Aims and Scope
The Jahrbuch für Christliche Sozialwissenschaften is the leading publication in (Catholic) Christian Social Teaching in the German speaking scientific community. Its focus (thematic areas, authors) is ecumenical, interdisciplinary, and international; some articles will be published in English. The Jahrbuch especially wants to provide for an excellent publication opportunity for young and upcoming scientists and researchers in Christian Social Ethics. It is edited by Marianne Heimbach-Steins, director of the Institut für Christliche Sozialwissenschaften (Institute for Christian Sociology) at the Catholic Theology Department of the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster. She is assisted by an international advisory board (from early 2011 on).
The theological discipline of Christian Social Ethics is called to recognize the “signs of the times” and to interpret and evaluate them with a Christian focus. As scientific discipline she is free, but is at the same time especially connected to the social-ethical competency of Christian actors and magisterial social teaching (Social Teaching of the Church).
Reflecting its social-ethical focus, contributions to the Jahrbuch should, in a broad sense, portray sociological and social-philosophical research and concepts. They should scrutinize them focusing on normative implications and/or analyze and evaluate their potential to address societal problems and challenges. As platform of an interdisciplinary conversation about societal challenges the Jahrbuch aims at bringing empirical-sociological and argumentative orientations as well as evaluations together. In this environment the Christian horizon should be discursively and critically correlated to and highlighted in conversation with differing value orientations.
Composition and review process
The Jahrbuch presents contributions to one particular thematic area chosen annually. Every volume focuses on one particular social-ethical question. As authors the editorial board invites scientists who are especially qualified to contribute to the volume.
In a thematically open section, articles will be published that were sent and chosen for publication (starting with volume 52/2011; for further information see the call for papers).
All research articles will be anonymously evaluated and reviewed by two scientists according to strict scientific criteria (blind peer review; starting with Jahrbuch 52/2011).
Subscription and open access
The Jahrbuch is published annually. The print version can be purchased or subscribed from Aschendorff-Verlag, Münster, Germany (www.aschendorff-buchverlag.de). The online version (starting around March 2011, www.jcsw.de) makes all articles accessible after a period of 12 months.
Editorial address
For more information please contact the editorial team