Teaching and Interpreting Biblical Texts in “Such a Time as This”
A special issue of Religions (ISSN 2077-1444). This special issue belongs to the section "Religions and Theologies".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 15
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
This Special Issue, Teaching and Interpreting Biblical Texts in “Such a Time as This”, explores how the biblical text has been and continues to be embodied and brought to life by communitities experiencing crisis and/or marginalization.
We invite contributions that
- Critically and creatively examine how communitities experiencing crisis and/or marginalization have interpreted and utilized the biblical text;
- Offer reflections on how such interpretations explicitly or implicitly instruct these communitities on what it means to have agency, resist/talk back to power, or comply/survive in existing systems.
Anticipated contributors are biblical scholars and religious/theological educators whose work bridges theory and practice. The Issue has a particular interest in contributions that draw on diverse methodologies—such as trauma-informed, postcolonial, or other critical approaches—and that exhibit a deep sense of rootedness with specific interpretative communities experiencing crisis or marginalization. Engagement with critical pedagogy is especially welcome.
By tracing how interpretation both moves and is moved by sociopolitical realities, this Issue seeks to highlight how the teaching and interpretations of biblical texts are forms of critical praxis; that is, the movement between theory and practice, the dance between reflection and action. The critical praxis highlighted in this issue indicates how communities in crisis are “reading the world and reading the word” (Paulo Freire, 1985).
Ultimately, this collection aims to illuminate how teaching and learning with sacred texts is never a neutral act, but deeeply situated—shaping both intepreters and the world they inhabit.
We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 200–300 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send it to the Guest Editor, Dr. Jina Kang (jkang@mccormick.edu), Assistant Guest Editor Ms. Adriana “Dri” Rivera (adriana.rivera@garrett.edu), and CC the Assistant Editor, Katrina Antonic (katarina.antonic@mdpi.com) of Religions. Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editor for the purposes of ensuring proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.
A tentative timeline:
Deadline for abstract submission: 31 January 2026
Deadline for full manuscript submission: 31 July 2026
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Dr. Jina Kang
Guest Editor
Ms. Adriana “Dri” Rivera
Guest Editor Assistant
Webpage: https://www.garrett.edu/adriana-dri-rivera/
Affiliation: Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary, Evanston, IL 60201, USA
Research: critical pedagogy; higher theological education; latin@ theology; decolonial and feminist approaches
Manuscript Submission Information
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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- Bible
- religion
- critical pedagogy
- trauma
- postcolonial
- interdisciplinary
- critical praxis
- community
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