JASR 30.

2 (2017): 192-193 JASR (print) ISSN 1031-2943

https://doi.org.10.1558/jasr.34009 JASR (online) ISSN 1744-9014

Book Review
Sociolinguistic Studies
Guidelines for submission
The Editors welcome articles, reviews and research notes for publication in future issues
James V. Spickard, Alternative Sociologies of Religion: Through Non-Western Eyes.
of Sociolinguistic Studies. Submitted articles are subject to a blind, peer review process.
New York: New York University Press, 2017, pp. xii + 315, ISBN: 9781479826636 (pbk).
Please adhere to the guidelines below when preparing submissions for the journal.
In part a personal testimony on a life’s work in sociology and religion, Professor James V.
Initial submissions
Spickard’s wonderful book is a daring interdisciplinary attempt to move beyond Western
Submission of articles to Sociolinguistic Studies should normally be done via the
biases by addressing the sociology of religion from the point of view of three non-Western
journal’s website at www.equinoxjournals.com. You will need to register with the
cultures: Chinese, Arab, and Navajo. It is ‘Sociology’s Default View of Religion’ that
website as an author, and follow the instructions and guidelines relating to submission.
Spickard critiques in his first chapter, which contextualises two major sociological models
Authors who are unable to use this website for on-line submission should contact the
applied
editors tofor
religion,
advicetheon market theory their
how to submit (p. 27) and secularisation theory (pp. 31-34), both
manuscripts.
of which are insufficient
Articles are normally to account
in English for the (wesociology
also acceptof religion
articlesunilaterally
in Spanish, across cultural
Galician,
contexts.
Portuguese or French) and should not exceed 8,000 words, inclusive of endnotesexperi-
Current alternatives to these theories—including linguistic, transnational, and
ential, and others—are
references. Appendices applauded by Spickard,
may be included, but arewho nevertheless
included takes
in the total worda different
count. track
by addressing the sociology
Authors should ensure of religion
that from the standpoints
all submissions, whether first of Chinese,
or revised Arab, and Navajo
versions, are
cultures (p. 42).to facilitate blind reviewing. Authors’ names and institutional affiliations
anonymised
Beforeappear
should embarkingonly inonthe this track, however,
covering email message. in his second chapter the author contex-
tualises and assesses
Submission of an‘The Default
article or book [Sociological]
review is taken View’s Historical-Cultural
to imply that it has notOrigins’.
previously The
birth
beenof sociology
published in orpost-revolutionary
is not being considered Franceforconditioned
publicationthe discipline
elsewhere. If to
ansee ‘religion
author is
as apublishing
holdover afrom an unenlightened
related article elsewhere, past’this(p.fact
52). Another
should trend that
be stated. affectedauthors
In general, approachesare
to religion
asked towas the publication
submit no more thanofone Charles
article Darwin’s
for review Origin
in a of Species,period.
two-year which contributed to
a demarcation between science and religion with sociology falling in line with the former
andReview
construing religion as ‘all about beliefs’ (p. 58). Shaped by these trends, sociology
process
wasIf conditioned
your submission by an opposition
is clearly to Western
unsuitable Christianity,
for publication the ostensibleStudies,
in Sociolinguistic structuresyou of
which
will have influenced
be promptly the default
notified by the viewEditors. of religion
If, after generally.
the reviewThis view,your
process, while to some
article is
extent able for
accepted to address religion
publication, as organisational
you will be asked to submit (weekly worship inagain,
the manuscript a designated
incorporatingspace,
etc.),
anybelief-oriented,
revisions askedand for, symbolic, did a poorer
and in a format ready for jobpublication.
in addressing the forms of religiosity
that took
When onthe non-organisational
Editors confirm toshapes, you thatand your thesubmission
more existential has been side of religion
accepted (p. 78).
for publi-
Spickard’s
cation third chapter
you should prepare aturnsfinal to the Chinese
version context
of the article in order towith
in accordance test the
whether or not
guidelines
Confucian concepts
for contributors such ason
available lǐ, the
‘thejournal’s
practicewebsite.
of ritual If propriety’,
your article dé,includes
meaning anyvirtue
figures(p. or
85),
tiāncomplex
ming, the tables, please pay
‘mandate special attention
of Heaven’, to the guidelines
which denoted a ruler’sonvirtuepreparing and submitting
in conformance with
theartwork.
world above (p. 90), and rén, which means ‘humaneness’ (p. 96), can ‘transform the
way we think about religions everywhere’ (p. 107). In Confucianism, religion is fully
Permissions
integrated into dailyandlife,
copyright
and traditional religion ‘does not centre itself on weekly public
It is your responsibility
worship’ (p. 108). Moreover, to ensure that you have
Confucianism obtained
sees any permissions
no difference between to reproduce
sacred and
any part
profane of another
spaces because work.
the If your article
universe contains
is ‘neither extractsnor
enchanted from other works, but
disenchanted, especially
oriented
figures,
towards lǐ tables,
and dé,poetry
underetc.,theplease
aegis contact
of tiān the ming’ authors and publishers
(p. 108). Chapter 4before attemptssubmitting
to apply
the final thinking
Confucian version totoseek permission
sociology, which to would
use their meanwork. that If the
primary data focus
Western is to beonincluded,
individual
research participants should have signed a consent form.
experience would be replaced with relational ties inherent to Confucianism (p. 111).
All contributors
Chapter 5 turns towhose
North articles
Africa toare accepted
explore thefor publication
writings of Ibn will be required
Khaldūn, whosetoBook sign of
a copyright
History takes the assignment
focus in this form, and to
chapter, confirm the
especially thatnotion
their article is original,meaning
of al ‘aşabiyyah, accuratean
(inasmuch
‘emotion that as cangroup
leads be ascertained
members toward in research),mutualand does not
support’. includebelieved
Khaldūn any libellous
that this
statements.
sort of ‘strong group-feeling’ was best expressed among tribes, and that it dissolved

