1. Style
1.1 Contributors should keep in mind that BIBLICAL THEOLOGY BULLETIN offers articles and reviews by experts for a non-expert readership in biblical and theological studies.
1.2 Specifically, the editors welcome efforts to acquaint theologians, religious scholars, religious educators, pastors, and pastoral personnel, and the religiously educated public with critically grounded biblical research.
1.3 Likewise, theologians, religious scholars, religious educators, pastors, and students of the humanities are encouraged to relate their research to the biblical materials.
1.4 As far as possible all contributors are asked to express their ideas with the non-specialist reader in mind, avoiding unnecessary technical jargon, carefully explaining unavoidable technical terminology, and reducing non-English words to a minimally defensible level.
1.5 Contributors are also reminded to express themselves in religiously and sexually inclusive language. The editors reserve the right to change terminology prejudicial to religious traditions, women, or minority groups. Aware that constraints of time and experience on their part will limit such revision, however, the editors request that contributors assume a major portion of this responsibility. In this area it is not possible to legislate terminology; it may be suggested that besides avoiding terminology offensive to others, it is appropriate to use the terminology preferred by representatives of the traditions and groups affected: e.g., the Land of Israel, Judea, Galilee, or the Holy Land, not Palestine; prophet, not prophetess; Muslim or Islamic, not Mohammedan; traditional, not primitive religiouslture; humanity, not mankind; gays or gay people, not homosexuals; Native Americans, not Indians. Since normative Judaism and Christianity did not exist in the first century ce, preference should be given to the use of Judean for Jew and messianist for Christian, or other similar historically sensitive terminology.
1.6 BIBLICAL THEOLOGY BULLETIN does not include footnotes or endnotes; if the material that might be included in a note is essential to comprehension of the subject under discussion, it should be included within the text proper. Otherwise, it should be omitted.
1.7 Bibliographical data must be prepared in the format explained below (see 3. Format For Documentation).
1.8 Abbreviations for biblical references follow those established for the Journal of Biblical Literature (95:335). The more significant examples follow:
Gen Jonah Ezra 1-2 Cor
Exod Mic Neh Gal
Lev Nah 1-2 Chr Eph
Num Hab 1-2 Macc Phil
Deut Zeph Sir Col
Josh Hag Bar 1-2 Thess
Judg Mal Tob 1-2 Tim
1-2 Sam Ps(s) Wis Titus
1-2 Kgs Job Jdt Phlm
Isa Prov Matt Heb
Jer Cant Mark Jas
Ezek Eccl (Qoh) Luke 1-2 Pet
Joel Lam John 1-2-3 John
Amos Esth Acts Jude
Obad Dan Rom Rev
1.9 Titles of biblical books are not to be italicized. Abbreviations for them (see 1.8, above) may be used (without punctuation), but only when chapter and verse references follow. Examples:
Gen 1:2; Rom 5:11; Matt 6:5-8
In Romans (not in Rom) the topic is faith.
1.10 The first reference to a biblical work, especially if the book is relatively obscure, should be made within the text itself, citing only the place in parentheses; in this case the title should not be abbreviated. Example:
The author of Hebrews speaks of an "obsolete covenant" (8:13).
1.11 Quotations of five or more typewritten lines should be set apart from the text, indented without quotation marks, and single-spaced.
1.12 In discussions, unlike mere citations, of biblical verses, the author should always furnish the full text of the verse(s) at the beginning of the discussion.
2. Manuscript Preparation
2.1 BIBLICAL THEOLOGY BULLETIN is a refereed journal with a blind peer review policy. The preferred method of submission is as an attachment to an e-mail message. It is assumed that articles submitted have not been simultaneously submitted to other journals. Please send submissions to BTBEditor@gmail.com
2.2 The author's name should appear only on a separate, unpaginated sheet, along with the title of the manuscript and a brief (100 words or less) descriptive vita, including the author's credentials and address, as below:
Helen B. Jennings, Ph.D. (Duke), author of Markan Wonders (New York: Gateway Press, 1985) and two earlier articles in BTB (vols. 13 & 15), is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Columbus College, Columbus OH 48971.
2.3 No reference to the author should appear in any form on the manuscript. All references to the author's work should be in the third person. (This does not, however, require avoidance of other first-person statements.)
2.4 On page 1 the title of the manuscript should appear in standard type and centered; capitalize first letters only, thus: The Riddles in Mark.
2.5 On page 1, immediately after the title, a brief (150 words or less) abstract of the article should appear, summarizing the major points made in the article. This abstract should be introduced with the word Abstract, centered.
2.6 The manuscript must be produced with a word processor or, if a computer is lacking, typewritten on one side of the sheet only, on standard letter paper (8½ x 11 in.). Only words to be printed in italics should be italicized in text. If no italic font is available, such words should be underlined. Small-caps, bold-face, and typewriter fonts, however, should be avoided.
2.7 All materials must be double-spaced, except for quotations and Works Cited.
2.8 All reference materials are to appear at the end of the manuscript (see 3. Format for Documentation, below).
2.9 One copy only of a manuscript submitted by mail will be returned to the author, and that only if accompanied by return postage (stamps only).
