Call for Submissions: A Womanist Rhetorical Vision for Building the Beloved Community

Guest Editor: Annette Madlock Gatison, Ph.D.

In some progressive religious spaces, one might hear calls to “Build the Beloved Community.” The term “Beloved Community” was coined by the early twentieth-century philosopher Josiah Royce (1855-1916). However, many learned it not from Royce but from the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who often spoke of the “Beloved Community.” In Dr. King’s Beloved Community, all people share n the wealth of the earth, where poverty, hunger, and homelessness are not tolerated, where racism and inclusivity replace all forms of discrimination, bigotry, and prejudice. Peaceful conflict-resolution prevails; love and trust triumph over fear and hatred, while peace and justice triumph. It will be through a womanist ethic that the Beloved Community is actualized. A Womanist ethos rejects oppression and is committed to social justice and includes all of humanity (Cannon, 1988; Collins, 2000; Madlock Gatison, 2019; Walker 1988; Walker-Barnes, 2019).

The Journal of Communication and Religion publishes original articles that advance theory and research about communication in religious contexts. Articles are expected to use rigorous theory and methodology to develop insightful arguments that further knowledge, understanding, and care about the intersections of communication and religion. Manuscripts should show strong scholarship, exemplary in its research type (either quantitative or qualitative). Writing should be clear, aesthetically pleasing, and effective. Its style should be gender-sensitive. At best, articles will contribute to the stock of knowledge in communication and religion, offering insights that can lead to positive religious, social, and cultural change. Suggestions for revision will keep issues of argument, style, and contribution to the area of communication and religion in mind. The editor makes final publication decisions.

This special issue of the Journal of Communication and Religion will focus on a Womanist rhetorical ethic and vision for building God’s beloved community. Suggested topics include but are not limited to the following: