Reader Recommendation: International Journal of Practical Theology

Recommended by: Ron Allen

The International Journal of Practical Theology is a peer-reviewed academic journal published by De Gruyter that brings together scholars from around the world to explore the intersection of theology and practice. Articles cover a wide range of topics in homiletics, liturgics, pastoral care, religious education, and ecclesiology — with a consistent commitment to cutting-edge inquiry that pushes the field forward.

Recommended by Ron Allen, a leading voice in Disciples preaching scholarship, the journal is especially useful for preachers who want to engage with the academic conversation surrounding homiletics — whether to deepen their own theological grounding, find sermon preparation resources rooted in current scholarship, or stay current with developments in practical theology from an international body of contributors. Not every article will be directly applicable to Sunday preparation, but the journal consistently models the kind of rigorous, theologically-serious engagement with practice that strengthens preaching over time.

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Reader Recommendations are suggestions submitted by Disciples preachers and are not created or fully reviewed by the Proclamation Project.

You might also find helpful:

• A Bibliography of Disciples Preaching Scholarship — A curated list of academic resources on preaching in the Disciples tradition.
• Preaching Luke-Acts, by Ronald J. Allen — A scholarly preaching resource authored by this recommender, focused on Luke and Acts.
• Decolonizing Preaching: The Pulpit as Postcolonial Space — Academic engagement with preaching from a postcolonial perspective.
• Theopoetics in Color, Embodied Approaches in Theological Discourse — A scholarly resource on embodied and creative approaches in theological discourse.