ABSTRACT
Descriptive and analytical studies of magazines associated with religious movements or denominations dominate published scholarly research. Concern for social justice and good works toward others is a prominent theme in many religious publications. Religious publications have encouraged advocacy on behalf of the poor, activism for human rights and analyses of political and social issues. The role of women in the leadership of male-dominated religious groups remains a continual topic of study for scholars. Religious magazine editors, always working with limited budgets and the threat of extinction, face even greater headwinds in the future. The Internet may pose the biggest challenge to the future of religious magazines. Fruitful research can continue to be conducted in topic areas such as how personal and corporate identity is shaped by religious publications and how those publications help readers negotiate the seeming dichotomy between personal piety and social action.
