From the editor, Nancy Nason-Clark

Sociology of Religion, Fall, 2004

September is the time of new beginnings--for students and faculty alike. Students sign up for our courses and faculty get back into the routine of regular office hours and ongoing preparations for their classes. Some of us make mental notes of things we wish to change--term papers graded more quickly, lectures more engaging, student problems understood more clearly, journals read from cover to cover, and so on. It is this last point, not surprisingly, that I want to highlight for a moment. In this issue, our readers should find material to enhance their lectures and stimulate their research and writing. In keeping with our tradition, the current articles in Sociology of Religion challenge scholar and teacher alike to look for what might be hidden from public view.

Themes of marginalization and private religious practices weave their way through the various articles presented in the pages to follow. Two of the articles consider the interface of gender (Gallagher) or race (Alumkal) in contemporary evangelical discussions. Two others consider the impact of spiritual experiences: in the workplace (Grant) or in the construction of privatized religion (Laubach). A final paper (Walters) examines agency and structure in the medieval ecclesia as it incorporated the feminine voice of Juliana.

As you begin the term, after a summer of writing, we would love to receive your very best manuscripts. Or, as you are drawn back to your office, you locate a paper you were asked to evaluate, we would love to receive your review. As always, we invite any feedback you wish to pass along to the editorial team.