Academic Book Publishing - Generating Raw Material for my Proposal

This week I am asking myself questions that will lead to valuable book proposal material. If you are just tuning in, I'd like to direct you to my initial post where I described my project and noted the book where all these great "steps to publishing" are found.

Here are some of the questions I am asking and the first draft of my answers:

What made me interested in writing about this topic in the first place?

There is a growing realization that churches in Canada are shrinking and it is harder to find full-time pastors to lead them. Some qualitative research and autobiographical work has been done but very little research has looked at biblical and historical origins of multivocational ministry. I had a lot of questions about how early church leaders were supported and where the concept of full-time paid profession ministers came from. So, I set out to find answers. I am also a former multivocational pastor, so the project feels personal.

What people, places, and things do I describe in the book?

I look at Jesus, his disciples, the apostle Paul, other groups and associations, as well as the post-apostolic church. The context is largely the Greco-Roman world. I describe how they were paid and supported in their efforts to preach and teach.

Why should my research findings matter?

Most scholars see Jesus’ disciples as abandoning their trades and jobs to follow the saviour of the world. The apostle Paul on the other hand, with his commitment to tentmaking and self-support, is seen as an outlier. My research questions those traditional assumptions and invites scholars to take a step back and consider whether there might be other things at play. These findings are helpful as we wrestle with the decline in congregational support for pastors, leading to multivocational ministry becoming more mainstream. It is something of a return to what we see in the early church.

Who should read this book and how will they benefit from doing so?

While scholars will find my research intriguing, those educating pastors and ministers will find my book particularly intriguing. Academics interested in connections between biblical and practical theology and those educating pastors for ministry are my primary audience. I would also like to think that my book could be helpful for those considering or working in multivocational ministry but I am not sure.

What’s the main thing I want readers to understand when they finish my book?

Jesus, his disciples, Paul, and the early church leaders likely all worked at times. Some were more self-supporting than others but the idea of a full-time paid church leader was a foreign concept. Multivocationality was alive and well in the early church.

How did I conduct the research for this book?

I took a historical approach to my research, starting with a book about pastors in 19^th century North America and working my way backwards. When I arrived in the New Testament I decided to start writing. I draw on commentaries, books on Jewish and Greco-Roman culture, and biblical texts.

What does this book add to current scholarly conversations and even those happening beyond the academy?

The are current conversations happening about multivocational ministry but they are taking place among practical theologians. Good qualitative research is beginning (e.g., Tentmakers edited by Watson and Santos, Bivocational and Beyond edited by Darryl Stephens, etc.) but this field is lacking solid biblical and theological grounding. My book aims to bring biblical and theological foundation to those in the academy which will hopefully ripple to bolster the credibility for multivocational practitioners.

What makes this book special?

The book brings together new perspectives on ministry in the New Testament as a way to help contemporary educators and practitioners think about funding models for church leadership today.

Why am I the right person to write this book?

I am a scholar-practitioner. I’ve researched and written a book about online theological education where I took a historical-theological approach to pastoral education and provided recommendations for theological education today. I am also the dean of a seminary which houses a Lilly funded project which is designed to provide research and support for multivocational ministry.

What’s the most interesting story from my research and why is it interesting?

The discovery that the Tannaim, or rabbinic sages during the time of Jesus and the apostle Paul, would not accept money for teaching Torah. This finding allowed me to broaden my questions and look at familiar passages with a new lens.    

Anything else?

If it might be of interest, I would consider writing a series of books in this area. As I have already compiled an initial sampling of data, a second book would survey and discuss pastoral funding in the centuries between Constantine and today. A final book could address practical issues facing pastors, churches, denominations, and seminaries as this model of ministry becomes more mainstream.

Gathering submission information from target presses and determining my book's fit

In my ongoing venture of preparing to pitch my book to a publisher, I am starting to shift my attention from finding presses that align with my book's subject area to creating a digital file which includes email contacts and submission guidelines for each.

If you don't know anything about this process, let me enlighten you. It is probably important to know, not all academic presses operate the same way. Special shout out to Julia K. Kostova and Patrick H. Alexander who wrote a little book called Building a Scholarly Career: The ATS Guide to Religious and Theological Publishing. Kostova and Alexander describe in detail the many types of publishers in the field of theological publishing. Their book even includes a helpful 11 x 17 spider diagram outlining a taxonomy of presses. The book groups dozens of presses into nine different categories. Drawing on Kostova and Alexander's work I will describe only three of their categories, those most relevant to my project. 

