OPEN ACCESS JOURNALS

Many of us who live on the African continent struggle to find access to good sources for our studies, even those of us who have access to one of the better academic (university or seminary) libraries. So to help all of us out, we’ve compiled a list of open access (or partially open access) journals that are pertinent to our studies. (“Open Access” means legally free PDF files are available.)

First, be aware of ACTEA’s own journal. The English-language title is African Christian Theology; it is also known as Théologie Chrétienne Africaine in French and Teologia Christã Africana in Portuguese.  The journal is available at https://AfricanChristianTheology.org.

Second, here are four sites that list a wealth of of journals concerned with Africa, many of which (not all) are open access (note well that many of the journals listed pertain to fields beyond the scope of theological education):

• Sabinet African Journals, https://journals.co.za/
  See also at this site African Journal Archive
• AJOL (African Journals Online), https://www.ajol.info/
• AOSIS, https://aosis.co.za/
• UNISA Press Journals, https://upjournals.co.za/

Next, here are specific journals of which all theological libraries and institutions in Africa should be aware (listed alphabetically):

• ACTA Theologica

• Africa Journal of Evangelical Theology (AJET)
  The first 34 volumes (1990–2015) of this journal have been made available.
  Vols. 1-8 (1982-1989)
  Vols. 9-20 (1990-2001)
  Vols. 21-30 (2002-2011)
  Vols. 31- (2012-2015)
  NB:  For more recent issues (2016–present), you will have to visit a library that has paper copies of the journals.

• African Theological Journal for Church and Society

• BOTSA: Bulletin for Old Testament Studies in Africa
  Edited by Professor Knut Holter, this was published from 1996–2006; from 1996–1999 it had been entitled Newsletter on African Old Testament Scholarship

• Conspectus: The Journal of the South African Theological Seminary

• E-Journal of Religious and Theological Studies (ERATS)
  Published monthly online from Ghana, ERATS publishes research articles and book reviews in the field of Religious and Theological Studies pertaining to: African Traditional Religion, Biblical Interpretation, Biblical Translation Studies, Christian Education, Church History, Church and Society, Comparative Study of Religions, Ecocriticism, Ethics, History and Mission, Inter-religious Dialogue, New Testament, Old Testament, Pentecostal Studies, Theology, Wisdom Literature.

• HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies

   

• Ilorin Journal of Religious Studies
  Published in Nigeria.

• Impact: Journal of Transformation
  Published by Africa International University in Nairobi

• In Die Skriflig / In Luce Verbi 

   

• International Journal of African Catholicism (IJAC)

   

• Journal of African Studies and Sustainable Development (JASSD)
  Published in Nigeria.) Many of the articles published by JASSD are well beyond the scope of the concerns of this group; many articles, however, are pertinent to African Christian theology in either theory or praxis.

• Missio Africanus: Journal of African Missiology

• Missionalia: Southern African Journal of Missiology
  Note that only issues from 2013–present, starting with vol. 41, are available online.

• Old Testament Essays

• Scriptura

• ShahidiHub International Journal of Theology & Religious Studies
  Published in Kenya; ACTEA’s executive director, David Tarus, is on the editorial board. 

• Stellenbosch Theological Journal

• Studia Historiae Ecclesiasticae

• Theologia Viatorum

   

• Transform: A Journal of Biblical, Theological, and Practical Studies in the Wesleyan tradition
  Published jointly by a group of 15 Wesleyan institutions in Burundi, Eswatini, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

• Verbum et Ecclesia