal is particularly interested in publishing applied research with implications for:

• Clergy, pastoral leaders, lay leaders, other religious leaders
• Professionals, staff, volunteers in faith-based organizations, NGOs, INGOS, international networks
• Grantmakers, funders, grant program officers
• Fundraisers, major gifts officers, donor prospect researchers
• Volunteer coordinators, social movement community engagers
• Service providers, program delivery coordinators

Religious Groups  

1. Islam, Muslims

2. Buddhism, Buddhists

3. Hinduism, Hindus

4. Judaism, Jewish

5. Confucianism, Confucians

6. Sikhism, Sikhists

7. Daoism, Taoism, Daoist, Taoists

8. Catholicism, Catholics

9. Christianity, Christians

10. Protestantism, Protestants

11. Evangelicalism, Evangelicals

12. Mainline Protestantism, Protestants

13. Pentecostalism, Pentecostals

14. Orthodoxy: Eastern, Catholic, Judaism, Christianity

15. Folk religions: Chinese, African; Ethnoreligious

16. Spiritism, Spiritists

17. Bahá'í, Bahaism, Bahá'ís

18. Jainism, Jainists

19. Shintoism, Shintoists

20. Zoroastrianism, Zoroastrians

21. New religions, new religious movements

22. Atheism, Agnosticism, Atheists, Agnostics

23. Religious unaffiliated, disaffiliated, non-affiliated, or religious “nones”  

Interdisciplinar

Valuing multiple approaches in the empirical study of religion, the journal typically publishes research from disciplines such as: sociology, psychology, social psychology, political science, economics.

Methods & Analysis

2. In-depth interviews

3. Ethnographies

4. Case studies

5. Quantitative analysis

6. Qualitative analysis

7. Content analysis

8. Mixed methods analysis

• Clarivate Analytics: Social Science Citation Index (SSCI)

Manuscript submission guidelines can be accessed on Sage Journals.

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