Press Categories

1. University Presses

University presses, like Oxford or Cambridge, are not-for-profit publishers of scholarly books. They are committed to the process of academic peer review and potential books are approved by a board comprised of faculty members from the university. 

2. Non-denominational Presses

 

Non-denominational presses, such as Eerdmans, Baker Academic, IVP Academic, etc., are for-profit companies that are committed to religious and theological publishing. They are not affiliated with a specific denomination or religious group and usually publish both scholarly and non-scholarly books.

3. Commercial Religion

 

Commercial presses, like Wiley, Routledge, or Bloomsbury, publish religious and theological books as well as books in the social sciences and humanities. Their audiences can be quite large. They have traditionally focused on selling reference works to libraries.

Within each of these categories I compiled a short list of presses to approach. Getting to know each press gives me better sense of how my book might fit. This week I started drafting statements about how I think my book aligns with the mission and repertoire of each press.

Gathering Submission Information

With my narrowed list of presses I scoured each of their websites in search of two things: submission guidelines and contact names. I want to know what editors are looking for in a proposal package and who to contact when the time comes. While non-academic authors generally need an agent to pitch their work to a press, most presses accept unsolicited manuscripts from academic authors. Some publishing houses have generic email addresses and a bulleted list of items to include in the proposal; others have the names and contact information of their acquisitions editors, those who were work authors to bring new books into presses, for authors to contact directly. While all presses have acquisitions editors, some make it easier than others for new authors to contact them directly.

Did Paul really mean that church workers should "make their living from the gospel" in 1 Cor. 9:14?

I had the privilege of presenting some of my research findings on how pastors were paid in the New Testament at the Free Methodist Church in Canada's General Conference Toronto, ON this weekend. My presentation focused on answering the question posed in the title of this blog post. My short answer is no, the text does not mean what we have assumed. 

In short, here is how I supported my conclusion:

The text says, "In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel." (1 Cor. 9:14 NIV)

1. The Greek text is better translated, "from the gospel, live." In other words, Paul was not saying that gospel workers were supposed to be paid to preach. Rather, they were to be sustained by the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Dr. Jay Mowchenko

2. The surrounding verses and chapter are about eating and drinking. In those texts Paul specifically addresses the consumption of food sacrificed to idols. Therefore, I propose that Paul writes to clarify about receiving food and drink, and hospitality generally, not wages in this section of 1 Cor.

3. Referring to "the Lord's command," to which Paul refers, is somewhat unclear in it origins.  It could be oral tradition but it likely refers to Jesus' statement in Matt 10:10 or Luke 10:7. While these two texts vary somewhat, including the term used for "wages," the context appears to be related to receiving hospitality, including food and drink, for itinerant preachers. Whether Paul's Corinthian text is only related to itinerant pastors is a mystery to me right now. 

There is much more to unpack here; I'll save it for a future presentation. The conference was the first time I had the chance to expound on my tentmaking and multivocational ministry research for pastors and non-academics. I'm looking forward to future opportunities.      

Special thanks to my friend and Briercrest Seminary colleague, Dr. Jay Mowchenko with whom I had the honour of presenting. Our workshop was called CoVo: A History and Invitation to Thriving in CoVocational Ministry.

Multivocational Ministry Book Project

Back in November, 2022 I set out on a journey to research and write a book on multivocational ministry. This was my rough Table of Contents (without strike-throughs):

Chapter 1
Biblical accounts of multi-vocational ministry
Chapter 2
History of multi-vocational pastoral ministry
Chapter 3
The multi-vocational life: the types of pastors needed
Chapter 4
The multi-vocational church: preparing your congregation
Chapter 5
The multi-vocational denomination
Chapter 6
The multi-vocational seminary

Now, my first two chapters have become my whole project. After only a few months diving into the history of the pastoral vocation, I was excited to wake up early to read and write. I started with a book from my historian colleague, Alan Guenther, called God's Ambassadors: A History of the Christian Clergy in America, and worked my way backwards. In December of last year I arrived in the New Testament. I have unearthed fascinating findings that have lead me to question my previous assumptions about pastoral work and the early church. My current research question, did the apostle Paul intend for congregational leaders to be paid full-time by their churches? is being met with a tentative, not likely. But, I have more research to do. I'm not sure how far outside the first few centuries I will get but the biblical and contextual research I've already found are likely going to comprise my first two chapters.

