Phronēsis Guidelines

Phronēsis is a peer-reviewed journal aimed at bridging academia and the church. It covers multiple disciplines that include biblical studies, Christian education, counseling, intercultural studies and mission, pastoral ministry, contextual theology, and more. The aim is to publish articles that are Bible-based, theologically sound, contextually relevant, and practically useful for one of the different areas of church ministry. More importantly, Phronēsis aims to make available to the church the insights of academic work and research to help in its life, mission, and ministry.

Guidelines for submitting essays

1. Writers are welcome to submit unsolicited manuscripts that are unpublished in other journals, blogs, magazines, or other media. Papers presented in a conference are also welcome.
2. Topics directly related to biblical studies, Christian education, counseling, intercultural studies and mission, pastoral ministry, and contextual theology can be submitted.
3. Articles must be both scholarly (in content) and readable (in style) so that it can be accessible to pastors, Christian professionals, seminary and Bible students, and theological educators.
4. Responses to previously published essays, whether in Phronēsis or other journals are welcome. Reviews of books on the aforementioned areas of discipline are also accepted.
5. Manuscripts are to be submitted in their final form, which means they have already been carefully proof read and have followed the recommended style for the articles.
6. Manuscripts are to be 3,000- to 5,000-word in length and submitted as a Word document, using size 12 Times New Roman font and double-spaced, following the section formats set on the template (see Phronēsis.template.docx). For Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic words, the Unicode is recommended for more uniformity/consistency, and an English transliteration and translation must be included. This can be done in the Word document by clicking the tab “Insert,” and then “Symbol,” and choose the characters to enter. Other fonts can be used if non-English languages are included in the paper, but in cases like this, an English transliteration and translation of non-English words are also required.
7. Include a 200-word abstract and seven to ten key words or tags at the beginning of the manuscript. Please include a 200-word biodata at the end of the article.
8. The “Statement of Originality and Exclusive Submission” must be submitted as a PDF document with signature together with the manuscript.
9. Manuscripts should follow the parenthetical reference system set forth in Kate Turabian’s A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses and Dissertations (9th Edition) and include bibliography.
10. For abbreviations of primary sources (canonical and non-canonical references) and journal articles, refer to Billie Jean Collins’ SBL Handbook of Style (2nd Edition). The same Handbook is to be used for standard transliteration of biblical languages. The “General-Purpose Style” should suffice for Hebrew texts.
11. The 2011 edition of the New International Version (NIV) is to be used. Please specify if you are using other translations.
12. Deadline for submission of articles is September 30 of each year for the article to be reviewed for possible publication in May of the following year. Submission does not guarantee publication. Articles submitted after September 30 will be considered for publication in the next issue. 13. Please send articles for review to phronesis@ats.ph.
13. For research essays that include human subjects (e.g., interviews, surveys, focus groups), kindly request for an ethical clearance form from the Research Department. Please email research@ats.ph.

Guidelines for submitting book reviews

1. Writers are welcome to submit unsolicited book reviews that are unpublished in other journals, blogs, magazines, or other media.
2. Book reviews must include the following:
   • A brief description of the work (30–50 words). This may include information like the book series in which it is included, whether it is a dissertation, a monograph, a collection of essays, a Festschrift (for whom and for what occasion), among others.
   • A brief summary and highlights of each section/chapter of the book (300–500 words). Depending on the size of the book, this portion may be shorter or longer, and the same goes for the critique/evaluation.
   • A short critique/evaluation of the strengths and weakness of the work (300–500 words). Strengths may include the contribution of the work in its particular field of study, new ideas (“new” means new to the field, not new to the reviewer) that were presented, nuances to existing and accepted ideas within the field, practicality and usefulness of the work, among others. Weaknesses may include incoherence or internal contradictions, incorrect interpretations of biblical texts, logical gaps, impracticality, among others.
3. Reviews must accurately represent the contents of the book, respectful, and fair. Avoid overgeneralizations, name-calling or labels (such as “liberal,” “woke,” etc.), or unfounded claims or accusations. Focus on ideas, not associations.
4. This is a review of the book (the written work), not an evaluation of the author so it should not include any comments (positive or negative) about the writers, their theological background, political views, or any comments that is disparaging. Comments are to be limited to the written work only.
5. Please follow this sample format for reviews.
   • Judges: A Pastoral and Contextual Commentary. Asia Bible Commentary. By Athena E. Gorospe and Charles R. Ringma. Cumbria: Langham Global Library, 2016. 336 pp.
     • · Brief description (30–50 words)
     • · Summary of contents (300–500 words)
     • · Critique/evaluation (300–500 words)
6. Deadline for submission of book reviews is September 30 of each year to be reviewed for possible publication in May of the following year. Submission does not guarantee publication.
7. Please send book reviews to phronesis@ats.ph.