Christianity & Literature is a scholarly journal devoted to the exploration of how literature engages Christian thought, experience, and practice. The journal presupposes no particular theological orientation but respects an orthodox understanding of Christianity as a historically defined religious faith. Contributions appropriate for submission should demonstrate a keen awareness of the author's own critical assumptions in addressing significant issues of literary history, interpretation, and theory.
Current Issue
Christianity & Literature Volume 74, Issue 2 (June 2025)
Articles
1. John Lee, Geneva School of Manhattan
Educating Appetites: The Myth of Er
2. Gerald P. Boersma, Ave Maria University
Conversion in the Stubborn Season: T.S. Eliot’s “A Song for Simeon”
3. Luke William Mills, Wingate University
His Dark Materials: C.S. Lewis’s Nightmares as Inspiration
4. Conrad van Dijk
“A Question of Spiritual Atmosphere”: The Mystical Semiotics of G.K. Chesterton’s The Club of Queer Trades
5. Scott H. Moore, Baylor University
Guarda e passa: Iris Murdoch’s Use of Dante
6. Brett Roscoe, The King’s University
The Fear of God in Frederick Buechner’s The Son of Laughter
7. Christina J. Lambert, Hillsdale University
“more than a little strange”: Imagination and Ecology in Jayber Crow
8. D. Marcel DeCoste, University of Regina
“[T]here wasn’t going to be any other shot”: Classical and Christian Hamartia in No Country for Old Men
Poetry
Richard Tillinghast, “These Trees”
Doug Talley, “Creation Ex Nihilo, So Called, and: On the Fourth Day of Creation, A Kiss”
David Athey, “After the Hurricane”
Gilbert Allen, "The Metaphysics of Presents, and: The heart speaks only”
Book Reviews
1. Sean C. Hadley, University of Arkansas
What Barfield Thought: An Introduction to the Work of Owen Barfield. By Landon Loftin and Max Leyf. Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2024. ISBN 978-1-6667-3676-2. Pp. 126. $19.00.
2. Mitchell Kooh, University of Notre Dame
Theology and Tolkien: Practical Theology. Edited by Douglas Estes. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2023. ISBN 978-1-9787-1266-9. Pp. x + 282. $95.00.
3. Elise A.M. Williams
To Thine Own Self Be True: Shakespeare as Therapist and Spiritual Guide. By David Richo. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2023. ISBN: 978-0809156238. Pp. ix + 152. $19.99.
SAMPLE ISSUE: AVAILABLE ON PROJECT MUSE
A sample special issue of Christianity & Literature is available without a subscription on Project MUSE here
Journal Staff
Editor
Darren J.N. Middleton, Baylor University, USA
Associate Editors
Katie Calloway, Baylor University, USA
Lynne Hinojosa, Baylor University, USA
Caleb D. Spencer, Azusa Pacific University, USA
Managing Editor
Grace Perry McCright
Book Review Editor
Sarah Berry, University of Dallas, USA
Poetry Editor
Peter Cooley, Tulane University, USA
Editorial Advisory Board
Ann W. Astell, University of Notre Dame, USA
Lori Branch, University of Iowa, USA
Paul Contino, Pepperdine University, USA
John D. Cox, Hope College, USA
Christopher Douglas, University of Victoria, Canada
Lori Ann Ferrell, Claremont Graduate University, USA
Kevin Hart, University of Virginia, USA
David D. Hall, Harvard Divinity School, USA
Peter S. Hawkins, Yale University, USA
Colin Jager, Rutgers University, USA
David Lyle Jeffery, Baylor University, USA
Janet Larson, Rutgers University, Newark, USA
Julia Reinhart Lupton, University of California, Irvine, USA
Susannah Monta, University of Notre Dame, USA
Maire Mullins, Pepperdine University, USA
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Christianity & Literature is a peer-reviewed scholarly journal. Published quarterly in March, June, September, and December, each issue contains articles, book reviews, and poems. Each submission is carefully evaluated by the editors. If the submission is deemed worthy of peer review, it is then sent to external reviewers in an anonymous, double-blind peer-review process. External reviewers are selected on the basis of their expertise in the fields or subject areas of each submission. The editors consider a submission only with the understanding that it has not been concurrently submitted elsewhere. Christianity & Literature is committed to a reasonable timeline for peer review. We expect to reach a decision on each submission within three to four months. In the case of unavoidable delays, the editors will attempt to communicate with authors.
Articles/Essay Submissions
Articles must be submitted electronically to ScholarOne Manuscripts, the online peer-review system used by Christianity & Literature.
Please submit your manuscript here or paste the following url address into your browser: https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/christlit.
All submissions must be formatted for blind peer review and should include:
• a title page with the author’s name, email, and mailing address.
• a 100-word abstract and a list of suggested keywords to accompany the essay: 3-5 is appropriate.
• a short biographical note with information about your position, research, and publications.
• the essay, with title on first page, and page numbers on all following pages. There should be no author identification in the body of the essay.
All articles submitted for publication should conform to the Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition, Notes only. By Notes only, we mean that you should include endnotes with full bibliographic information, but you do not also need to include a bibliography in addition to endnotes.
Articles of fewer than 5,000 or more than 9,000 words, including notes are not ordinarily considered, unless they are commissioned for a special issue or of exceptional merit. Submissions should comply with accepted guidelines for nonsexist usage.
Information about the Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition, Notes only, is available here.
A Chicago Style Citation Quick Guide is also available here.
Inquiries can be made to:
Christianity and Literature Editorial Office
CandL@baylor.edu
Darren J.N. Middleton, Editor-in-chief
Christianity & Literature
Professor of Literature and Theology
Draper Academic Building 246.25
One Bear Place #97350
Waco, TX 76708-7350
Telephone: (254) 710-7323
Poetry
The poetry editor looks for poems that are clear and surprising. They should have a compelling sense of voice, formal sophistication (though not necessarily rhyme and meter), and the ability to reveal the spiritual through concrete images.
Submissions should be emailed to Peter Cooley at cooley@tulane.edu or mailed to:
Peter Cooley, Poetry Editor
Christianity & Literature
Tulane University
Department of English, Norman Mayer 122
New Orleans, LA 70118
Please be sure to include all relevant contact information along with the poem or poems: name, address, and especially your email. Because of the volume of poetry received, submissions will not be acknowledged or returned unless they are accompanied by an SASE with sufficient return postage.
Once accepted, you will be asked to submit your book review to ScholarOne Manuscripts here.
Book Reviews
The editors assign book reviews by invitation only. If you would like to suggest a book for review or offer to write a book review, please write to the Book Review Editor below. If you are an author or publisher, please send books for review to:
Sarah Berry, Book Review Editor
Christianity & Literature
Assistant Professor of English
Braniff Graduate Building #120
University of Dallas
1845 E. Northgate Drive
Irving, Texas 75062-4736
Phone: (972) 721-5246
Email: sberry@udallas.edu
ADVERTISING GUIDELINES
Christianity & Literature is a scholarly journal devoted to the exploration of how literature engages Christian thought, experience, and practice. The journal presupposes no particular theological orientation but respects an orthodox understanding of Christianity as a historically defined religious faith. Contributions appropriate for submission should demonstrate a keen awareness of the author's own critical assumptions in addressing significant issues of literary history, interpretation, and theory.
To advertise in Christianity & Literature, please go to our homepage at Johns Hopkins University Press Journals here.