Journal profile · RELIGION
Stellenbosch Theological Journal
ISSN 2413-9459 · eISSN 2413-9467 · Pieter de Waal Neethling Trust, Stellenbosch · South Africa
Stellenbosch Theological Journal: CAS Zone 4 · Philosophy (2025 upgraded edition); fully open access; APC charged, amount not published; review about 12 weeks (community reports); 43 articles in 2025; indexed in ESCI.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Stellenbosch Theological Journal is published by Pieter de Waal Neethling Trust, Stellenbosch and is in Zone 4 of Philosophy in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Christian Theology and Mission, Religion, Society, and Development and Biblical Studies and Interpretation, together about 53.4% of its articles. Its main subfields are Religious studies and Sociology and Political Science. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Stellenbosch Theological Journal (STJ) – previously known as the Dutch Reformed Theological Journal (NGTT) – is a multilingual, South-African theological journal that aims to serve academy, church and society with high-quality academic contributions. The journal has deep roots in the Reformed tradition that stretch back to the 19th century. STJ sees being Reformed as participating in a dynamic and living tradition with a strong commitment to responsible Biblical interpretation, critical engagement with the past, ecumenicity, a practical-theological focus and a unique emphasis on the public character of theological reflection. Hosted at the Faculty of Theology at the University of Stellenbosch, STJ is serious about being situated in Southern Africa and the African continent while simultaneously being aware of the global challenges for theology today. In light of these remarks, we welcome submissions to STJ from scholars in all the theological sub-disciplines, as well as from related disciplines. We hold the view that interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research can bring further depth and renewal to our theological reflection. As an academic theological journal, we are committed to sound academic practices, such as a thorough peer review system and internationalisation. As a multilingual journal, we consider articles in English and Afrikaans. Dutch articles are also published on occasion, and it is furthermore our hope that the capacity will grow to publish articles in other African languages in the future. STJ commits itself to make the articles published in STJ, and its preceding journals, as accessible as possible. Under the editorship of Gerrit Brand (2011-2013) NGTT became an open access journal, and we are committed to making the various editions of NGTT – and now also STJ – accessible to a broader public, thus contributing to the wider dissemination of academic theological research. We are currently digitalising the articles of NGTT, and you can visit the NGTT archive on our webpage for the articles since 2002. We hope to make all the NGTT editions available in the future, as well as articles from some of the older journals that are part of this trajectory. Overview and aim of Section Practical Theology In 2007, consultation between the editors of the journals Practical Theology in South Africa and HTS Theological Studies began with the possibility of uniting in their endeavours to be one theological research portal. In 2009 these discussions end
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): RELIGION
Editor-in-chief Robert VoslooPublisher website
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Christian Theology and MissionArts and Humanities22.8%
- Religion, Society, and DevelopmentSocial Sciences16.2%
- Biblical Studies and InterpretationArts and Humanities14.4%
- Pentecostalism and Christianity StudiesArts and Humanities7%
- African cultural and philosophical studiesSocial Sciences4.6%
- South African History and CultureSocial Sciences3.1%
- Theological Perspectives and PracticesSocial Sciences2.8%
- Religion and Sociopolitical Dynamics in NigeriaSocial Sciences2.5%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Philosophy Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Philosophy | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Religion | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Philosophy Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Philosophy | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Religion | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
Database indexing
ESCIDOAJLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
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
- h-index
- 15OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 39OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 0.47OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 50%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 97.8%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 40LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 767 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 40 | 40 | 2 |
| 2025 | 43 | 43 | 35 |
| 2024 | 74 | 74 | 37 |
| 2023 | 75 | 75 | 71 |
| 2022 | 71 | 71 | 77 |
| 2021 | 92 | 92 | 130 |
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
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 12 weeksLetPub ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 12 weeksDOAJ ·
- Peer review
- Double anonymous peer reviewDOAJ
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
Fully open accessDOAJ
Every article is open access; authors usually pay an article processing charge (APC).
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOAJ | ZAR 7,000 | No | CC BY | |
| LetPub | ZAR 7,000 | No | — | |
| Publisher website | Yes, amount not published | — | — |
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)
What to prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 100–150 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 6,000 words
- Reference style
- Harvard
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteLicense & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Plagiarism
- License & copyright Copyright Notice
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms: Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal. Authors are able to enter into separate, additio…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open Access Policy
Stellenbosch Theological Journal is an Open Access journal which means that all content is freely available without charge to the user or his/her institution. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author. This is in accordanc…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer Review Process
After the initial acceptance of a manuscript, it will be sent to at least two appropriate referees for a double-blind peer review. This means that authors do not know the names of the reviewers and that the reviewers do not know the names of the author(s). Once the manuscript has been peer-reviewed, the article and referee reports will be returned to the author. Reviewers may also provide comments…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Plagiarism Plagiarism Policy
Plagiarism screening via Turnitin and manual editorial review; submissions with unresolved plagiarism concerns will be rejected. Model summary
Stellenbosch Theological Journal is committed to upholding the highest standards of ethical conduct in scholarly publishing. Plagiarism, the act of presenting someone else's work, ideas, or words as one's own without giving proper credit or obtaining appropriate permission, undermines the integrity of the academic community and is strictly prohibited.
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
- Pieter de Waal Neethling Trust, Stellenbosch
- Country or region
- South Africa
- Language
- English, Dutch, Afrikaans
- ISSN
- 2413-9459
- Electronic ISSN
- 2413-9467
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 12, Issue 1 (2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Aims & Scope ↗LetPub
- APC information ↗DOAJ
- Open access statement ↗DOAJ
- License & copyright ↗DOAJ
- Peer review process ↗LetPub
- Editorial board ↗LetPub
- Plagiarism policy ↗DOAJ
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Stellenbosch Theological Journal
What CAS zone is Stellenbosch Theological Journal in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Stellenbosch Theological Journal is in Zone 4 of Philosophy, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Religion. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 4 of Philosophy. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
How long does peer review take at Stellenbosch Theological Journal?
Authors report an average review time of about 12 weeks. 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.
What are the manuscript requirements of Stellenbosch Theological Journal?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 100–150 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Manuscript length: ≤ 6,000 words; Reference style: Harvard. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Which databases index Stellenbosch Theological Journal?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Stellenbosch Theological Journal is indexed in ESCI and DOAJ.
Is Stellenbosch Theological Journal open access, and what is the APC?
Stellenbosch Theological Journal is a fully open-access journal. APC charged, amount not published.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, DOAJ, Publisher website; 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 2026-08-25). Last updated: .