Here are some submission guidelines and suggestions from the journal Theology Today.  For additional parameters and guidelines of peer-reviewed theological journals, consult Modern Theology and JAAR.

--Karen Wright Marsh

Theological Horizons

Submissions to Theology Today

Please submit only previously unpublished material. We do not publish material that has appeared elsewhere (or is already scheduled to appear elsewhere). Please do not send us material that you are simultaneously submitting elsewhere. We consider only material that is serially (not concurrently) submitted.

NOTE: WE WELCOME UNSOLICITED ARTICLES AND SHORTER FEATURES.

WE DO NOT ACCEPT UNSOLICITED BOOK REVIEWS OR NOTES.

WE DO NOT PAY FOR ANY MATERIAL SUBMITTED.

Articles

• 1. Please submit your manuscript, if possible, as a single-document email attachment (in Microsoft Word format) to theology.today@ptsem.edu.

• 2. This attached document should include:
• • the author’s name and brief one- or two-sentence biographical information
• • a title for the article
• • an abstract (100 words or less) at the beginning of the document
• • the body of the article with

—a clear statement of the problem being addressed

—headings (and subheadings, if desired)

—minimal footnotes (not endnotes), primarily to identify sources

—a clear statement of the conclusions reached concerning the original problem

• 3. The maximum length of articles typically published by Theology Today is 5000 words (20 double-spaced 8½”x11” pages with Arial 11-point font). The editors reserve the right to return manuscripts unread that greatly exceed this length.

• 4. In your email, include your name, postal address, and telephone number.

Instructions for Authors from Theology Today

•  
• 1. Keep in mind that Theology Today is aimed at an educated, but general audience. Avoid technical or specialized language.

• 2. Except as noted in this style sheet, follow the directives of:
• • The Chicago Manual of Style: Fifteenth Edition (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2003) for general style and editing matters; and
• • The SBL Handbook of Style (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1999) for matters specific to religion or theology not otherwise covered in the Chicago Manual, for example:

—Latin and Greek titles (7.1.3.8)

—Capitalization and spelling of religious terms (Appendix A)

• 3. For spelling, follow Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary: Eleventh Edition (Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, 2003).

• 4. At the beginning of the article, include an abstract of the article (100 words or less).

• 5. Authors warrant that all work is their own, that all citations are accurate, and that anything quoted or paraphrased is properly cited.

• 6. Notation Guidelines:
• a. Use footnotes rather than endnotes.
• b. Ordinarily, do not include any notational references in the text. However, where an article is devoted exclusively to a single work or a single author, or otherwise includes repeated reference to the same work, parenthetical citations to page numbers in the text may be used to avoid excessive footnotes.
• c. All footnotes should be double spaced in 11-point Arial font.
• d. Use notes sparingly, primarily to identify cited sources. Do not include lengthy content in any notes.
• e. For the format of the notes, follow Chicago Manual of Style’s “Documentation I” section (ch. 16).
• f. In the initial citation to a work, use the full name (not abbreviations) for any book, journal title, author, etc.
• g. Number notes consecutively throughout the article, using Arabic numerals.
• h. Omit words such as “Press” (except with university presses), number of volumes, the names of translators, or the names of series (such as SBLDS or VTSupp).
• i. Examples:
• (i) Hans Conzelmann, Jesus (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1973).
• (ii) Walter Brueggemann, “Preaching: A Sub-Version,” Theology Today 55 (1998): 196–212.
• (iii) James Limburg, “Psalms, Book of,” Anchor Bible Dictionary, ed. David Noel Freedman (New York: Doubleday, 1992) 5:522–36.
• (iv) Duane Priebe, “Theology and Hermeneutics,” Studies in Lutheran Hermeneutics, ed. John Reumann (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1979), 297–301.
• j. For subsequent notes after the first entry, a shortened reference or ibid., is appropriate:
• (i) Brueggemann, “Preaching: A Sub-Version,” 201.

