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, and 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 below:

PUBLISHERS 

Publishers can email reviews@dialogueinstitute.org to suggest a title for review. Editors can assist in connecting a reviewer to the publisher and acquiring a review copy.

REVIEWERS

Please send the proposed title you want to review and a copy of your CV (curriculum vitae) or resume to reviews@dialogueinstitute.org. If you are commissioned to write the review, you can reach out to the publisher directly to acquire a hard copy or e-version of the book. An editor can assist you if needed. We are open to reviewing titles that are not on our list as long as they are related to the themes of the journal.

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 (17th Edition) 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.

• Please carefully proofread prior to submission. Utilize Times New Roman text, 12-point font, and double-space the body of the review. Brief quotations from the text are allowed. Cite the source page number(s) in parentheses i.e. (p. 24) or (pp. 37-38). Do not use footnotes or endnotes.

• A suggested structure for the review is as follows:

  • 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 500 - 900 words in length. For books longer than 300 pages, please consult the editor before starting to write your review to determine an appropriate word count. Book review essays can be longer and could include two or more books. Please consult the editor prior to writing.

• 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 reviews@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.