Call for Submissions for Fourth Issue
Health and Healing, Spring 2011

Practical Matters is now seeking submissions on the theme of Religion, Health and Healing. Practical Matters is an online, multimedia, transdisciplinary, peer-reviewed journal designed to ask and provoke questions about religious practice and practical theology. Practical Matters is funded by a grant from the Lilly Endowment, Inc. and published out of the Emory University Graduate Division of Religion.

The fourth issue of Practical Matters will explore the intersections of religion, health and healing, which have emerged as valuable and exciting places for interdisciplinary research and dialogue.   The submission deadline is August 1, 2010.

We are interested in featuring work on a broad spectrum of questions, such as…

  • What are the health and healing practices of various religious traditions and how have they been practiced?
  • What definitions of health or healing are operating in these traditions and among their religious practitioners?
  • What is the relationship between religious conceptions of health and healing and more public and societal views of health? What theological issues are raised by these relationships?
  • How do religious convictions and practices affect health and healing in society and conversely, how do social views and practices regarding health affect religious attitudes, convictions, and practices?

Specifically, we are looking for submissions in three categories:

  1. Submissions for Analyzing Matters on the theme of Religion, Health and Healing, submitted for peer review; 
  2. Submissions for Practicing and Teaching Matters on Religion, Health and Healing such as practitioner reflections, essays, pedagogical reflections, or field notes concerning religious practices, rituals, or other issues of concern for scholars, theologians, teachers and practitioners;
  3. Suggestions for reviews (or names of potential reviewers) of recent books, films, conferences, and other work on broader topics in the fields of religious studies, religion and health and theology.

Regarding Analyzing Matters, we invite any critical analysis, including multimedia content, around a topic in the field of religion, health and healing for peer-reviewed content.  This could include:

  • field based research on healing practices in health and religious communities (for example: end-of-life practices, reproduction and childbirth, the AIDS epidemic, contemplative practices)
  • methodological questions at the intersection between health and religious study 
  • theological analysis of health practices
  • clinical analysis of religious practices

For Practicing and Teaching Matters, we invite submissions that address the pedagogical and practical challenges of engaging religion, health, and healing.  This might include:

  • pedagogical reflections engaging religion, health, and healing (e.g. designing a course, creating a cross-disciplinary learning environment around religion and health)
  • practical reflections from those who work at the crossroads of religion, health and healing
  • insights from religious leaders, community leaders, chaplains, pastoral care staff, and health professionals on the nature of practicing at this unique intersection in human life

Regarding suggestions for reviews, Practical Matters assigns writers for reviews, and unsolicited reviews are not accepted. However, all suggestions for reviewers and/or items to review will be carefully considered.

Practical Matters is an academic journal with a diverse audience. We encourage those considering submission to think broadly, creatively, and experimentally about form and content. Submissions in any form (i.e., film, text, audio, images) may be eligible for peer review; however, the peer review process is not mandatory for all submissions. We especially encourage non-U.S. submissions.

Please see the Submissions Guidelines below for more detail.

SUBMISSIONS GUIDELINES

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

Practical Matters is a multimedia, online journal interested in submissions that investigate the broad topics of religious practices and practical theology, past or present, in any context or tradition.  We are interested in work that is relevant to a particular, pre-announced theme or themes.

Practical Matters is aimed at scholars, religious leaders and practitioners, teachers, students, journalists, and the general public.  Submissions from various disciplinary perspectives are also encouraged.  This includes (but is not limited to) work originating in religious studies, theology, anthropology, literature, cultural studies, sociology, psychology, history, political science, philosophy, media studies, the arts, journalism, or the sciences.  We encourage submissions from those both inside and outside the academy as well as work about and from diverse religious traditions.

Practical Matters publishes three general categories of content for each issue:

1. Peer-reviewed scholarship, both text and multimedia, to be published in the section Analyzing Matters. 

Our process for peer review is rigorous. Peer-reviewed submissions should be of current interest, should relate substantively to the issue theme, should demonstrate familiarity with relevant literature on the subject, and should be clearly and persuasively written and constructed. Multimedia scholarship might include submissions in the media of film, video, soundscape, audio, new media, photography, art, or performance.  Further information about peer review for Practical Matters can be found below.

2. Non-peer reviewed content (personal reflections, pedagogical experiences, essays by practitioners on experiences in the field, etc.). 

In each issue, we are committed to publishing both practitioner and pedagogical reflections. Practitioners, religious leaders, teachers, and activists are encouraged to submit work on their engagement with the issue’s theme, religious practices, and practical theology.  Teachers of various forms might reflect on how they have introduced or would like to introduce their students to these topics. If accepted, submissions focusing on teaching and pedagogical experiences will be published in the category Teaching Matters and those focusing on practitioner experiences will be published in the category Practicing Matters. 

In addition to these specific reflections, the journal encourages a wide variety of engaging and creative submissions.  This might include extended topical review essays, art, syllabi, curricula, or field notes. Submissions might also be video, audio, or new media pieces not produced with specific scholarly aims in mind. If you have other ideas, please feel free to contact the issue editors for the particular issue to which you wish to submit your work.

3. Reviews of recent books, films, or conferences on the topic of religious practices or practical theology for the section Matters Under Review. 

We do not accept reviews as submissions; however, reviews are regularly assigned to qualified scholars and practitioners for each issue. Those interested in reviewing material for the journal are invited to contact the Reviews Editor or to consult the Reviews Policy below.