© Equinox Publishing Ltd, 415 The Workstation, 15 Paternoster Row, Sheffield, S1 2BX.
 Book Reviews 193

among city dwellers (p. 141). In Chapter 6, Spickard makes a point that for Khaldūn this
‘group-feeling’ was fostered by religion, namely Islam, and asks the question if this were
the case in relation to ethnicity also. To test al ‘aşabiyyah against religious and ethnic ties,
Spickard turns to two case studies: the first one involving an assessment of the miracles at
Medjugorje against the backdrop of the Serb, Sociolinguistic
Croat, and Bosnian Studies conflict, where
Khaldūn’s notion fails (pp. 159-73), and Guidelines
a second study, infor submission
relation to the rise of Islamic
State, where it is morbidly applicable (pp. 173-79).
Chapter
The Editors7welcome
addresses the Navajo
articles, reviews approach
and research towards
notes for religion,
publicationwhich has aissues
in future cosmic
valence: they use chant
of Sociolinguistic Studies. ceremonies
Submitted that lastare
articles several
subjectdays
to a and
blind,nights ‘to reorder
peer review one’s
process.
relationship
Please adherewithtothe thepowers
guidelines of creation’,
below when invoking the Yeibicheii
preparing submissions or ‘Holy
for thePeople’
journal.(p. 183)
whose role in the cosmogony was to create a hogan—‘the Navajo traditional circular
house’
Initial(p. 184)—and to paint all living things, ‘the months of the year, the stars, and the
submissions
landscape’,
Submissiononofsand in order
articles to make the world
to Sociolinguistic Studies(p. should
189). Spickard
normallygives the example
be done via the of
well-trained Hatałii,atorwww.equinoxjournals.com.
journal’s website ‘singers’, who perform chants You that
will invoke
need to the Holywith
register People
the by
highlighting
website as an theauthor,
typically andcosmic
follow thesymbolism
instructions thatand
thisguidelines
involves:relating
a hogan to is consecrated
submission.
before the who
Authors patient, whose to
are unable body
use is
thispainted
websitewith for pigments and who should
on-line submission is identified
contactwith
thethe
Holy People,
editors is placed
for advice on how in it to
as submit
rites, songs, and prayers continue throughout the night (p.
their manuscripts.
184).Articles
Spickard arenotes
normallythat, in temporally,
English (we this also
is notaccept
a reference
articlesto in
theSpanish,
‘there-then’ but the
Galician,
‘here-now’,
Portuguesemeaning
or French) that
andfor the Navajo
should not exceed ‘the8,000
ritualwords,
experience is not…a
inclusive copy and
of endnotes of the
references. Appendices
world-creation. may be included,
It is the world-creation’ (p.but are included in the total word count.
193).
Authors
What shouldhighlights
Spickard ensure that here allissubmissions, whetheroffirst
in fact characteristic or revised cultures.
all traditional versions,Mircea
are
anonymised
Eliade alreadyto facilitate
pointed outblind reviewing.
that for ancient Authors’
and medieval names and institutional
persons, rituals were affiliations
considered
asshould appear initiating
immediately only in the thecovering emailinto
participants message.
the reality they symbolised, whether this was
Submission of
the cosmogony (inanthearticle
pagan or traditions)
book review or isthetaken to imply
events that it life
of Christ’s hasfornotthepreviously
traditional
been published or is not being considered for publication
Churches. The fact that Christianity offers the same experience is often forgotten elsewhere. If an authorinisthe
publishing
West, although a related
it livesarticle
on in elsewhere,
many Orthodox this fact should be
Christian stated.None
milieus. In general, authors
of this, are is
however,
askedbytoSpickard,
noted submit nowho moreturns than toonea article
practicalfor application
review in a two-year
of Navajoperiod.
ritual to the Catholic
Worker’s movement in the USA that was characterised by voluntary poverty and social
Review
action (pp.process
205-23). The last chapter, ‘Are We Stealing the Elgin Marbles?’ (pp. 225-49),
If your submission
addresses whether the is clearly unsuitable
ostensible for publication
‘cultural appropriation’ in Sociolinguistic
undertaken by Studies, you is
Spickard
will be promptly
legitimate notifiedthat
or not. I believe by the
the author’s
Editors. workIf, after the review
is both legitimate process, your article
and significant, is
insofar
accepted for publication, you will be asked to submit the manuscript
as he makes it clear that what he has attempted is not to appropriate and re-signify non- again, incorporating
any revisions
Western ideas asked
from a for, and in apoint
Western formatofreadyview,forbut publication.
to apply such ideas to religions—
When the Editors confirm to you that your submission has been accepted for publi-
including Western ones—in order to give them a voice in the discipline of sociology. I
cation you should prepare a final version of the article in accordance with the guidelines
highly recommend this book.
for contributors available on the journal’s website. If your article includes any figures or
complex tables, please pay special attention to the guidelines on preparing and submitting
Mario Baghos
artwork.
The Australian Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies
Permissions and copyright
It is your responsibility to ensure that you have obtained any permissions to reproduce
any part of another work. If your article contains extracts from other works, especially
figures, tables, poetry etc., please contact the authors and publishers before submitting
the final version to seek permission to use their work. If primary data is to be included,
research participants should have signed a consent form.
All contributors whose articles are accepted for publication will be required to sign
a copyright assignment form, and to confirm that their article is original, accurate
(inasmuch as can be ascertained in research), and does not include any libellous
statements.

© Equinox Publishing Ltd 2017.