What makes a revolution? Every case is unique. Popular uprising may be spontaneous – the explosive flames of an already primed and oiled wick – or it may be long-awaited and slow to spark. Careful analysis can often find common factors behind revolutions that tell us how humans organize, dream, and express those dreams in collective action. Informed by arguments that see religion as Marx’s “opiate of the masses,” scholars have long given far more attention to the economic and political factors of revolution than to the religious, but as long as humans have rebelled against oppressive forces, faith has informed the battle.
Whether it is the most potent force behind a large-scale paradigm shift, as in the Protestant Reformation, or a more subtle part of people’s yearning for freedom, the role of religion in revolutionary movements must be examined. Recent events such as the uprisings in the Middle East and Africa cannot be ignored, but we need not limit our exploration to the contemporary.
The Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue seeks articles from students and scholars of history and religion that trace both the subtle and overt relationships between religion and revolution. Please do not feel constrained by the present; we are eager to see pieces that creatively examine this theme in any era. Case-studies are particularly welcome, but pieces with broader focuses will also be considered.
About the Journal
The Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue is a peer-reviewed publication dedicated to innovative research and study of the interactions that take place within and between religious communities. Published online, it is designed to increase both the quality and frequency of interchanges between religious groups and their leaders and scholars. By fostering communication and study, the Journal hopes to contribute to a more tolerant, pluralistic society. Rather than shying away from discourse on problematic exchanges that take place between religious groups, the Journal seeks articles that approach these “trouble spots” from an informed, academic perspective in order to provide new insight into how difficulties may be overcome, or at least better understood. Given the interdisciplinary nature of inter-religious studies, we invite articles from a wide array of content areas and fields of study.
Submission Guidelines
All submissions must be the original, previously unpublished work of the author(s). Authors are also advised to read about the Journal and the previous issue prior to submitting an article. Submissions should be around 3,500 words, including references and a 100-word abstract. They should adhere to the Fifteenth Edition of the Chicago Manual of Style, with in-text citations. Co-authored articles are welcomed and encouraged. Articles may be submitted online at www.irdialogue.org/submissions or via e-mail to submissions@irdialogue.org.
Deadlines
The deadline for submissions for the fourth issue of the Journal is September 1, 2011. Articles submitted after this date will not be considered for publication in the fourth issue. You will hear back about the status of your submission by October 15, 2011.
Peer-Review Process
After an initial vetting process by the editorial board, each submission will undergo a rigorous peer-review by members of the Board of Scholars and Practitioners. If accepted for publication, the Journal’s staff may edit the submission for mechanics and adherence to writing standards.