Info For Book Reviewers

Writing Effective Reviews 

Book reviews serve two purposes. Firstly, they provide readers summaries of books’ contents and central argument(s). Scholars utilize these reviews to stay abreast of developments in their disciplines without reading every new book, so academic reviews must aspire to evenhandedness, concision, and accuracy. Secondly, book reviews offer readers critical analyses of presentations, methodologies, and arguments. An effective review will assist scholars in determining whether to read the book in full and provide a frame of reference for approaching the text—it is useful, for example, to know ahead of time if the author ignores important sources, employs logical fallacies, or presupposes a faulty methodology.  

Balancing the review’s purposes is vital. Excessive summary will leave readers informed of the content but unsure of the text’s quality; inordinate analysis will expose readers to the reviewer’s input without sufficient background in the text itself. With this in mind, reviews can take many forms and need not adhere to any one formula. For many reviews, however, dedicating the first two-thirds to summary and the last third to analysis will suffice. Alternatively, analysis can be woven into summary sections, so long as a proper balance is maintained between summary/analysis and objectivity/critical examination. In any case, fully trace the overarching argument of the book as the author develops it and establish whether this argument succeeds or fails, and why. One or two paragraphs of analysis, regardless of structure, will likely be insufficient.  

General Considerations

The chart images at the end of this document provide helpful categories to evaluate during the reading process. The final review should elucidate the following for the reader: 

  1. The book’s topic and genre, and how it fits in with (or diverges from) major conversations in its field.

  2. The book’s primary thesis and major sub-arguments.

  3. The book’s structure and how it facilitates the argument.

  4. To what extent the author succeeds in their aims, and why.

  5. The book’s significance and who, if anyone, would benefit from reading it (i.e., would this be helpful for a layperson struggling with doubt? An academic studying the Atonement? A pastor looking to broaden their knowledge of Church history? Are different sections relevant to different groups?).

  6. Any extra-textual details judged important for the reader to know (e.g., the author’s educational/work background, denominational commitments, methodologies, etc.).

Additionally, the following questions can help guide your analysis:

  1. Is the argument well-evidenced? Where empirical data is required to support the claim, and are high-quality sources cited?

  2. Does the author consider all relevant competing views/explanations?

  3. Are there underlying, unacknowledged commitments influencing the book?

  4. Are there unexplored implications in the author’s view? If so, do they change how you evaluate the view?

An informal but useful technique is to consider the objections/questions the author would least want somebody to raise.

Tone

Reviews should reflect formal academic writing. Do not use contractions, and avoid slang. When critiquing an author, avoid ad hominem, dismissive tones, and labeling the author with “-isms” in lieu of substantial engagement. By the same token, avoid excessive praise. It is extremely rare that a book published by a serious academic press will have no redeeming qualities or no weaknesses.  With these boundaries in mind, do not shy away from an honest evaluation. If the book has serious inadequacies or makes a significant contribution to the field, say so—just be sure to make an argument based on careful analysis. 

Quotes

Reviewers can strengthen both the summary and analysis by quoting important/representative passages where appropriate. Annotating the book while reading can assist in identifying relevant passages for the review, but remain judicious in determining the amount of space dedicated to quotes. 

Formatting Requirements

Note: The sample book reviews utilize different formatting.

Text

Reviews should be 1,000–1,250 words with single-spaced, 12-point, Times New Roman font. Do not indent the first paragraph but quarter-indent all subsequent paragraphs. 

Bibliographical Information

At the top of the first page, include the following information:

Author Last Name, First Name. Full Title: Subtitle. Location of Publication: Name of Publisher, Year Published. pp. lowercase Roman numeral introduction pages (if applicable), Pages in Main Text. $List Price (paperback/hardcover/digital). ISBN: XXX-X-XXXX-XXXX

Example: Brock, Brian. Disability: Living into the Diversity of Christ’s Body. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2021. pp. xii, 180. $21.99 (paperback). ISBN: ‎978-1-5409-6297-3.

After the bibliographical information, skip one line and begin your review.

Citations

Because reviews generally work with one book which has a complete citation at the beginning of the review, in-text citations require only a page number or range in parentheses. Punctuation always goes outside of the right parenthesis (e.g., Plantinga argues that “harpsichords are, despite widespread admiration, morally inferior instruments” (407)). When citing a page range, the second page number should include only digits that differ from the first (e.g., write (216–8) rather than (216–218)).

Reviewed By

After the review, skip one line and write in bold, right-aligned text:

Your First and Last Name

Degree Program Name

Your Institution

If you are not currently teaching or enrolled at an institution, include the institution where you received your most recent degree or leave the institution line blank. 

Publishing Process

No later than three weeks after the submission deadline, an editor will reach out with a publication decision. Contact submissions@theophron.org with your name and book review title if you do not receive an email decision within this period. 

Barring extenuating circumstances, all reviews will be published. Those reaching publication quality prior to the editors’ publication deadline will be included in the print and digital versions of Theophron. All others will feature in our online book review section.