IBMR Journal
I have made time to keep reading the IBMR, which remains the best possible publication for monitoring the remarkable phase of world Christian history in which we are living.
Established in 1950 as the Occasional Bulletin from the Mission Research Library, the current International Bulletin of Mission Research (IBMR) is a reputable peer-reviewed journal with the highest circulation rate in the field of Mission Studies and World Christianity.
The IBMR is committed to expanding the field by examining diverse geographical, political, ecclesiastical, and social contexts. The IBMR is committed to engaging with primary sources, whether through archives, oral histories, or ethnography. The IBMR provides an editorial voice that is dispassionate, analytical, and nonpartisan.
The IBMR includes:
- Feature articles and book reviews written by leading scholars on Christian mission and world Christianity from around the world—scholars from varied academic disciplines and theological perspectives.
- The “Legacy” series with engaging accounts of pivotal mission leaders of the last two centuries and the equally engaging “My Pilgrimage in Mission” series that provides intimate insight into the lives of some of today’s most distinguished mission scholars and practitioners.
- Regional surveys and analyses of important mission documents and consultations.
- The feature “Ten Outstanding Books in Mission Studies, World Christianity, and Intercultural Theology” appears each April.
- English translations of Christian scholarship from the majority world.
* IMPORTANT NOTE FOR RESEARCHERS: The SAGE IBMR website (ibmr.sagepub.com) is now hosting the search engine (keywords, title, author, DOI) for all previous issues of the IBMR (1981–present), as well as our predecessor journals, the Occasional Bulletin from the Missionary Research Library (1950–1976) and the Occasional Bulletin of Missionary Research (1976–1980). This material is password protected and may be read only by current, paid subscribers.
Submit an Article
Guidelines for Contributors
The IBMR is a peer-reviewed academic journal dedicated to an analysis of Christian mission and the study of World Christianity. Articles that do not fall within the fields of Mission Studies, World Christianity, or Intercultural Theology will not be accepted. To be accepted, articles should be presented with academic rigor and care. This means that in addition to the quality of the text itself, an article should include supportive endnotes but not bibliographies. Articles of a general, popular, polemical, or exhortatory character are not accepted.
Submit Articles HereArticle themes range from mission history to analysis of current events and trends in world Christianity, and from mission theory and practice to mission theology or intercultural theology. Mission biography enjoys a special place in the profile of the IBMR, as does archival research.
Contributors can familiarize themselves with the diversity and breadth of the IBMR’s content and approach by reading back issues from across the full span of the journal’s publication. This will require you to have an individual or institutional subscription with SAGE.
Book reviews, a vital feature of the IBMR, are usually assigned by the editors. Unsolicited book reviews are rarely accepted. Guidelines for reviews can be furnished upon request.
Preparing and Submitting Article Manuscripts
Reference Style. All submissions should follow the Chicago Manual of Style (17th Edition), supplemented by the editorial guidelines of the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL). Please refer to our Style Guide and Word List.
Format. Manuscripts (including endnotes) should be single-spaced, using a 12-point common font such as Times New Roman, with one-inch margins. Please do not use an author-date style of citation; all citation information must appear in endnotes. Endnotes are a sufficient guide for readers and researchers, so we no longer publish bibliographies.
Length. Articles are typically 3,000–7,000 words in length, including endnotes. Longer articles appearing in the IBMR have been approved by the editorial team.
Submission. Completed manuscripts adhering to these guidelines may be submitted via Sage at https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/ibmr. Please create a profile and follow the site instructions.
Other Details
Author identification. Articles accepted to be considered undergo an anonymized review process. Please remove identifying marks (your name, institution, etc.) from the article. Submit a separate document with a brief biographical note (1 or 2 sentences) indicating your current position (with full name and location of school or agency), missionary experience, if any (country, assignment, and years); and nationality.
Abstract and keywords. Please prepare a 100-word abstract and 4–6 keywords to submit with your article.
Author photo. Please e-mail a recent, professional quality, color photograph of yourself in JPG or TIF format to the managing editor (see below) for inclusion with the author identification. Images sent as e-mail attachments will need to be at least 300 DPI and should be at least 2 MB in size.
Article photographs. Whenever possible the IBMR will publish one or more photographs with your article. Detailed information regarding photographs will be sent to authors during the copy editing process.
Previous Publication
The IBMR publishes original articles and reviews. Articles and reviews that have been previously published in print or online will not be accepted. In submitting manuscripts to be considered for publication in the IBMR, authors certify that they have not previously appeared in print, been published in online journals or books, or been posted online; that they are not under consideration by another publication; and that if accepted for publication they will not be posted online or submitted to another publication without permission from the IBMR editor.
