Focus and Scope

Since its foundation in 1943 the readers of HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies have been academic theologians, scholars in the field of the humanities and social sciences, professional pastors/ministers of religion and academically oriented readers interested in religious matters. The journal covers theology in its broadest sense and therefore publishes articles linked with a variety of other study fields and has a multi-disciplinary, multi-church, inter-faith, and multi-religious focus and scope. Articles cover, among others, aspects of religious studies, philosophy, ancient Semitic and classical languages, sociology and ethics. HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies is committed to the capacity building of young scholars.

Section Policies

Forword - A.G. van Aarde Festschrift

Open Submissions

Indexed

Peer Reviewed

Editorial - A.G.van Aarde Festschrift

Open Submissions

Indexed

Peer Reviewed

Original Research

Original research articles should be between 3500 and 5000 words and should inform readers of innovative research in a particular field within or related to the focus and scope of the journal. They should also be presented according to a clear and well-structured format. Research published in this section should add to the existing body of knowledge published in this field. Original research articles should be divided into the following sections: * Introduction * Methods * Results * Discussion * Conclusions * Acknowledgements (if applicable) * References * Conflict of interest A structured abstract of 250 words is required for this section, and should be ordered under the following sections: Setting, Objectives, Method, Results and Conclusion

Open Submissions

Indexed

Peer Reviewed

Book Review

Book reviews should be between 500 and 1000 words. Books reviews are mostly invited but submissions to this section are also welcome. Please provide details of the book publisher, the book’s ISBN number, the price of the book in United States dollars and a 300dpi resolution image of the book cover. No abstract is needed for this section.

Open Submissions

Indexed

Peer Reviewed

Review Article

Open Submissions

Indexed

Peer Reviewed

Original Research - Spirituality

Open Submissions

Indexed

Peer Reviewed

Original Research - Mag en die Nuwe Testament

Open Submissions

Indexed

Peer Reviewed

Editorial - T.F.J. Dreyer Dedication

Open Submissions

Indexed

Peer Reviewed

Original Research - T.F.J. Dreyer Dedication

Open Submissions

Indexed

Peer Reviewed

Original Research - P.M. Venter Dedication

Open Submissions

Indexed

Peer Reviewed

Mission and Ethics

Open Submissions

Indexed

Peer Reviewed

Volume 68, issue 1

Open Submissions

Indexed

Peer Reviewed

Volume 68, issue 2

Open Submissions

Indexed

Peer Reviewed

Peer Review Process

All manuscripts submitted to HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies will be reviewed by at least two experts in the relevant field before the editor grants permission for publication. All manuscripts submitted for review will undergo a double-blind review process, excluding those authored by the editor which will be peer reviewed by at least three specialists. The international advisors on the editorial board assist the editor with the evaluation of review reports. Reviewers respect the confidentiality of the review process and the proprietary rights of those who have submitted the manuscripts. If you would like to become a reviewer, please visit the following link for a guide to conducting a review. CLICK HERE.

This will serve as guidance for your review.

Following the review the Editor-in-Chief will evaluate the review reports and make a final decision.

The outcome will be categorised as one of the following:

• Acceptable as is (apart from minor language changes)
• Acceptable, but requires minor revision (To the satisfaction of the Editor)
• Requires major revision and reconsideration (Requires re-review)
• Not acceptable for publication in HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies

 

Open Access Policy

This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.

Archiving

This journal utilizes the LOCKSS system to create a distributed archiving system among participating libraries and permits those libraries to create permanent archives of the journal for purposes of preservation and restoration. More...

Abstracts and/or full text are published in:

• HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies is covered by the Elsevier Abstract and Citation database Scopus (tm). Refine your research at www.scopus.com
• Institute for Scientific Information (ISI), Arts and Humanities Citation Index. Thomson Reuters Services, Philidelphia, PA, U.S.A. www.scientific.thomson.com
• ATLA Religion Database®, published by the American Theological Library Association, 300 S. Wacker Dr., Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60606, E-mail: atla@atla.com, WWW:http://www.atla.com/.
• Bibliographical Information Bank in Patristics, Université Laval, Québec, Canada.
• Elenchus of Biblical Bibliography of the Editrice Pontificio Institutio Biblico, Rome, Italy.
• International Bibliography of Periodical Literature (IBZ) and International Bibliography of Book Reviews of Scholarly Literature, Osnabrück, Germany.
• New Testament Abstracts, Boston College School of Theology and Ministry, Chestnut Hill MA, USA.
• Old Testament Abstracts, Catholic University of America, Washington DC, USA
• Religious and Theological Abstracts, Cambridge MA, USA
• SA ePublications, hosted by Sabinet Online Ltd, Centurion, South Africa (http://www.journals.co.za/)
• openUP – http://openUP.ais.up.za/
• Google Scholar – http://www.googlescholar.com
• African Journals Online (AJOL) – http://www.ajol.info
• OpenJournals Publishing http://www.openjournals.net

