Aims and Scope
The Journal of Textual Reasoning (JTR) is a peer-reviewed open-access journal dedicated to advancing new avenues of contemporary Jewish thought that emerge in dialogue with classical Jewish texts and methods of study. We foster academic work that responds to contemporary needs while attending to the fabric of Jewish traditions of interpretation and philosophy.
The JTR aims to promote a capacious vision of what Jewish thought is and can be. We value scholarship that employs a wide range of methodological strategies and subverts categorical distinctions, such as those between text and philosophy, theory and practice, or the critical academy and religious communities. Because this kind of work often blurs the boundaries of traditional academic disciplines, the JTR welcomes open-ended or experimental pieces from scholars venturing beyond the conventional domain of their discipline.
The JTR emerged out of Textual Reasoning, an experimental practice of Jewish text study that attempted to renew the dialogical spirit of rabbinic thinking. This commitment to dialogical reasoning infuses every aspect of the JTR's work. Issues of the JTR often take the form of a lively symposium featuring a core article with responses from a range of perspectives. We strive to provide a forum for scholars to test out new ideas in a collegial and constructive environment. The JTR welcomes contributions that generate conversation and invite commentary.