The Religious Communication Association is pleased to announce that Andre E. Johnson, Ph.D., will be the incoming editor of the Journal of Communication and Religion (JCR). Published quarterly by the Religious Communication Association, JCR addresses the concerns of religious communicators and communication scholars by publishing original research and reviews of current publications in the field of religious communication.
Dr. Johnson is the Benjamin W. Rawlins Professor of Communication at the University of Memphis, an Orlando Taylor distinguished scholar of Africana Communication, and the president of the Religious Communication Association. He is also a Visiting Scholar at Memphis Theological Seminary, an affiliate faculty member at Christian Theological Seminary, and an Andrew Mellon Just Transformation Satellite Partner with the Center for Black Digital Research at Penn State University. In addition to his academic positions, Dr. Johnson serves as Senior Pastor of Gifts of Life Ministries in Memphis, Tennessee.
Dr. Johnson’s research examines the intersection of rhetoric, race, and religion. He teaches classes in African American public address, religious communication, prophetic rhetoric, and social movements. He is the author of the award-winning No Future in This Country: The Prophetic Pessimism of Bishop Henry McNeal Turner. His latest book (with Amanda Nell Edgar) is The Summer of 2020: George Floyd and the Resurgence of the Black Lives Matter Movement.
JCR publishes original articles that advance theory and research about communication in religious contexts. Articles are expected to use rigorous theory and methodology to develop insightful arguments that further knowledge, understanding, and care about the intersections of communication and religion. The JCR accepts articles dealing with communication within the purview of any religion. Manuscripts should show substantial scholarship and be exemplary in their research type (either quantitative or qualitative). Writing should be clear, and its style should be gender sensitive. At best, articles will contribute to the stock of knowledge in communication and religion, offering insights that can lead to positive religious, social, and cultural change. Two editorial board members anonymously review each article and/or readers and the editor. Suggestions for revision will keep issues of argument, style, and contribution to the area of communication and religion in mind. The editor makes final publication decisions.
Please submit articles as Microsoft Word attachments to jcreditor6@gmail.com. Two files should be sent. One should contain a cover letter to the editor, with all the author’s contact information, current institutional affiliation (if available), and the previous history of the manuscript. The second should contain a 100-word abstract and the manuscript, with nothing identifying the author. Article formatting and citation should conform to the most current MLA, Chicago, or APA standards, depending on which is most appropriate for the type of article submitted. The paper should contain fewer than 35 double-spaced pages, including notes and citations. Manuscripts submitted to The Journal of Communication and Religion should not be under review at another journal. Authors can expect an initial decision within four months; the editor will notify authors of editorial progress.