HTS History and Position from 1943 until 2008

1.The beginning
HTS was founded in 1943 as a result of an international endeavour involving Dutch and South African scholars. It is the oldest theological journal in South Africa. Its historical roots date back to 1942 when the Cape Town based international Dutch company HAUM/Du Buissy Publishing House became the first sponsor of the initiative taken by theologians of the University of Pretoria in co-operation with scholars in the Netherlands. At the time, the theologians were responsible for theological quality management, while HAUM/du Buissy Publishing House provided the administrative infrastructure. HTS’s rights were later sold to the Netherdutch Reformed Church of Africa (Hervormde Kerk). The then N.H.W. Press (owned by the Netherdutch Reformed Church) printed HTS (also known as Hervormde Teologiese Studies) and the administration of the journal was handled by staff attached to the Church Synod office in Pretoria. Until Volume 64 in 2008 four issues were published annually. Prof Dr J. de Zwaan (Leiden), Prof Dr H.W. Obbink (Utrecht) and Prof Dr B. Gemser (Groningen) from the Netherlands played an influential role in the first Editorial Board, together with the Dutch-born internationally recognised Old Testament scholar Prof Dr A. van Selms. During the first four years of HTS’s existence (1943-1947/1948), academics from the University of Pretoria who served on the Editorial Board, together with Professor Van Selms and the above-mentioned Dutch scholars, were Professors J.H.J.A. Greyvenstein (New Testament Studies and Practical Theology), S.P. Engelbrecht (Church History) and A.S. Geyser (New Testament Studies). Over the years a close collaboration as far as the infrastructure and scholarly quality of HTS were concerned developed between the Netherdutch Reformed Church of Africa and the Faculty of Theology at the University of Pretoria, founded in 1917. The Dutch Reformed Church (NG Kerk) joined in 1937 and became Section B of the Faculty of Theology. In 2000 the two sections, the Dutch Reformed Church (the then Section B) and the Netherdutch Reformed Church of Africa (Section A) amalgamated and formed the multi-church oriented Faculty of Theology in collaboration with the Uniting Presbyterian Church of South Africa. In view of the amalgamation the General Synod of the Netherdutch Reformed Church of Africa decided that the newly established Reformed Theological College should be responsible for the infrastructure of HTS.

2. The present day
Whereas the Netherdutch Reformed Church of Africa is the title owner of HTS, a contractual agreement was reached between the University of Pretoria and the Netherdutch Reformed Church of Africa in 2000, in terms of which the Reformed Theological College was affiliated to the Faculty of Theology. According to Clause 7.2 of this agreement, HTS’ administration is managed by the Faculty of Theology’s Reformed Theological College (HTK). The Reformed Theological College is responsible through the Editorial Board of HTS to ensure that the criteria for accreditation of HTS by the Department of Education of the South African national government are met and upheld. Accreditation is a condition for tertiary institutions in South Africa to receive a financial subsidy from the Department of Education for published research outputs of South African academics and their registered research associates. As a co-partner in the multi-church theological faculty at the University of Pretoria, the Netherdutch Reformed Church of Africa through its support of the Reformed Theological College in the Faculty of Theology and the Nederduitsch Hervormde Lecturers’ Council of the Faculty of Theology, supports academic publishing in the field of theology, more specifically through HTS as a scholarly journal. At the beginning of 2009, commencing with Volume 65 of HTS, the Netherdutch Reformed Church of Africa entered into a publishing agreement with African Online Scientific Information Systems (Pty) Ltd (AOSIS). This company provides various services, including but not limited to the provision of scholarly publication services through its scholarly publishing division known as “OpenJournals Publishing”.

