Guidelines for Authors
Stylesheet
CBQMS Overview CBQ Imprints Overview
Queries or submissions are encouraged and may be sent to Richard J. Bautch,
General Editor, at richardb@stedwards.edu.
A Policy Governing the Series of Monographs
1. The Monograph Series
The series is understood to be an organ of The Catholic Biblical Association of America. Its editorial board is delegated by the Association to act in its name. The members of the board are not held to be individually responsible for the series, but are corporately responsible to the Association.
2. The Title of the Series
The official title of the series is The Catholic Biblical Quarterly -- Monograph Series. The official abbreviation is CBQMS.
3. The Character of the Series
The purpose of the series is to facilitate the publication of books of a specialized scholarly nature in the biblical field. It is envisaged that such a series would encourage work on technical, detailed subjects, even of a restricted scope.
The "biblical field" is understood in a broad sense, to include the kind of research related to the Bible that the CBQ publishes. The series is first and foremost to be an organ for the publication of manuscripts dealing with the exegesis of the Old and New Testaments. Monographs dealing with descriptive biblical theological topics would also be quite acceptable, on the understanding that such studies reflect competence in historical-critical scholarship exemplified by the series in general. Studies devoted to philological, text-critical, historical and archaeological problems of the OT and NT would be acceptable. The same applies also to studies in intertestamental literature (including the Dead Sea Scrolls and associated discoveries), apocryphal works (including early Gnostic material), and in the history of interpretation of biblical texts (providing that the study is devoted to biblical interpretation as such and not simply a patristic and scholastic work with biblical references). As for studies in linguistics, hermeneutics, comparative religions, Semitic philology, later Gnosticism, and Rabbinics, these are considered border areas for the series. Studies in these areas are not be excluded a priori; judgment regarding their inclusion is to be made by the editorial board on a case-by-case basis.
Some honorary volumes (or Festschriften) for major scholars in the CBA would be admitted (although such tributes may be more properly handled in an issue of the CBQ). Similarly, collections of essays of major scholars in the CBA would be admitted.
The monograph series is not envisaged as a venture in publishing doctoral dissertations. Doctoral dissertations may be submitted after a thorough revision reflecting the standards of published works.
4. The Format of the Monographs
The series is envisaged as a companion to the Quarterly, and it uses the same instructions as for contributors to the CBQ. No manuscript will be considered by the editorial board that has been submitted without regard for the instructions. Departures in format may be allowed in individual cases but only for good reason.
In principle, manuscripts are accepted in English only. The use of diverse fonts (Hebrew, Greek, etc.) in the biblical languages is admitted. Transliterations according to the instructions for contributors to the CBQ are to be followed.
5. Prospective Authors of the Monographs
The series is intended mainly to encourage scholarly studies of members of The Catholic Biblical Association. On occasion manuscripts by scholars other than CBA members will be published. In general, priority is given to the works by members. Submissions are made to the Editorial Board Chairperson.
6. The Editorial Board
When the series began in 1969, seven members of the CBA were appointed to the CBQMS board. They were chosen in view of their scholarly competence in OT and NT and in intertestamental literature. The original members of the board were R. E. Brown, S. S., Frank M. Cross, Jr., Joseph A. Fitzmyer, S. J. (editorial Chairperson), Dennis McCarthy, S. J., Roland Murphy, O. Carm., Bruce Vawter, C. M., and J. Louis Martyn. Since the time when the guidelines were first discussed at a meeting held at Woodstock College on 12 April 1969 (with all seven in attendance except for Martyn), the board has grown, matching the growth of primary sources and secondary literature in the biblical field. In recent years, the board has consisted of an editorial Chairperson and twelve other members.
According to the CBA Constitution, Article V, Section 7, the duties of the Chairperson of the CBQMS Editorial Board are to preside at meetings of the CBQMS Editorial Board, and to accept, after consultation with members of the board, manuscripts for the CBQMS and to prepare them for publication.
According to CBA Constitution, Article VI, Section 2, elected as specified in the By-laws and serve under the direction of the General Editor of CBQMS; their function shall be to assist the General Editor in planning and developing the series.
The editorial board functions in two major ways, first in the judgment of manuscripts submitted, and second in their production. At present, each manuscript is vetted by two members of the board who report on it to the Chairperson of the board (who may function also as a judge). If the two judges agree in accepting or rejecting a manuscript, it is accordingly accepted or rejected. If the two judges disagree, a third judge is sought. A judge may be sought from outside of the editorial board, especially in the case of a work where special competence not covered sufficiently by the membership of the current board is required. In difficult cases, the judgment of the board may be canvassed. At present, the Chairperson of the board is responsible for the task of copy-editing manuscripts accepted in the series. The Chairperson may seek the assistance of a board member in preparing a manuscript for publication.
