The nineteenth volume of The Confessional Presbyterian will feature an interdisciplinary collection of articles and book reviews pertinent to confessional Presbyterians of different denominations. The aim of the journal is to promote greater understanding and academic exploration of the doctrinal standards and convictions of confessional Presbyterianism in historical and current application.
The cover of this volume of The Confessional Presbyterian will feature a commissioned original painting commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the founding of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). On December 7, 1973, the denomination which would come to be known as the PCA marked its establishment as the “Continuing” Presbyterian Church in the American South with the publication of A Message to All Churches of Jesus Christ Throughout the World from the General Assembly of the National Presbyterian Church. In severing ties with the Presbyterian Church in the United States (PCUS), the founders of the PCA saw themselves not as starting something new, but as conserving and continuing a confessionally Presbyterian witness within the historic bounds of the PCUS. Since 1973, through both church extension and organic union with the Reformed Presbyterian Church Evangelical Synod (RPCES), the PCA has become a truly national (and international) denomination. It is today the largest Bible-believing Reformed and/or Presbyterian denomination in the United States, with foreign missionaries active around the world.
Each issue of The Confessional Presbyterian features not only cover artwork pertinent to Presbyterian history, but also articles and reviews addressing the cover subject. While the editors of the journal are always keen to consider articles treating any subject or topic of interest to confessional Presbyterians, the journal is this year calling especially for articles interacting with the following potential subjects:
- American Presbyterian history and theology
- The founding of the Presbyterian Church in America
- The decline of the Presbyterian Church in the United States (PCUS) and the Presbyterian Church (USA)
- Academic biographical sketches of significant figures in American Presbyterian history, and especially in the history of the Presbyterian Church in America (e.g., Morton H. Smith, Nelson Graham Bell, G. Aiken Taylor, Paul G. Settle, William Hill, Jack Williamson, D. James Kennedy, R. C. Sproul, Sr., Frank Barker, etc.)
- The historical development of American Presbyterian Books of Church Order (i.e., Forms of Government, Rules of Discipline, etc.), and especially those of the PCUS and the PCA
- Interdenominational relations between the American Presbyterian and Reformed denominations, and especially between the PCA and her sister Churches
- The headship of Christ over His church
- The primacy of the Great Commission in the spiritual mission of the church
- The ongoing importance of creedal and/or confessional fidelity in the church
- The doctrine of Scripture and its sufficiency for faith and life
- The effects of critical theory and identity politics on the American church
The editors are interested in engaging scholars, pastors, and advanced theological students from a variety of denominational backgrounds within the umbrella of confessional Presbyterianism to bring together a range of thoughtful and critical reflections on American Presbyterianism, and the PCA in particular. While completed articles are preferred, proposals are encouraged if potential authors would like editorial feedback before dedicating time to research and writing. All final submissions are subject to peer review for approval, regardless of editorial input in the research and drafting process.
To respond to the call for papers, please send your submission with an abstract of no more than 500 words to journal@gpts.edu. Submissions will be evaluated on the contribution they could make to the journal, their clarity of style, and their significance for the study of confessional Presbyterian history and theology. Finished articles should be submitted by September 1, 2023 and will be subject to a blind review process. Established scholars, theological professors, doctoral students, Divinity students, and junior scholars are strongly encouraged to submit articles for consideration.
Style and length parameters for all submissions are found online at gpts.edu/cpjournal/submissions.
For a printable and shareable pdf version of this Call for Papers, please click here.