Further Questions
Additional queries may be sent to us at ibmr@ptsem.edu
Editorial Board
Dr. Chung previously served as Associate Professor at the School of Theology and Director of General Education at Azusa Pacific University where she gained experience working with missions in researching the relationship between ethnicity and religion while in India, Thailand, Japan, and China.
An accomplished author and Associate Editor of Missiology: An International Review, the American Society of Missiology journal, Chung will take on the role of editor for the International Bulletin of Mission Research next year.
Chung graduated from Boston University School of Theology (2018) with a PhD in World Christianity and received a Master of Divinity degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (2012) as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies from the University of Virginia (2008).
Easten’s research focuses on lived theology, religious pluralism, and public life in the context of contemporary China, the Global East, and the larger Sinophone world. He completed his doctorate in theological and religious studies from Georgetown University in 2020 examining how Chinese Christian faith is experienced, negotiated, and expressed in everyday life across cultural and religious boundaries. Easten also earned an M.Div. at Wesley Theological Seminary, and an M.A. in Intercultural Studies at Wheaton College. He is currently pursuing ordination in the American Baptist Church.
Easten has published articles and co-edited special issues on the intersections between theology, qualitative research, world Christianity, and interreligious learning in journals like The Journal of World Christianity and Theology Today. He is co-editor, with Alexander Chow, of Ecclesial Diversity in Chinese Christianity (Palgrave Macmillan, 2021) and is currently revising his dissertation for publication with Penn State University Press.
Byung Ho Choi is a PhD candidate in the Department of History and Ecumenics, specializing in World Christianity and the History of Religions. He holds a BA in global management from Handong Global University (Pohang, South Korea), a MDiv from the Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary (Seoul, South Korea), and a ThM from Princeton Theological Seminary. His current research focuses on the indigenous expressions of Christianity found in Southeast Asia, particularly as found in the archipelagic nation of Indonesia. His dissertation project examines Toraja Christianity that is practiced by the Toraja ethnic group that resides in the highlands of South Sulawesi, Indonesia. His methodological approach interlaces ethnographic and historical methodologies, closely analyzing how Toraja Christians have intricately woven their faith into the tapestry of indigenous practices—especially through their widely recognized funeral rituals. In a broader scope, his research and teaching interests include history of Christianity, issues of conversion and social identity, inter-religious (Christian–Muslim) dialogue, ecumenism, interculturality, anthropology of Christianity, and World Christianity.
Associate Editors
George Hunsberger
Western Theological Seminary
Cathy Ross
Church Mission Society, UK
Roger Schroeder, SVD
Catholic Theological Union at Chicago
Contributing Editors
J. Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu
Trinity Theological Seminary, Ghana
John Azumah
The Sanneh Institute, Ghana
Stephen B. Bevans, S.V.D.
Catholic Theological Union, USA
William R. Burrows
Orbis Books, USA
Ruth Padilla DeBorst
Western Theological Seminary, USA, and INFEMIT
Angelyn Dries, O.S.F.
Saint Louis University, USA
J. Samuel Escobar
Baptist Seminary of Madrid, Spain Palmer Theological Seminary, USA
John Flett
Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity, Australia
Robert Eric Frykenberg
University of Wisconsin, USA
Daniel Jeyaraj
Liverpool Hope University, UK
Paul Kollman, CSC
University of Notre Dame, USA
Anne-Marie Kool
Baptist Theological Seminary, Budapest
Steve Sang-Cheol Moon
Charis Institute for Intercultural Studies, South Korea
Joon-Sik Park
Methodist Theological School in Ohio, USA
Dana L. Robert
Boston University School of Theology, USA
Brian Stanley
University of Edinburgh, UK
Scott W. Sunquist
Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, USA
Muthuraj Swamy
Cambridge Centre for Christianity Worldwide, UK
Tite Tiénou
Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, USA
Anastasios Yannoulatos
Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania, Albania
Gina Zurlo
Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, USA
Circulation
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International Bulletin of Mission Research (ibmr.sagepub.com)
Published quarterly in January, April, July and October for OMSC by SAGE Publications. The International Bulletin of Mission Research has one of the largest circulations among academic journals in mission. Our international readership includes professional members of the American Society of Missiology, the International Association for Mission Studies, the Deutsche Gesellschaft for Missionswissenchaft, the American Theological Library Association, the Association of Professors of Mission in North America, the International Association of Catholic Missiologists, and executive administrators of Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Orthodox mission boards, agencies, and societies.
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