At present, the Chairperson is nominated by an ad hoc search committee set up by the Executive Director. The membership of the search committee for a new Chairperson is to include substantial representation of current board members, unless they are unavailable. Former board members are also recommended for the task. The editorial Chairperson is elected by the Full members of the CBA for a four-year term, as stated in By-law 3.5.6.
At each annual general meeting at least four Associate Editors of the CBQMS, upon recommendation by the Editorial Board, shall be elected by the majority vote of the Full Members for a term of four years. Associate Editors may not serve more than two consecutive terms, as stated in By-law 3.5.7.
7. The Finances of the Series
The funds for financing the series are supplied by the CBA, through the CBA Office. In principle, no financial contribution would be asked from the author of a manuscript that is accepted. However, this might be done if the manuscript requires an extraordinary amount of copy-editing or difficulty in printing. At the time of publication, authors receive six free copies and the right to purchase additional copies at 40% discount.
Ordinary expenses (stationary, postage, telephone calls, etc.) of the members of the board, when engaged in the monograph series work, will be reimbursed. The Chairperson receives an annual stipend (at present, $2000) for work on the series. Expenses incurred for work for the CBQMS are to be reimbursed to the Chairperson.
8. Contract and Copyright
The Executive Director will arrange a contract between The Catholic Biblical Association and the author of each volume accepted for the CBQMS. The Association will take out the copyright of the work in the United States of America in the name of the Catholic Biblical Association of America, and will pay a stipend for all rights of publication of one dollar ($1.00) to the author. If the Association decides to take the book permanently out of print, the rights will be returned to the author.
9. Imprimatur
If the subject of the monograph requires an imprimatur or imprimi potest, the individual Roman Catholic author will have to pursue it.
10. Printing and Distribution
At present, printing is arranged by the Executive Secretary of the CBA. Volumes are sold through the office of the CBA in Washington.
August 10, 2002 (updated in accord with the Constitution and By-Laws approved in 2014)
Stylesheet
Guidelines for Bibliography
CBQ guidelines (see STYLESHEET) apply to the text of CBQMS and Imprint volumes. The following guidelines are intended to clarify the format for bibliography for CBQMS and imprint volumes.
1. The format of the bibliography follows the CBQ format for footnotes as closely as possible. Alternative formats (such as the “social science” format listing works by title and year) are not to be used, unless permission is granted by the General Editor of the CBQMS (for good reason).
2. The abbreviations for the names of series and journals are to follow CBQ format. Series and journals not covered by the CBQ format are to be spelled out. As a related matter, authors are asked to provide a list of abbreviations in the front matter. Even when the author follows the CBQ guidelines it is preferable to have such a list so that readers of a CBQMS volume have the abbreviations readily at hand.
3. It is preferred that first names of authors be spelled out. Some authors consistently list their initials on the title page of their books or articles. In such cases, initials are acceptable. E.g., C. K. Barrett. (See CBQ Instructions, paragraph 21.)
4. The editor for a volume is to be indicated by “Ed.” followed by the name (not “Edited by…”). The same applies to a translator, hence “Trans.” plus name. In the case of multiple editors, “Ed.” is also to be used.
5. Volumes with a single publisher published in multiple locations are to be entered as follows: “Oxford/New York: Oxford University Press, 2000” and not “Oxford and New York: Oxford University, 2000”. Entries with “University” as the publisher should have “Press” also (there are occasions when universities have subinstitutions other than the University Press that produce the publication), e.g. Oxford/New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. (For details about how to list the names of publishers, see CBQ Instructions, paragraph 22.)
6. Translations of ancient authors are to be listed under the name of the ancient author:
Aeschines. The Speeches of Aeschines. Trans. C. D. Adams. LCL. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1919.
Apuleius. Metamorphosis (Or: The Golden Ass). Trans. J. Arthur Hanson. LCL. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1989.
Epictetus. Works. Trans. W. A. Oldfather. LCL. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1961.
SAMPLES:
Bassler, Jouette M. “The Galileans: A Neglected Factor in Johannine Community Research.” CBQ 43 (1981) 243-57.
Horgan, Maurya P. Pesharim: Qumran Interpretations of Biblical Books. CBQMS 8. Washington: Catholic Biblical Association of America, 1979.
Olsson, Birger. Structure and Meaning in the Fourth Gospel: A Text-Linguistic Analysis of John 2:1-11 and 4:1-42. Trans. Jean Gray. CBNT 6. Lund: Gleerup, 1974.
Pitt-Rivers, Julian A. “Honour and Social Status.” In Honour and Shame: The Values of Mediterranean Society. Ed. J. G. Peristiany. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1966. Pp. 19-77.