Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion

Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion is a peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes empirical and theoretical research on religious phenomena. The journal serves scholars across sociology, psychology, anthropology, political science, and history by featuring quantitative studies, qualitative analyses, and methodological innovations. It is associated with professional organizations and edited by scholars who work across institutions and research centers.

History

The journal was founded in 1961 during a period of institutional expansion in higher education when leaders from the American Sociological Association, American Psychological Association, American Anthropological Association, Columbia University, and University of Chicago sought venues for comparative religious research; early editors included scholars linked to Harvard University, University of Michigan, Princeton University, Yale University, and Stanford University. In the 1960s and 1970s the journal published work responding to debates associated with figures at University of California, Berkeley, Rutgers University, Duke University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University. During the 1980s and 1990s editorial stewardship intersected with projects coordinated at National Science Foundation, Social Science Research Council, Ford Foundation, Carnegie Corporation, and Rockefeller Foundation. Contributors have included scholars affiliated with Oxford University, Cambridge University, University of Toronto, McGill University, University of Chicago Divinity School, Princeton Theological Seminary, Chicago Theological Seminary, and Yeshiva University. The journal’s archives reflect methodological shifts influenced by work at Columbia University Teachers College, London School of Economics, European University Institute, Australian National University, and Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Scope and Content

The journal emphasizes empirical studies on religion as they relate to institutions and individuals, publishing articles that draw on traditions from Émile Durkheim-inspired sociology at Université de Paris, Weberian analyses connected to Max Weber-related scholarship at University of Heidelberg, and anthropology influenced by Bronisław Malinowski-linked approaches at London School of Economics. Topics have included congregational studies tied to National Council of Churches, interfaith relations involving Vatican II, conversion research with links to Billy Graham-era movements, secularization debates influenced by scholars at University of Oxford, and political-religious intersections in contexts such as United States presidential elections, French laïcité, Indian Independence, and South African apartheid. Methodological contributions have drawn on survey research traditions exemplified by centers at NORC at the University of Chicago, experimental designs related to labs like RAND Corporation, historical-comparative work undertaken at British Academy, and ethnographies connected to Smith College, University of Melbourne, and University of Cape Town. The journal publishes book reviews engaging presses such as Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, Princeton University Press, and Harvard University Press.

Editorial and Publication Details

The journal is published quarterly by Wiley-Blackwell in partnership with scholarly associations originating in United States academic networks; editorial offices have been hosted at institutions including Penn State University, Indiana University Bloomington, University of Washington, Syracuse University, University of Minnesota, Vanderbilt University, and Baylor University. Editorial boards have comprised scholars connected to Columbia University, University of Chicago, Yale University, Duke University, Brown University, Cornell University, University of California, Los Angeles, and University of California, San Diego. Production and distribution rely on partnerships with publishers and indexing services linked to Thomson Reuters, Elsevier, and ProQuest infrastructures; occasional special issues have been guest-edited by researchers from University of Notre Dame, Georgetown University, Boston University, and University of Edinburgh.

Abstracting and Indexing

The journal is abstracted and indexed in major bibliographic services used by scholars at Harvard University, Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yale University, and Princeton University. Services indexing the journal include databases maintained by organizations such as EBSCO, ProQuest, Scopus, Web of Science, JSTOR, and Google Scholar-affiliated infrastructures. Libraries at institutions like New York Public Library, Library of Congress, British Library, Bibliothèque nationale de France, and Deutsche Nationalbibliothek provide holdings and catalog records. Citation tracking and metrics are available through platforms developed by Clarivate Analytics, Elsevier, and academic repositories at SSRN and ResearchGate.

Impact and Reception

Scholars at University of Chicago, Princeton University, Oxford University, Cambridge University, Harvard University, Yale University, Duke University, Columbia University, Stanford University, and University of Michigan have cited the journal in debates on secularization, pluralism, and religious change. The journal’s articles have influenced policy discussions involving think tanks such as Brookings Institution, American Enterprise Institute, Pew Research Center, Cato Institute, and Center for Strategic and International Studies. It has been discussed in broader intellectual forums alongside works appearing in venues connected to The New York Times, The Guardian, The Economist, and academic awards administered by bodies like American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Royal Society of Edinburgh, and British Academy. Citation-based indicators place the journal among core outlets read by faculty and researchers at major research universities and research institutes worldwide.

Category:Academic journals