The Interdisciplinary Journal of Leadership Studies invites papers for a special issue on religion and leadership.

The study of leadership intersects with the study of religion in fruitful ways. Negotiations of power, authority, legitimacy, morality, and autonomy govern this dynamic. Much scholarship on religious leadership has focused on formal institutions and roles, thus narrowing the scope of how faith-based interactions have been understood. Yet on a global scale, the shifting dynamics of major religions offers an ideal opportunity to reconsider this relationship. Religious growth and decline are no longer associated with conversion or conquest, but with demographic factors like fertility rates. In 2020, Americans’ membership in houses of worship dropped below 50% for the first time in Gallup’s history. Data from the Pew Research Center, however, predicts that increases in non-religious affiliation in the United States will not match global trends in the next three decades. Instead, Islam will be the fastest growing major religion and “babies born to Muslims will begin to outnumber Christian births by 2035,” though Christians will still be the largest religious group.

All of this information suggests a unique moment globally to ponder how people have, do, and will navigate faith-based interactions in moments of social, political, economic, and/or cultural upheaval. This special issue of IJLS encourages scholars to interrogate the significance of religious authority in times of uncertainty while drawing on the historical, present-day, and ethical implications of leadership (i.e., leadership as it was, is, and ought to be).

IJLS welcomes submissions from the sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities. Scholars in traditional and interdisciplinary fields are encouraged to submit materials. 250-word abstracts are due October 1, 2024. If accepted, full article drafts will be due March 1, 2025.

Final articles should be 5,000-8,000 words, including notes and works cited. Please refer to the complete Submission Guidelines for the Interdisciplinary Journal of Leadership Studies for additional details.

Within the broad category of religious authority in times of uncertainty, the following topics may be helpful to consider:
• How religious leaders address moments of crisis
• How religious communities define/shape leadership during uncertainty
• How common people turn to religion as a source of leadership
• How religion fails to provide leadership
• How religious communities are legitimated (or not) in times of crisis

Additional approaches to the theme are welcome. Please submit abstracts and questions directly to Lauren Henley at lhenley@richmond.edu.

Sources
Jeffery M. Jones, “U.S. Church Membership Falls Below Majority for First Time,” Gallup, March 29, 2021.
“The Future of World Religions: Population Growth Projects, 2010-2050,” Pew Research Center, April 2, 2015.
“The Changing Global Religious Landscape,” Pew Research Center, April 5, 2017.