3. HTS’S position in the academic world
Over the years HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies (HTS) has made a meaningful theological contribution in South Africa, in Africa and internationally by supporting theologians, philosophers, scholars and ministers of religion in their study of religious, social and ecumenical related subjects by means of original and sound research. Although an internationally recognised scholarly journal with a strict editorial and selection procedure, HTS has remained committed to the development of young scholars. Today HTS counts among the first 100 academic journals in South Africa as far as frequency of articles published in scientific journals is concerned. With its 4 issues per annum in the past, HTS ranked in the fourteenth place, based on research done in 2005 by CREST, a research institution based at the Department of Sociology of the University of Stellenbosch. The research deals with tendencies pertaining to South African accredited journals and covers data recorded in SA Knowledge base (SAK) over a twelve year period. In 1990 in both the Natural Sciences and Social Studies (published in Afrikaans, English and other European languages) a total of 6 617 articles were published in South Africa and in 2002, a total of 5 737 (see J Mouton in Tydskrif vir Geesteswetenskappe 45/3, 2005). More than 45% of these articles were published in 100 journals. With regard to the highest frequency, HTS is listed in the 14th position. In this instance, “frequency” refers to the researchers’ preference for a specific journal in which to publish their outputs. Those journals with a higher frequency are mainly journals of Medicine, Law and Education. HTS has envisioned its aim to be nationally relevant and internationally competitive. The Editorial Board thus followed a strategy to ensure the balanced publication of local, national and international research. Strict international and scholarly criteria are applied in the publication of all articles. The Editorial Board consists of highly regarded international scholars and national academics. Although HTS is attached to a specific academic interest group, the journal has published an increasing number of articles written by foreign scholars. The language, which used to be Afrikaans, has drastically changed over the past three years to being predominantly English, with other foreign languages also included (see statistical index below). The language tendency also reflects the tendency in the language of theological research undertaken at the Faculty of Theology as its “operational basis”. On average, only 40% of UP’s own staff members (including researchers from the Faculty of Humanities and the Faculty of Theology) publish annually in the HTS. All of the other contributions are received from researchers attached to other institutions in South Africa and abroad. The change in language increased the impact factor of HTS, as well as the international accessibility of the research results. HTS is widely indexed on lists in the theological academic world, such as the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI Database – based in Philadelphia, USA, Thomson Reuters Services), through ISI’s Arts and Humanities Citation Index. HTS is also indexed on the following national and international journal lists: Religion Index One: Periodicals, Index to Book Reviews in Religion, Religion Indexes: On CD-ROM and ATLA Religion Database on CD-ROM. This periodical is indexed in the ATLA Religion Database, published by the American Theological Library Association, Chicago; Elenchus of Biblical Bibliography of the Editrice Pontificio Institutio Biblico, Rome, Italy; Index to Book Reviews in Religion; International Bibliography of Periodical Literature (IBZ) and International Bibliography of Book Reviews of Scholarly Literature, Osnabrück, Germany; International Glossary of Abbreviations for Theology and Related Subjects (IAGT) Walter de Gruyter, Berlin; New Testament Abstracts, Weston School of Theology, Cambridge, MA; Old Testament Abstracts, Catholic University of America, Washington, DC; Religious and Theological Abstracts, 121 South College Street, Myerstown, PA; Religion Index One: Periodicals; Zeitschriften Inhaltsdienstes; Index to South African Periodicals (ISAP); SABINET Online (South African Information Network); South African Theological Bibliography (electronic resource), UP OpenAccess, and African Journals Online (AJOL).

4. Academic accreditation
HTS, through its Editor-in-chief, participates in the Editors’ Forum for Theology and Related Journals (EFTJ). The editors of South-African based theological and related journals established themselves officially in 2007 as the EFTJ. The Forum aims to represent the interests of its member journals at the Forum of Editors of South African Research Journals, established by the Academy of Science for South Africa (ASSAf). A list of South-African scholarly journals is recognised by the Department of Education (DOE) for subsidy purposes, and in addition, other approved South African and international journals are accredited on the condition that they are accepted by and included in two international indexes, namely the International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (IBSS – based in London) and the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI Database – based in Philadelphia, USA). Since 2007 HTS has become accredited by the ISI. Before the present accreditation and subsidy system of the Department of Education HTS was supported by and accredited with the then National Bureau for Scientific Publications of South Africa. As a result of this recognition and indexing, HTS is cited nationally and internationally at various theological conferences, in religious books, in Biblical commentaries, in various scholarly articles and on the internet.

