Asceticism, Mysticism, and the Affirmation of the World in Christianity and Islam
A special issue of Religions (ISSN 2077-1444).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 May 2024 | Viewed by 3889
Special Issue Editors
Interests: comparative theology; comparative religions; continental philosophy of religion; the history of Christian theology; Islamic mystical traditions; radical political theory and religion
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
This Special Issue of Religions focuses on the relationship between ascetic practices and mystical theological traditions in the world’s two largest religions, Christianity and Islam. While quality scholarship exists exploring the connections between asceticism and mysticism, these two distinct areas are too often set in opposition to each other instead of focusing on the relationship between ascetic practices and mystical thought as well as experience. This is especially true of Islam, where mysticism is commonly relegated to a peripheral status, and, even more problematic, Islam is regularly portrayed as a nonascetic religion. In both religions, asceticism and mysticism are both often identified as world-rejecting or escapist phenomena, with the role that both play in engaging and affirming the world remaining undertheorized and underexplored. This issue seeks articles that explore any or all of the following: (1) connections between asceticism and mysticism in either or both religions that have been largely ignored; (2) forms of asceticism and mysticism with world-affirming trajectories or teloi; and/or (3) comparative approaches that contribute to theoretical understandings of asceticism and mysticism. All methodological approaches in the fields of religious studies and theology are welcome, including hybrid methodologies such as the subfield of comparative theology pioneered by Francis X. Clooney.
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, Rico G. Monge ([email protected]), Elliott Bazzano ([email protected]), or to the Religions Editorial Office ([email protected]). Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editors for the purposes of ensuring a proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.
Dr. Rico G. Monge
Dr. Elliott Bazzano
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
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
- asceticism
- mysticism
- comparative theology
- comparative religions
- Christianity
- Islam
- Sufism
