Journal profile · RELIGION
Journal for the Study of Spirituality
ISSN 2044-0243 · eISSN 2044-0251 · Taylor & Francis
Journal for the Study of Spirituality: CAS Zone 3 · Philosophy (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 0.9 (journal website); hybrid open access; APC charged, amount not published; review about 104 days (first decision after review, publisher); acceptance rate 10% (journal website); 27 articles in 2025; indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Journal for the Study of Spirituality is published by Taylor & Francis and is in Zone 3 of Philosophy in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology, Religion, Society, and Development and Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health, together about 46% of its articles. Its main subfields are Sociology and Political Science. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Journal for the Study of Spirituality is a peer-reviewed journal which creates a unique interdisciplinary, inter-professional and cross-cultural forum where researchers, scholars and others engaged in the study and practices of spirituality can share and debate the research, knowledge, wisdom and insight associated with spirituality and contemporary spirituality studies. The International Network for the Study of Spirituality (INSS) organises a biennial international conference and welcomes enquiries about membership from those interested in the study of spirituality in any part of the world. The journal is concerned with what spirituality means, and how it is expressed, in individuals’ lives and communities and in professional practice settings; and with the impact and implications of spirituality in, and on, social policy, organizational practices and personal and professional development. The journal recognises that spirituality and spiritual values can be expressed and studied in secular contexts, including in scientific and professional practice settings, as well as within faith and wisdom traditions. Thus, Journal for the Study of Spirituality particularly welcomes contributions that: identify new agendas for research into spirituality within and across subject disciplines and professions; explore different epistemological and methodological approaches to the study of spirituality; introduce comparative perspectives and insights drawn from different cultures and/or professional practice settings; aim to apply and develop sustained reflection, investigation and critique in relation to spirituality and spiritual practices; critically examine the values and presuppositions underpinning different forms of spirituality and spiritual practices; incorporate different forms of writing and expressions of spirituality. Journal for the Study of Spirituality includes: Research papers based on completed research or substantial work-in progress (epistemological and methodological approaches should be clarified for the benefit of readers from different disciplines and cultures); Scholarly articles exploring understandings of spirituality, including within professional practice settings; Critically reflexive and/or analytical autoethnographic accounts of the experience or practice of spirituality; Critique/discussion papers designed to generate debate from one issue to the next; Book reviews of recent publications; Occasional review essays focussing on established t
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): RELIGION
Editor-in-chief Wilfred McSherryPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United Kingdom 3, Australia 1, Hungary 1 (5 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Religion, Spirituality, and PsychologySocial Sciences30.7%
- Religion, Society, and DevelopmentSocial Sciences8.5%
- Grief, Bereavement, and Mental HealthPsychology6.8%
- Workplace Spirituality and LeadershipSocial Sciences5.8%
- Religious Studies and Spiritual PracticesArts and Humanities5.8%
- Religion and Society InteractionsSocial Sciences4.9%
- Paranormal Experiences and BeliefsPsychology4.9%
- Mindfulness and Compassion InterventionsPsychology3.2%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Philosophy Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Philosophy | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Religion | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Philosophy Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Philosophy | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Religion | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
JCR / CiteScore quartiles on the journal's website
- CiteScore Q1 · 2025
Publisher-reported: JCR figures are Clarivate's and CiteScore figures Scopus's to confirm; both are a different system from the CAS zones.Publisher website
Database indexing
ESCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
European Reference Index for the Humanities (ERIH), Religious and Theological AbstractsPublisher website
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 0.9Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.2Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 1.7LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 1.7Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.23LetPub ·
- SJR (publisher) 2025
- 0.23Publisher website ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.64LetPub ·
- SNIP (publisher) 2025
- 0.64Publisher website ·
- h-index
- 17OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 40OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 0.89OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 11.1%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 17.02%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 19LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher)
- 37,000Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 398 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 28 | 9 | 1 |
| 2025 | 27 | 9 | 31 |
| 2024 | 24 | 5 | 38 |
| 2023 | 24 | 7 | 44 |
| 2022 | 25 | 4 | 67 |
| 2021 | 20 | 5 | 69 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Publisher-reported review time from the journal's website
104 daysfirst decision after review
The publisher's own definition applies; dates from this journal's articles in the last 24 months are not available yet, so the publisher's figure is used.
Figures by source
- Acceptance rate (publisher)
- 10%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 20 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 104 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 35 daysPublisher website ·
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publisher website | Yes, amount not published | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
Article types accepted5
- book reviewsBook reviews of recent publicationsLength not stated
- critique/discussion papersCritique/discussion papers designed to generate debate from one issue to the nextLength not stated
- occasional review essaysOccasional review essays focussing on established texts in the fieldLength not stated
- research papersResearch papers based on completed research or substantial work-in progress (epistemological and methodological approaches should be clarified for the benefit o…Length not stated
- scholarly articlesScholarly articles exploring understandings of spirituality, including within professional practice settingsLength not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteOpen access, Peer review
- Open access Open access
Journal for the Study of Spirituality is a hybrid open access journal that is part of the Taylor & Francis Open Select publishing program, giving you the option to publish open access. Publishing open access means that your article will be free to access online immediately on publication, increasing the visibility, readership, and impact of your research. Why choose open access? Increase the disco…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review
Peer review policy: All research articles undergo rigorous peer review based on initial editor screening and anonymized refereeing by at least two anonymous referees. Model summary
All research articles published in this journal have undergone rigorous peer review, based on initial editor screening and anonymized refereeing by at least two anonymous referees.
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- ISSN
- 2044-0243
- Electronic ISSN
- 2044-0251
- Society / sponsor
- International Network for the Study of Spirituality
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 16, Issue 1 (2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Journal for the Study of Spirituality
What CAS zone is Journal for the Study of Spirituality in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Journal for the Study of Spirituality is in Zone 3 of Philosophy, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Religion. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Philosophy. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Journal for the Study of Spirituality?
The journal's website gives an impact factor of 0.9 (2025); this is the journal's own figure, as LetPub lists none for it; CiteScore 1.7, h-index 17.
How long does peer review take at Journal for the Study of Spirituality?
The publisher reports about 104 days (first decision after review); the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 10%. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
Where are the editorial board members of Journal for the Study of Spirituality based?
Of the 5 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United Kingdom (3), Australia (1) and Hungary (1). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Journal for the Study of Spirituality?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Journal for the Study of Spirituality is indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Is Journal for the Study of Spirituality open access, and what is the APC?
Journal for the Study of Spirituality is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC charged, amount not published.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .