International Association for the History of Religions

(Adopted by the International Committee of the IAHR on August 9, 2000 in Durban, South Africa; revised to accommodate constitutional changes adopted by the General Assembly of the IAHR on August 12, 2000; revised by the International Committee of the IAHR on May 10, 2003 in Bergen, Norway; revised to accommodate a new agreement with Brill on Numen by the International Committee of the IAHR on September 10, 2008 in Brno, Czech Republic)

The formal relationship between the IAHR and Brill concerning the publication of Numen was formalized in a contract in 1994. The main parties involved are the publisher and the Secretary General of the IAHR at any one time. The publisher publishes the journal after the receipt of the complete material for every issue from the Secretary General of the IAHR (article 2 of the contract). For matters of convenience, however, the delivery of the complete material for every issue is taken care of by the managing editors. The Executive Committee of the IAHR constitutes the Editorial Board of Numen, and the IAHR appoints the managing editors in agreement with the Publisher for a period of five years, renewable for a second period of five years, after which new editors shall be appointed. The managing editors edit the journal and act as representatives of the IAHR in all dealings with regard to the publication of the journal.

Members of the Editorial Board of Numen are appointed by the IAHR Executive Committee. As a rule the Editorial Board consists of the Executive Committee. The Managing and Reviews Editors are appointed by the Publisher on the recommendation of the IAHR Executive Committee, and the Publisher draws up separate contracts with these editors in conformity with the overall contract between the Publisher and the IAHR. The duration of the appointment of the Editor(s) will be stipulated in the contracts, but as a rule the period is 5 years. The judicial relationship between the IAHR and Brill is stipulated in a contract signed by the parties on December 7, 2007. The contract will be in force for a period of ten years from this date, i.e. until December 6, 2017.The agreement will be renewed automatically for ten years, unless notice in writing is given by either party at least twelve (12) months before the date of termination of the agreement.

The managing editors of Numen are chosen for their knowledge of the activities of the IAHR and commitment to its stated goals; their scholarly standing in the field; a senior position which allows some flexibility, access to facilities, time to travel; some possibility of delegating subordinate tasks; previous editorial experience; proven record of helpful collaboration with others; ability to work to deadlines; excellent command of English and some knowledge of other languages; and awareness of current debates in the study of religion.

The Editorial Board of Numen attempts to convene and meet with the managing editors once a year in order to receive the report of the managing editors and to discuss policy matters. The editors should feel free to consult the board and to draw on its expertise in terms of refereeing, guest editor spots, reviews, themes or any other matter that the managing editors might desire.

The minutes of the Executive Committee shall be circulated to the members of the committee and to the NUMEN Managing and Reviews Editors only. The minutes of the Editorial Board of NUMEN shall be circulated only to the members of the board, to the Managing and Reviews Editors, and to the Publisher. The ideal in terms of editorial change-over is that of alternate appointments of the editors so that only one editor retires at the end of each five year period in connection with the quinquennial congresses of the IAHR. The publisher is interested in only one change of address every 10 years, and wherever this is possible, the IAHR tries to meet this goal.

In addition to the managing editors, the position of a Review Editor was established by the Executive Committee at the Hildesheim meeting in May 1998. The review editor is appointed for a term of five years in all.

The contract with Brill also stipulates that the publisher pays the IAHR a small annual sum to be used at the discretion of the IAHR for expenses incurred by the managing editors and/or the Editorial Board.

Numen is the flagship of the IAHR. It has a proud tradition of quality and international coverage, and the editorial board is very keen on improving it in tune with current developments in the subject and in the IAHR organization. It is clear that Numen is indeed one of the best journals for the history of religions in the world and it represents, as well, a fine example of international cooperation.

To vist Numen's website, CLICK HERE