“Writing book reviews is an opportunity to dive into scholarly conversations and engage in textual exchange with authors of current publications in one’s area of interest. ”
Why write a book review?
For new scholars, writing book reviews can serve as an important entry point into the world of publishing. It is the easiest and quickest route to publication, improving your writing and developing your analytical skills as well as introducing you to the journal publishing process and its editors. For senior scholars, reviewing books is an important opportunity to weigh in on new directions in the field. Reviews matter. Indeed, having one’s book reviewed matters for tenure and promotion. The Journal of Ecumenical Studies welcomes your book review.
What kinds of books does J.E.S. review?
We review books related to the fields of interreligious and ecumenical studies that have been published in the last two years. The latest list of available titles can be found HERE.
For PUBLISHERS: Publishers can reach out to one of our co-editors David Krueger dk@dialogueinstitute.org or Rebecca Mays rkm@dialogueinstitute.org to suggest a title to be reviewed. Editors will assist in connecting a reviewer to the publisher in order to acquire a review copy.
For REVIEWERS: Please follow the guidelines below to get started.
Proposals to write a book review
Please send the proposed title you want to review and a copy of your CV (curriculum vitae) or resume to book review editor Zev Garber at zevgarber@juno.com. For titles not on the list above, please consult one of the co-editors, David Krueger, at dk@dialogueinstitute.org or Rebecca Mays at rkm@dialogueinstitute.org. If you are commissioned to write the review, an editor will assist you in acquiring a copy of the book (hard copy or e-version) from the publisher.
Book Review Guidelines
Publication of the book review is subject to the journal’s editorial review and should include the following:
A complete Chicago Manual of Style bibliographic citation for the work (author or editor/editors, title and subtitle (including edition, volume, series if applicable), place of publication, publisher, year of publication, pages (use last numbered page), special features [maps, color plates, etc.], price in paper, price in cloth, price eBook.
One paragraph identifying the thesis and whether the author achieves the stated purpose of the book.
One or two paragraphs summarizing the book.
One paragraph on the book’s strengths.
One paragraph on the book’s weaknesses.
One paragraph on the most interesting part of the conversation to you.
Reviews for books under 300 pages should be 400 - 600 words in length. For books longer than 300 pages, please consult the managing editor before starting to write your review to determine an appropriate word count.
Also include your name, institution (if any), city, state/province, and country.
NOTE: citation and author info does not count toward the word count.
Submitting the Review
Reviews should be formatted in MS Word (doc, docx).
Completed reviews should be emailed to the managing editor at rkm@dialogueinstitute.org.
Reviews may be returned to the reviewer if they do not meet the criteria above. Final decisions on publication will be made after consultation with the editorial team.
About the journal:
The Journal of Ecumenical Studies (J.E.S.) was founded by Arlene and Leonard Swidler in 1964 as the first peer-reviewed journal in the fields of ecumenical and interreligious dialogue. J.E.S. welcomes original manuscripts that focus on any dimension of dialogue within or among religious traditions. The managing editor is Rebecca Mays: rkm@dialogueinstitute.org