• 7. Format Guidelines:
• a. Line Spacing. Use double-spaced lines throughout, including footnotes and indented quotations.
• b. ?Word Spacing. Use one space between each word and after periods or other punctuation.
• c. Margins. Provide one-inch margins on all edges of the page.
• d. Font. Use an 11-point font throughout the document, including footnotes (Arial is preferred).
• e. Page Numbers. Number all pages in the upper right corner. Do not use any other headers or footers.

• 8. Foreign Words:

Greek and Hebrew words may be used sparingly, in transliteration. Conform transliterations to The SBL Handbook of Style.

• 9. Any foreign word used should be italicized and should include an English translation.

• 10. Scripture Citations:
• a. For all citations, use the New Revised Standard Version. A different translation may be used to make a specific point. If another translation is used, include the standard abbreviation for the version in the citation (or give a full citation if no standard abbreviation exists).
• b. Use the following abbreviations for biblical books. Note that no period follows the book abbreviation (example: Gen 1:1):
•  

Gen Exod Lev Num Deut Josh Judg Ruth

1-2 Sam 1-2 Kgs 1-2 Chr Ezra Neh Esth Job Ps (pl: Pss) Prov Eccl Cant Isa Jer Lam Ezek Dan Hos Joel Amos Obad Jonah Mic Nah Hab Zeph Hag Zech Mal Matt Mark Luke John          Acts Rom 1-2 Cor Gal Eph Phil Col 1-2 Thess 1-2 Tim Titus Phlm Heb Jas 1-2 Pet 1-2-3 John Jude Rev

• 11. Manuscripts with a 100 word abstract should be submitted as an e-mail attachment to theology.today@ptsem.edu. Two paper copies on 8.5" x 11" paper with a 3.5” computer disk included should also be mailed to Theology Today, P.O. Box 821,   Princeton, NJ 08542–0803. Indicate which word processor you are using. We prefer the latest version of Word. Please label the disk.

• 12. On a separate sheet, please include a brief biographical note about the author (1–2 sentences is sufficient) with current title, institution, and most recent publication. The author’s name should also appear on the first page of the manuscript. You should also send this as an e-mail attachment to theology.today@ptsem.edu.

• 13. Style Guidelines:
• a. Active Voice. Write as much as possible in the active voice (avoid passive constructions).
• b. Capitalization. Avoid overcapitalizing words. As a guide, follow Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary: Eleventh Edition or see ch. 8 of the Chicago Manual of Style. and The SBL Handbook of Style, Appendix A. For example, certain proper nouns are capitalized, but corresponding adjectives are not: Bible, biblical; Christ, christological; Trinity, trinitarian; God, godly.
• c. Hyphenation. Consult the section on “Compounds and Hyphenation” (7.82–90) in the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th ed., which expresses a strong preference against hyphenation where possible.
• d. M-Dashes and N-Dashes. Use M-dashes to indicate a break between parts of a sentence. Use N-dashes to indicate a break between consecutive numbers. Exs:
• • The three theological virtues—faith, hope, and love—undergird the whole of Christian ethics.
• • Hildegard of Bingen (1098–1179) was born in the Rhineland.
• e. Small Capitals. Small capitals, without periods, are used to indicate certain common abbreviations, such as:
• • historical periods: 586 BC, AD 451
• • affiliation with religious orders: Fr. Thomas Skillen, OFM
• f. Emphasis. For emphasis, italicize; do not use bold font or capital letters.
• g. Commas. Use commas to clarify the syntax of sentences. Use commas throughout a series: “faith, hope, and love,” as opposed to “faith, hope and love.” Place a comma after introductory prepositional phrases: “In a sense, theology is . . . .”
• h. Abbreviations. Do not use abbreviations such as e.g., i.e., or etc. in the text of an article. These abbreviations may be used sparingly in notes.
• i. Gender-Free Language. Use gender-free language where feasible.

 14. Headings: Provide headings. If headings are not provided by the author, they will be added by the editors. Primary section headings should be in bold small and large capital letters, flush left on the page, not enumerated, and without any period. Secondary section headings should be in lower case with the first letter of words capitalized (according to the Chicago Manual rule for capitalization in titles), in italics, flush left on the page. Examples:

PRIMARY SECTION HEADING

Secondary Section Heading