Socio-Historical Examination of Religion and Ministry, Volume 2, Issue 1

Socio-Historical Examination of Religion and Ministry (SHERM journal) is a biannual, not-for-profit, free peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes the latest social-scientific, historiographic, and ecclesiastic research on religious institutions and their ministerial practices. SHERM is dedicated to the critical and scholarly inquiry of historical and contemporary religious phenomena, both from within particular religious traditions and across cultural boundaries, so as to inform the broader socio-historical analysis of religion and its related fields of study. The purpose of SHERM is to provide a scholarly medium for the social-scientific study of religion where specialists can publish advanced studies on religious trends, theologies, rituals, philosophies, socio-political influences, or experimental and applied ministry research in the hopes of generating enthusiasm for the vocational and academic study of religion while fostering collegiality among religious specialists. Its mission is to provide academics, professionals, and nonspecialists with critical reflections and evidence-based insights into the socio-historical study of religion and, where appropriate, its implications for ministry and expressions of religiosity.

Darren M. Slade is a published theologian from Denver, CO who holds a BA from the University of Northern Colorado (Theatre Arts) and two masters' degrees from Liberty University (a Master of Arts in Theological Studies and a Master of Divinity). He is currently a doctoral student at Liberty University, working towards a PhD in Christian theology and apologetics. His research into the influence of schismatic Christologies on the development of Islam, as well as the ancient church's inconsequential views on the mode of baptism, were recently published by the academic journal, American Theological Inquiry.