Medieval Theology and Philosophy from a Cross-Cultural Perspective

Dear Colleagues,

The medieval period marked the culmination of the transition from the practice of paganism to subscription to Abrahamic religions. In the medieval period, religion or theology influenced every aspect of human existence, including philosophical thought. The immense influence of theology on medieval philosophy is manifested by the fact that the names of the three dominant Abrahamic religions of that time are used to identify and distinguish three major strands of medieval philosophy: Christian philosophy, Islamic philosophy, and Jewish philosophy. The interplay between theology and philosophy has certainly endowed medieval thought with unique richness. This unique richness is supplemented by the interplay among various cultures of the medieval period. The theological and philosophical systems of thought of various medieval cultures are closely interconnected. This Special Issue aims to celebrate the unique richness and diversity of the medieval period by exploring the theological and philosophical thought of various medieval cultures and their mutual relationships. It also intends to explore the Greek heritage of medieval philosophy and theology, the influence of medieval philosophy and theology on modern philosophy and theology, and the encounter of medieval philosophy and theology with the cultural traditions of other periods.    

We welcome contributions related to any aspect of medieval theology and philosophy, preferably from a cross-cultural perspective. The contribution may be in the form of research paper, communication, or review article. The topics to be addressed in this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following areas:

• Comparison between the theological and/or philosophical thought belonging to two or more medieval cultures.
• Comparison between various aspects of the theological and/or philosophical thought of a specific medieval culture.
• Relationship between theology and philosophy in the medieval period.
• The role of religion in shaping medieval philosophical thought.
• Research on any aspect of the theological and/or philosophical thought of medieval theologians and/or philosophers.
• Significance of medieval theological and/or philosophical thought for the modern world.
• The Greek heritage of medieval philosophy and theology.
• The influence of medieval philosophy and theology on modern philosophy and theology.
• The encounter of medieval philosophy and theology with the cultural traditions of other periods.

We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 400–600 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send it to the guest editor (ishraq.ali@zju.edu.cn) or to the Religions editorial office (religions@mdpi.com). Abstracts will be reviewed by the guest editors for the purposes of ensuring proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer-review.

Tentative completion schedule:

• Abstract submission deadline: March 31, 2023
• Notification of abstract acceptance: April 30, 2023
• Full manuscript deadline: October 31, 2023

Prof. Dr. Yuehua Chen
Prof. Dr. Xiaochao Wang
Dr. Ishraq Ali
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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-anonymized 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.