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About
The Journal of Christian Apocryphal Literature is a peer-reviewed, open-access publication dedicated to the study of non-canonical Christian texts from antiquity through the modern period. It provides a venue for cutting-edge scholarship across disciplines, with a focus on texts, traditions, and media that are often overlooked in the study of early Christian literature.
Focus and Scope
The Journal of Christian Apocryphal Literature (JCAL) is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal dedicated to the study of non-canonical Christian texts from antiquity through the modern period. It offers a unique scholarly platform for research that sits at the intersection of biblical studies, religious studies, history, and literature. JCAL responds to a growing need in the field for a dedicated venue focused on apocryphal Christian texts—literature that has traditionally been marginalized in New Testament and patristics-focused journals.
The journal welcomes contributions that explore a wide range of materials: early gospels, apocryphal acts, apocalypses, and letters; medieval and early modern adaptations of these works; and even contemporary cultural receptions of apocryphal narratives. Authors are encouraged to submit work that is philologically rigorous, theoretically innovative, and methodologically diverse. JCAL is particularly interested in articles that draw attention to underrepresented texts, communities, and traditions, and that push the boundaries of what counts as “Christian Apocrypha.”
JCAL publishes four primary types of content: full-length research articles (6,000–9,000 words), shorter notes and translations (2,000–5,000 words), topical forums (multi-author conversations or panel proceedings), and book reviews (800–1,200 words). Research articles and notes undergo double-blind peer review; forums and reviews are reviewed internally by the editorial team.
The journal’s target audience includes scholars and advanced graduate students working in Christian apocrypha, early Christianity, ancient and medieval religious culture, and related fields. Librarians will find JCAL a valuable addition to collections supporting research in religion, theology, classics, and historical literature. As a fully open-access journal committed to rapid, continuous publication, JCAL makes cutting-edge scholarship immediately and freely available to a global academic community.
Submission Checklist
To prepare your manuscript for submission, follow these guidelines.
- Comply with submission-specific requirements delineated in the Author Guidelines.
- All submissions should be formatted according to the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) Handbook of Style (2nd edition, 2014), including but not limited to:
- Manuscript submission via a compatible document format (e.g., Word, PDF)
- Abbreviations for ancient and secondary sources (for abbreviations not included in the SBL Handbook, authors should consult the e-Clavis: Christian Apocrypha, maintained by the North American Society for the Study of Christian Apocryphal Literature)
- Unicode font used for all non-Latin characters
- Provide DOIs for all referenced materials (where available)
- Ensure all materials borrowed from third-party sources are appropriately credited, and permission has been secured from the copyright holder.
- Ensure that article length conforms to the following parameters: research articles (6,000-9,000 words), shorter notes (2,000-5,000 words), and book reviews (800-1,200 words). Submissions that exceed these parameters should be discussed with the editors. Length for topical forums should be discussed with the forums editor.
- Please provide up to six keywords that best describe the main topics or themes of your article.
Copyright Notice
Authors published in the Journal of Christian Apocryphal Literature retain full copyright of their work. Upon acceptance, authors grant the journal the right to publish and distribute their work under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0). This license permits others to share, adapt, and build upon the work for non-commercial purposes, provided appropriate credit is given and any changes are clearly indicated. This licensing model ensures both the protection of author rights and broad accessibility for readers and researchers worldwide.
Peer Review
All scholarly content published in the Journal of Christian Apocryphal Literature undergoes a rigorous review process to ensure academic quality and integrity. The journal employs a double-blind peer review process for all full-length research articles and notes. Each submission is reviewed by two expert scholars in the relevant field. In cases of conflicting recommendations, a third reviewer may be consulted.
Forum contributions and book reviews are reviewed internally by the editorial team or designated editors and are not anonymized. While these contributions are not peer-reviewed in the traditional sense, they are still held to a high standard of scholarly excellence.
Licences
The following licences are allowed:
- CC BY-NC 4.0
Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes. No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
Publication Fees
The Journal of Christian Apocryphal Literature does not charge any publication fees. There are no article processing charges (APCs), submission fees, or fees of any kind for authors. The journal is committed to supporting open, equitable access to scholarly publishing without placing financial burdens on contributors.
Publication Cycle
The journal will follow a continuous publication model, with articles published online as they are accepted and finalized. All content will be organized into a single, annual volume, allowing for timely dissemination of scholarship while maintaining a coherent publication structure. Special collections, such as themed forums or panel proceedings, may be grouped and released together within the annual volume.
Sections
| Section or article type | Public Submissions | Peer Reviewed | Indexed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research Article | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Notes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Topical Forum | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Book Review | Yes | Yes | Yes |