About the Journal

MARGA is a peer-reviewed academic journal dedicated to critical engagement with theology, missiology, World Christianity, and religious studies from and for South Asia. It provides a forum for contextual, rigorous, and interdisciplinary scholarship that brings together biblical studies, systematic and constructive theology, history, practical theology, and the social sciences in order to address the complex realities of faith, culture, and mission in South Asian settings and among South Asian communities worldwide.

Aims & Scope

The journal exists to foster robust scholarly dialogue on Christian theology and mission in South Asia and within the South Asian diaspora around the world. It invites original research articles, critical theological reflection, case studies, and review essays that engage key questions of contextualization, interfaith encounter, church and society, religious pluralism, and cross-cultural mission practice. MARGA particularly welcomes contributions that draw on lived experience, empirical research, and historical analysis to illuminate how the gospel is received, interpreted, and embodied in diverse South Asian contexts.

Areas of interest include, but are not limited to, biblical and theological interpretation in South Asia; the history and theology of mission; public theology and social ethics; ecclesiology and discipleship; worship, spirituality, and pastoral practice; interreligious relations; migration and diaspora studies; gender and theology; and the interaction of Christianity with politics, economics, culture, and the arts across the region.

Editorial Board

The editorial board of MARGA comprises distinguished scholars and practitioners in theology, mission studies, religious studies, and related disciplines from across South Asia and the wider global academy. Board members bring expertise from a range of denominational, ecclesial, and academic traditions, reflecting the journal’s commitment to academically robust and contextually attentive scholarship. A full listing of the editorial board, with institutional affiliations and areas of specialization, will be published in an upcoming update.

Submission Guidelines

MARGA welcomes submissions of original, unpublished manuscripts that contribute substantively to the study of Christian theology and mission in South Asia and among South Asian communities globally. The journal publishes full-length research articles (typically 5,000–8,000 words, including notes and references), shorter theological essays, and critical book reviews (generally 800–1,200 words).

Manuscripts should be prepared in clear, idiomatic English and formatted according to the Chicago/Turabian citation style, using either notes and bibliography or author-date consistently throughout. Authors are requested to include an abstract of approximately 150–200 words and a short biographical note with institutional affiliation. Submissions are subject to a blind peer review process; identifying information should therefore be removed from the main manuscript file.

Completed manuscripts should be submitted to the editorial office via email, following the guidelines and instructions that will be provided on this page. By submitting to MARGA, authors affirm that their work has not been previously published and is not under consideration elsewhere.

Call for Papers

MARGA issues a standing invitation to scholars, theologians, missiologists, postgraduate researchers, and practitioners to submit original work that advances understanding of Christian theology and mission in South Asia. The journal is especially interested in contributions that bring together theological reflection and empirical research, and that listen carefully to the voices and experiences of Christian communities in the region and its global diaspora.

The journal will periodically feature themed issues that focus on particular topics or questions within theology and mission in South Asia. Specific calls for such themed issues, including deadlines and focal themes, will be announced separately on this page and through relevant scholarly networks.

Indexing & Abstracting

MARGA is in the process of being submitted for inclusion in major theological and religious studies indexing and abstracting services. Details regarding confirmed indexing partners and databases will be provided as they become available. The journal is committed to ensuring broad visibility and accessibility for its published work within both regional and global scholarly communities.

Contact

All general inquiries about the journal, including questions related to submissions, subscriptions, or permissions, should be directed to the editorial office of the South Asian Research Society for Theology & Missiology (SARSTM). Full contact details, including email address and postal information, will be provided on this page in due course.

MARGA: Journal of Theology and Mission in South Asia is published by the South Asian Research Society for Theology & Missiology (SARSTM).