General Submissions Instructions:

  1. Every submission, including multimedia submissions, should include a 150-word abstract of its content.
  2. Please note in your email if you are submitting your work for peer review, or if your submission is intended to be a non-peer reviewed reflection on pedagogy or practice or some other category of submission.
  3. We will respond to those who submit, but please be patient.
  4. Practical Matters seeks to engage a wide audience.  Therefore, we are interested in submissions that are accessible and comprehensible beyond disciplinary boundaries.
  5. Submissions should not be currently under review by another journal or have been published in another venue. 
  6. Authors, understood to be the creators of content in practicalmattersjournal.org media and genres, retain copyright for content published in Practical Matters, with publication rights granted to the journal. Any reproduction of original content from Practical Matters must a) seek copyright from authors and b) acknowledge Practical Matters as the site of original publication.

About Text Submissions:

  1. As a general rule, text submissions for peer review (articles and critical essays) should be between 3,000-7,000 words long, although we will consider those that fall outside of this range.  Non peer-reviewed content, such as pedagogical and practitioner reflections will most often be shorter, often under 3,000 words.
  2. Text submissions should be submitted by email attachment to this address: submissions@practicalmattersjournal.org, subject line Submission. If possible, please provide your submission as both a Microsoft Word file (.doc NOT .docx) and as a PDF. The abstract should be included in the same document as the submission itself. Please note in your email if you are submitting your work for peer review, or if your submission is intended to be a non-peer-reviewed reflection on pedagogy or practice.
  3. No files over 5 MB will be accepted as email attachments. If your submission includes photographs or visual components, please take care that your submission is under this size requirement. If your submission is larger than this, you must either post it on a personal web site without identifying information, or send it to us via CD or DVD.Note: if an emailed file is too big, it is possible we will never receive it due to institutional size restrictions on email attachments.
  4. Authors are encouraged to indicate if there is a photograph, graphic or potential visual component to their manuscript, and include that in their submission if possible.
  5. Because the peer review process requires anonymity, please do not include information that identifies the author(s) by name in the content of your submission.
  6. Text submissions should conform to The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition. Please use endnotes with full bibliographic information and no separate bibliography. Reference examples can be found here.

About Multimedia Submissions:

  1. Multimedia submissions may also be attached by email attachment if file size permits.  Visual images should be submitted as JPEGs, video submissions should be submitted as Quick Time movies, and audio tracks should be submitted as MP3 files. If it is possible for you to put your submission on a personal web page, you may also submit by providing a working URL.
  2. No files over 5 MB will be accepted as email attachments. If your submission is larger than this, you must either post it on a personal web site without identifying information, or send it to us via CD or DVD. Note: if an emailed file is too big, it is possible we will never receive it due to institutional size restrictions on email attachments. 
  3. If it is not possible to conform to these guidelines for the kind of submission you intend, or if you have questions about the format of your submission, please email the Editors for Peer-Reviewed Content at least two weeks in advance of the submissions deadline.

Submissions deadline for Issue 4: August 1, 2010

Contact: submissions@practicalmattersjournal.org

PEER REVIEW PROCESS

HOW PEER REVIEW WORKS IN OUR JOURNAL

Submissions to Practical Matters intended for peer review, in both text and multimedia formats and genres, are subjected to a rigorous process designed to assure a high standard of excellence, as judged by researchers who have expert knowledge in pertinent fields.

Upon submission, scholarship proposed to Practical Matters is screened for conformation to the journal's Submissions Guidelines. After determining that the submission's format and content are appropriate for the journal, proposed scholarship is then reviewed by two reviewers selected by the Editorial Board. This process is double-blind: names of reviewers will not be released to authors and reviewers will not know the identities of authors whose work they review.

Reviewers are asked to evaluate the submission with respect to the journal’s guidelines. Factors to be considered include the work's currency, relatedness to the theme, engagement with the latest literature and debates in the respective field(s), conclusions, clarity of writing and structure, and overall presentation (including the use of audio-visual and web-based materials when available and pertinent). Practical Matters editors may forward questions from reviewers to authors for clarification.

After the double-blind review process has been completed, the editorial staff will use reviewers’ assessments to decide whether to accept, reject, or ask for revisions to a submission. If revisions are requested, authors may review shared comments; they have the option of re-submitting or withdrawing their submission from consideration. The Editors for Peer-Reviewed Content will keep authors informed as to the status of their submissions throughout the process.

REVIEWS POLICY

Practical Matters reviews material that pertains to the study of religious practices and the discipline of practical theology.  The journal values scholarly inquiry across a broad range of media including (but not limited to) traditional print essays, articles, books, film, video, audio, soundscape, new media, photography, art, and performance. We are committed therefore to reviewing the same.

Reviewers are chosen among scholars, practitioners, and others who have expertise in the above fields.  Practical Matters does not accept unsolicited reviews.  However, the journal welcomes suggestions for materials to be reviewed. Those who are interested in reviewing material or who have suggestions for review material are invited to contact Reviews Editor Haemin Lee. For those interested in reviewing material, please indicate areas of expertise and include a curriculum vitae or resume.

Practical Matters features work by and for scholars, practitioners, and teachers.  With this diverse audience in mind, a review should explore and evaluate material in terms of its primary themes as well as its contribution to the study of religious practices and practical theology.  Reviews typically range in length from 500 to 1,500 words.

Practical Matters will from time to time publish review essays.  These projects are developed in consultation with the Reviews Editor.

The Reviews Editor works with reviewers toward the submission and publication of reviews, including editing for stylistic and substantive content, formatting, and submission deadlines.  Practical Matters retains final editorial discretion over the content and publication of reviews.