Do you like to know what biblical scholars think about the writings of other biblical scholars? If you do, then you should know about the Review of Biblical Literature (RBL), a digital and print publication of the Society of Biblical Literature.
Search of RBL reviews with “Japanese” as keyword in review returns 25 titles
Here’s how RBL describes itself:
Comprehensive: RBL includes reviews of various topical studies, multi-author volumes, reference works, commentaries, dictionaries, bible translations, software, and other resources for the classroom and research. Multiple and contrasting reviews are often presented. The material reviewed and our reviewers come from varied academic, social, and religious perspectives.
International: RBL provides a forum for international scholarly exchange and cutting edge innovations with reviews of German, French, Italian, and English books as well as reviews in those languages. Our editorial board includes members from across the globe.
Timely: RBL produces reviews of the most recent titles in biblical studies, using the technology of the internet and allowing readers to stay current with the freshest trends in the field.
Authoritative: RBL reviews are written by the most qualified scholars available, whether a member of the SBL or the broader scholarly guild, and are vetted to ensure their quality by a highly regarded editorial board.
Follow the Review of Biblical Literature Newsletter
First of all, I recommend that you subscribe to the RBL Newsletter’s weekly email. Once a week, you’ll receive an email with links to RBL’s most recent reviews. You can read the reviews online or download the PDFs for printing or reading in an e-reader.
You can also subscribe to the Review of Biblical Literature Blog’s RSS feed. Just go to the blog and click on the RSS icon (on the left side, where it says “Subscribe in a reader”).
(By the way, subscribing to email notifications of blog posts and the RSS feed are also great ways to follow Japanese Biblical Studies.)
Search RBL Reviews and Read for Free
Would you like to read reviews of a particular book? You can search the Review of Biblical Literature database.
If the book has been reviewed, you can read the review(s) for free. RBL is one of the few journals in biblical studies that allows anyone to read reviews without paying a subscription or one-time fee.
Volunteer to Review
Would you like to review a book? You can volunteer as a reviewer if you are a member of SBL, have “completed or nearly completed graduate work in biblical studies or its related disciplines,” and are qualified to review the book in question.
A good place to begin is the RBL database, where SBL members can search for books currently available for review.
Submit a Book for Review
Are you the author, editor, or publisher of an academic book “relevant to biblical studies or its related fields” within the past 3 years? If so, you should submit a copy — or even better, two copies — to the editor of RBL.
If you are not sure whether or not the book is likely to be reviewed, you can check with the editor first.