The ethics of co-authorship

Andries G. van Aarde
Editor-in-chief

The publication of articles by two or more authors is common practice at the HTS Theological Studies. One of the authors, for instance a postgraduate student, will be the co-author, whereas his or her supervisor will act as the “corresponding author”. The “corresponding author” is the co-author who is responsible to interact with whom it may concern, HTS’ Editorial Board, the Editor-in-chief, Associate Editor or the Publication Coordinator on behalf of the other author(s).
According to General Regulation G.61 of the University of Pretoria, a Master or Doctoral thesis submitted at the University of Pretoria must lead to the publication of an article. The Faculty of Theology strictly adheres to this regulation. The Regulation reads as follows:

Unless the Senate, on the recommendation of the supervisor, decides otherwise, a student, before or on submission of a dissertation, must submit at least one draft article for publication in a recognized academic journal and in the case of a thesis, must submit proof of submission of an article issued by an accredited journal, to the Head: Student Administration.
The draft or submitted article, as the case may be, should be based on the research that the student has conducted for the dissertation/thesis and be approved by the supervisor if the supervisor is not a co-author.
The supervisor shall be responsible for ensuing that the paper is taken through all the processes of revision and resubmission, as may be necessary. Conferment of the degree may be made subject to compliance with the stipulations of this regulation.

The question that arises is whether co-authorship can be justified from an ethical point of view. This issue is dealt with in an edition of the CSD Bulletin (August 1992, p.19), published by the National Research Foundation of South Africa, the then “Centre for Science Development”. The article is titled: “Co-authorship: Where does SA stand?”

The ethical problem with co-authorship is that a supervisor as the “corresponding author” could unfairly benefit from such collaboration. Academic excellence is judged inter alia by the number of independent, original articles of quality that are published in accredited, recognised journals throughout an academic’s career.

Young researchers, often having done all or most of the work, find themselves in the shadow of the supervisor as the “senior” and “corresponding” author. This serious issue requires integrity on the part of editors and researchers in the process of publishing.

Obviously, research findings should be published in order to be made available as a source for further research. The quality of such publication is assured by means of peer-review by specialists and experts in the field. In South Africa, funding for research depends to a large degree on the subsidies universities receive from the Department of Education of the national government for publications in accredited journals. This system requires that staff members of academic departments who perform their duties as study leaders should be credited as “co-authors” of research articles based on research conducted for the purpose of obtaining a postgraduate degree. Should these research articles be submitted to HTS Theological Studies for publication, the same strict selection procedure and peer-review apply.

The said article in the CSD Bulletin refers to three criteria for co-authorship as proposed by the North American academics, Barry Werner and Mary Beth Nierengarten. The editorial board of the HTS Theological Studies is guided by these criteria. Four additional criteria are added and are listed first:

• The following footnote should appear on the title page: “‘Submitted and accepted as part of the requirements for the MDiv/MTh/PhD/DD degree in … 200?, in the Department …, Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria, under the guidance of ….”
• The study leader is mentioned as the second author, though he or she acts as “corresponding author”.
• The “corresponding author” will be responsible to approve the galley proofs of the accepted article prior to the final approval by the Editor-in-chief,
• The “corresponding author” will be responsible for the payment of the article-processing fee charged to authors.
• All co-authors (including the study leader in case of articles based on a thesis or dissertation) make an actual and meaningful contribution to the article.
• Co-authors can participate in drafting and writing the article by taking responsibility for parts of the article, being involved in all levels of writing, and by commenting on and finally approving the article in its entirety.
• All co-authors assume full responsibility for the theme and findings, as well as for any shortcomings with respect to argumentation, as well as the use of language and sources.

As part of the selection and publishing process the Editor-in-chief and Associate Editor of HTS Theological Studies require of authors of co-authored articles to sign a declaration that the above criteria have been met.

Department of Education Accreditation (South Africa)

Approved South African Journal: HTS Theological Studies meets all the DOE criteria and has DOE accreditation in the subsidy system for research publications.