 

My original ideas (chapters 3-6) could likely become part of a series of books on multivocational ministry. I am fairly confident that the biblical and historical story I've started to write, the evolution of the pastoral vocation from tentmaking to full-time profession, could easily be assembled into one book.

 

A few weeks ago I started listening to The Book Proposal Book: A Guide for Scholarly Authors by Laura Portwood-Stacer on Spotify. It is an excellent book and I am looking forward to implementing Portwood-Stacer's wisdom as I assemble my portfolio then reach out to presses to find someone to publish my work. I am hoping to start posting here more regularly about my progress toward the goal of finding a press to publish my work. Portwood-Stacer has an eighteen step process culminating in submitting a proposal to an academic publisher. This week I am working on Step 2: Research and Evaluate Target Presses. I have already signed up for press catalogues so I can get a good sense of my book's potential fit at each. Stay tuned and feel free to reach out and let me know if you find this helpful.

 

My Published Book - Glassroom Learning

Pickwick Publications just released my first book. Glassroom Learning: Virtual Culture and Online Pastoral Education is my reworked PhD dissertation in which I invite theological educators to consider the effects of technology on human formation when educating using Web-based systems.

Here's a fuller description:

Christian higher education institutions across North America are experimenting with radical shifts in educational content and delivery. Cyber education is becoming a common supplement or replacement for embodied learning, especially since the global coronavirus pandemic. Most theological educators have embraced the shift online, finding ways to leverage technology to enhance teaching; very few consider how technology itself impacts theological students, particularly those being educated for pastoral ministry. What effect do shifts toward online courses have on those enrolled in programs of pastoral formation? Are future ordinands being adequately trained? When developed well, Web-based learning can strengthen intellectual virtues. However, it can also inhibit character virtue formation and self-differentiation. Internet usage has been shown to negatively affect social well-being, resulting in higher rates of anxiety, depression, and isolation in students; furthermore, it alters behavior, making learners more distracted, less empathetic, and less able to concentrate and contemplate. Theological schools should, therefore, articulate clearer standards for student formation and strengthen aspects of embodied learning to prepare clergy for ministry in an increasingly complex church and world.

If you want a copy there are a couple of good options: 

Order directly through the publisher before October 1, 2023. (Tip: you can get 40% off by using the coupon code "Glassroom"). Here's a link: https://wipfandstock.com/9781666758498/glassroom-learning/

You can also get a copy through Amazon.ca or wherever you purchase you books.

 

Chaplaincy and Spiritual Care in the Twenty-First Century: An Introduction

 

I am scheduled to teach an in-person, graduate course on chaplaincy and spiritual care this fall. As part of my preparations I read a recently released book edited by Wendy Cadge and Shelly Rambo, Chaplaincy and Spiritual Care in the Twenty-First Century: An Introduction. It was such a good read I adopted it as a course textbook and wrote a review that was just published in the June 2023 edition of Religious Studies Review.

The editors divide the book into three sections based on the types of competencies required of chaplains: meaning-making, interpersonal, and institutional. Cadge and Rambo argue that today's spiritual care practitioners not only need to be equipped to assist people with traditional spiritual practices but also to come alongside others as reflective listeners navigating issues of suicidal ideation, trauma, and moral injury. The book's final section addresses the complexities of working within institutions as an organizational change agent. It's a thoughtful and somewhat provocative look at institutional power and the role a chaplain can play to bring balance and health.

If you want to read the full review it's available here. If you're interested in reading more about the upcoming class I'll be teaching, you can find additional information here.

Briercrest Seminary Discounted Tuition Offer

Here's something you might be interested in:

Briercrest Seminary is excited to announce specialized courses for everyone, and discounted tuition (or free coaching!) for those who have never taken a Briercrest College or Seminary course before.
 
Our goal is simple: we want to expand the reach of Briercrest Seminary, making it easy and affordable for pastors and laypeople to access courses taught by scholars with international reputations (such as New Testament professor Dr. Doug Moo), ministry practitioners (such as Forge Canada’s Dr. Cam Roxburgh), as well as our own gifted and extraordinary faculty. We also want to highlight classes that address current issues, such as Left to our Own (De)vices: Theology and Technology, Men and Women Leading Together, and Approaches to Supporting Clergy Well-being.
 
As with almost all our Seminary classes, these “special promotion” courses are weeklong intensives. Five of the ten are offered online and accessible across Canada, while the other five are offered in-person at our seminary in Caronport, SK.
 
You can view more information and register here. If you know someone in your network or church that might be interested, please let them know.