2.10 Both solicited and unsolicited materials are subject to editorial evaluation and minor modification.
2.11 Authors of accepted manuscripts will retain copyright of their work, giving publication rights to BTB/SAGE. Accepted articles cannot be published in the absence of the signed copyright form. Authors will be given one copy of the journal and 25 credits for the download of electronic proofs of their article.
2.12 If additional copies of an issue are required, a bulk order should be forwarded to the business manager in advance of publication. Book reviewers receive a single copy of the issue in which a review appears.
2.12 Authors must secure permission to quote from materials carrying a copyright where citations are of substantial length.
2.13 Authors must secure permission from the editor to quote or publish in revised form material contributed to and published in BIBLICAL THEOLOGY BULLETIN. Permission will be given only when BIBLICAL THEOLOGY BULLETIN is assured of proper credit.
3. Format for Documentation
3.1 With slight modification BIBLICAL THEOLOGY BULLETIN follows the style set forth by Kate L. Turabian in A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (Chicago & London: University of Chicago Press). The two major components of the BIBLICAL THEOLOGY BULLETIN documentation are the documentary citation and the List of Works Cited.
3.2 It is the point of documentation referencing to lead the reader to the proper item in the List of Works Cited.
3.3 Documentation citations are to be incorporated into the text in the briefest form possible. Elements of the reference not included in the text should be included in the parenthesis within the sentence in which the reference appears. The following simple rules apply:
A. Author already mentioned in the text, only one work listed in the Works Cited, and no page reference, nothing needed in the text. Example: "Owens argues from a historical perspective."
B. Author already mentioned in the text, only one work listed in Works Cited; cite page only. Example: "Owens cites the influence of Solomon (43)" or "Owens (43) cites the influence of Solomon."
C. Author already mentioned in the text, more than one work listed in the Works Cited; cite year and page. Example: "Jennings suggests cultural analysis (1985: 25)." Or "Jennings (1985: 25) suggests cultural analysis.
D. Author not mentioned in the text, only one work listed in the Works Cited; cite author and page only. Example: "Others see little Greek influence (Owens: 59).
E. Author not mentioned in the text, more than one work listed in the Works Cited; cite author, year, and page. Example: "Social life was spelled out in the temple plan (Jennings 1980: 35)."
F. Author not mentioned in the text, more than one work in the Works Cited, no page reference; cite author and year. Example: "Rituals reflected cultural patterns (Jennings 1980).
G. Reference made to two or more works by the same author; cite author, year, page; year, page. Example: "Temple rituals played out social relationships (Jenninigs 1975: 40; 1980:24).
H. General references to an author (Jennings):
* to a particular work by an author just mentioned (1975).
* to a mixture of items (Jennings 1975: 40; Williams 1981; Owens 1980b: 19).
3.4 The main deviation from Turabian's style concerns the placement of the publication date in Works Cited entries. BTB style specifies that, instead of its being placed at the end of the entry, the date is entered as a separate sentence immediately after the author's name (cf. the example in the next paragraph). Works by the same author are listed in reverse chronological order.
3.5 Authors may find it helpful to prepare the list of Works Cited in the following manner. Before preparing the final list, make a file card for each work consulted, inserting additional cards in the course of writing. Enter each work or article on a separate card in the following form:
Malina, Bruce J. 1982. The New Testament World. Atlanta: GA: John Knox Press.
When the file is complete, the cards should be alphabetized by author. If there is more than one entry from an author, that author's entries should be ordered chronologically from the latest to the earliest work. If there are two or more entries from an author in a given year, those entries are alphabetized by title, and the letters a, b, c, etc., are appended to the year, as below. In some cases it may be advisable to make slight modifictions, e.g., Thomas Aquinas, S. Th. I/II, etc.
3.6 The List of Works Cited should include those articles and books that are part of the documentation or form the immediate background of the article. By way of exception, but only to announce that the author has drawn on a work in a substantial way, a work to which no specific reference has been made may be included.
3.7 It is inappropriate to list a work to which no specific reference has been made in the text merely to provide bibliographical perspective on issues raised in the article, unless the article itself is a bibliographical survey. The editors will delete mateirals lacking immediate relevance.
3.7 When the final List of Works Cited is typed, entries should appear in alphabetical order by author in hanging indent form: author's last name, followed by given names, publication date of the work, place of publication, and publisher. In the case of periodicals, volume number (in arabic numerals) follows the title of the periodical, with issue number included where necessary, separated by a slash, and page numbers indicated after a colon. In the case of multiple works by the same author, each work will appear on a separate line, its first line slightly indented. Samples:
Bossman, David M. 1986. "'Nostra Aetate' in Cultural Perspective." America 46/5: 85-91.
White, Leland J. 1986a. "Grid and Group in Matthew's Community." Semeia 36: 61-90.
1986b. "Mapping Economic Life in the Bible." Pastoral Life 35/3: 30-38.
1985. Christ and the Christian Movement. New York, NY: Alba House. ment. New York, NY: Alba House.
Please send submissions to BTBEditor@gmail.com
