Review of Religious Research

Review of Religious Research
Title	Review of Religious Research
Discipline	Sociology of Religion
Abbreviation	Rev. Relig. Res.
Publisher	Religious Research Association
Country	United States
Frequency	Quarterly
History	1959–present

Review of Religious Research

Founded in 1959, the journal is a quarterly venue publishing empirical and theoretical studies in the sociology of religion and related fields. The journal has connections to institutions such as the Religious Research Association, engages scholars associated with Indiana University Bloomington, Harvard University, University of Chicago, and reaches audiences active in organizations like the American Sociological Association, Society for the Scientific Study of Religion, and Association for the Sociology of Religion. Editors and contributors have included scholars linked to centers such as the Pew Research Center, Institute for Social Research, and programs at Princeton University.

History and Development

The journal emerged from mid-20th-century shifts in quantitative and qualitative study exemplified by work at Harvard Divinity School, Columbia University, and Yale University, following antecedents in publishing like the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion and historical projects at Duke University. Early issues reflected methodological debates parallel to research by figures connected to Talcott Parsons, Peter Berger, Emile Durkheim-influenced traditions, and research programs at Chicago School institutions. Over decades, editorial stewardship has included scholars with appointments at University of California, Berkeley, Rutgers University, University of Notre Dame, and Duke University Divinity School, and has tracked developments connected to events such as the Second Vatican Council and demographic shifts documented by the United States Census Bureau.

Mission and Scope

The journal’s mission emphasizes empirical investigation of religious behavior, institutional change, and belief systems, aiming to serve readerships at Princeton Theological Seminary, Union Theological Seminary (New York), Claremont Graduate University, and policy researchers at Brookings Institution and RAND Corporation. Scope includes studies of congregations, denominations, religious markets analyzed in contexts like the United States, United Kingdom, India, Nigeria, and comparative work referencing models from Max Weber scholarship. Articles often engage data sources such as the General Social Survey, World Values Survey, and archives from bodies like the National Archive.

Research Methods and Publication Practices

The journal publishes quantitative studies using techniques associated with scholars at University of Michigan, Stanford University, and Oxford University, alongside qualitative work inspired by methods from Max Gluckman-linked ethnographies and case studies akin to work at School of Oriental and African Studies. Articles deploy surveys comparable to those by the Pew Research Center, longitudinal analyses like panels from Panel Study of Income Dynamics, and mixed methods drawing on institutional records from places such as Vatican Secret Archives and denominational repositories at Presbyterian Historical Society. Publication practices align with peer-reviewed standards followed by journals like American Journal of Sociology and Sociology of Religion.

Notable Articles and Thematic Contributions

Notable contributions have examined religious switching, secularization debates reminiscent of arguments by José Casanova, religious pluralism in the vein of scholarship from Diane Eck, and congregational studies connected to research by Robert Bellah and Nancy Ammerman. Thematic issues have addressed topics parallel to studies in works by Rodney Stark, analyses of religious economies associated with Roger Finke, and political intersections discussed alongside research relating to Samuel P. Huntington and Robert Putnam. Special issues have focused on mission movements, immigration studies comparable to work on Latino Protestantism, and globalization themes connected to scholars at London School of Economics.

Editorial Board and Peer Review Process

The editorial board typically comprises scholars holding positions at universities such as Boston University, Emory University, Vanderbilt University, University of Minnesota, and research centers like the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture. The peer review process follows double-blind procedures similar to protocols at Cambridge University Press journals, with oversight provided by an editor-in-chief affiliated with institutions like Syracuse University or University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Editorial decisions consider methodological rigor, theoretical contribution, and relevance to constituencies including clergy networks, denominational leaders, and scholars linked to American Academy of Religion.

Reception and Impact in Religious Studies

Scholars cite the journal alongside periodicals such as Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, Sociology of Religion, and Journal of Religion. Its articles have informed debates reflected in monographs from presses such as Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, and University of Chicago Press, and have been referenced in policy discussions at United Nations forums and demographic reports by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. Citation metrics place the journal within disciplinary impact comparable to established outlets in the sociology of religion and allied fields.

Access, Indexing, and Publication Details

The journal is indexed in databases similar to Scopus, Web of Science, and JSTOR and is available through library consortia at institutions like Library of Congress, British Library, and university libraries across Canada, Australia, and the European Union. Publication frequency is quarterly, with archival runs preserved by repositories akin to HathiTrust and microform collections held by denominational archives such as the American Baptist Historical Society. Subscriptions and access follow models used by scholarly societies and academic presses.

Category:Academic journals Category:Sociology of religion