The studies aimed to investigate the National Journal Research with the main focus on the Journal of Communication and Religion. It examined the current publisher, the journal’s origin, the current focus of the journal contents, the journal’s significance to Rhetoric Ph.D. emphasis reading area. In addition, the report analyzed three representative articles from the journal for each decade it has existed. The journal has existed for four decades since 1973, as described in the last part of this report.
The current publisher of the journal
The journal is published and printed by the Religious Communication Association (RCA) in the United States of America. It is published quarterly.
The origin of the journal historically
The history of the Journal of Communication and Religion is traceable under the formation and transformation of the Religious Communication Association (RCA). The RCA was founded in 1954 after the Speech Association of America revised and amended its constitution to create more than twenty new independent divisions reflecting speech pedagogy and professional practice (Gehrke and Keith, 25). In 1973, the RCA launched the quarterly Journal of Communication and Religion for students, teachers, scholars, journalists, clergy, and others interested in religious speech, media, rhetoric, and performance. The journal provides a setting for professionals of different faiths or no faith to investigate problems of religion and communication.
The current focus of the journal’s contents in the literature
Currently, the journal’s contents focus on addressing the concerns of all the communication and religious communication scholars through the publication of thoughtful and original research and frequent reviews of current publications in the religious communication field. The articles advance research and theory about communications in religious contexts. The journal articles are expected to use or employ rigorous theory and methodologies to formulate insightful and logical arguments to further understanding and knowledge while considering the intersections of communications and religion. The only accepted articles are those that deal with communication at the purview of any religion. The journal publisher encourages members who have subscribed to maintain their article topics and arguments to communication and religion.
Furthermore, the journal content focuses on manuscripts that show strong scholarship and exemplary research type, qualitative or quantitative. The articles should be aesthetically pleasing, clear, and effective to be vetted and approved for publishing. The articles should contribute to the stock of knowledge in communications and religion, providing insights that can eventually lead to positive social, cultural, and religious changes. The journal requires authors to submit two files in Microsoft Word for review and publication decisions from the editorial board and readers. One is a cover letter to the editor containing the author’s contact information and institution affiliation, while the second is the actual manuscript containing a one-hundred-word abstract. The major requirement of the second file is that it should not contain any author information. In addition, the article under review should be below thirty-five pages, and the journal requires it to be formatted in the most current MLA, APA, and Chicago formats.
The significance of the journal to the Rhetoric Ph.D. emphasis area
The journal is essential to the Rhetoric Ph.D. because it offers different theories and methodologies for scholars to apply in their research and argument articulation. The presented theories and methodologies in different articles form the basis for student research and paper evaluation and approval. For example, Medhurst 2004 in a personal reflection essay on the meaning and importance of integrating faith with learning in the universities, the author used the rhetorical theory to argue and make recommendations. The article suggests that there is a need to develop a Christian rhetorical theory for the twenty-first century. This theory will draw on traditional and church history, biblical revelation, and the church teaching authority (Medhurst). The recommendations are based on the rhetorical theory applied in the study.
Works Cited
Gehrke, Pat J., and William M. Keith. “Introduction: A Brief History of the National Communication Association.” A Century of Communication Studies: An Anthology, edited by Pat J Gehrke and William M. Keith, Routledge, 2014. 13-37.
Medhurst, Martin J. “Religious Belief and Scholarship: A Complex Relationship.” Journal of Communication & Religion, vol. 27, no. 1, (2004).