Joseph Laycock is guest editing a special issue of Nova Religio on the paranormal and is encouraging scholars to submit articles relevant to the subject. Here is what he has to say:

In the last few years, several good books have appeared that consider so-called “paranormal” beliefs, discourses, and experiences as an object of inquiry for religion scholars. Like the category “religion,” the category “paranormal” is poorly circumscribed and may potentially include a wide milieu of supernatural and pseudo-scientific beliefs and ideas. We seek papers that address the place of paranormal discourses within the larger context of religious and cultural studies. We also invite papers on religious aspects of specific paranormal discourses such as UFOs, psychics, hauntings, etc.

Submission Guidelines

Potential authors should first review Nova Religio’s website to get a sense of the aim and scope of the journal. Authors should follow the guidelines for authors on the website for the format of the paper and its citations.

Submission queries, including abstracts, should be sent to Joseph Laycock: . Completed articles are due August 1, 2012, and should be approximately 8,000-10,000 words including all documentation and critical apparatus. As the guest editor, I will make the initial determination about which papers are suitable for publication, and work with authors to improve their draft papers before forwarding them to Nova Religio’s co-general editors. The co-general editors, Eugene Gallagher, Joel Tishken, and Catherine Wessinger, will make the final decision about whether or not a paper can be accepted for publication in Nova Religio.