Instructions for Writing Assignments:

Critical Book Review

(Iozzio Fall 2015)

First, do not use a cover page for this assignment.

Second, most assignments should be submitted double space (see specific directions below).
Third, every direct quote in your writing submission must be referenced and must include the
page where the quote can be found.

*** This assignment is double-spaced ***

Order:
Name, course #, and date at the top of the first page (left justified, single-spaced)

Following the above, the heading must conform to the formatting of the journal of your
choice.
Include your name and institution per the format of the journal (the reviewer’s
information may be provided at the start or at the end of the review)

Begin double spacing with your review (first line left justified, first lines of subsequent
paragraphs are indented 5 spaces)

Critical Book Review

Before you start to write your review, identify a journal for the style of review you will write and
read reviews from the journal of your choice. Recommended journals include: Theological Studies,
Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics, Louvain Studies, Theology Today, Journal for Peace and
Justice Studies … A review should not be, ordinarily, more than 750 words.

This assignment offers an opportunity to learn how to read and then write a critique of a text.
Critical reading is not reading with a view to nitpick or to criticize, rather, this kind of reading leads
to the reader’s learned evaluation/assessment of a text (that “learned evaluation” comes from
previous reading, coursework, personal history, and experience). This learning includes your
becoming familiar with book reviews as they are published regularly in those journals you will find
supportive of your work in theology and ministry.

The assignment has three objectives: first, to familiarize you with the resources that are available in
most academic journals and many popular magazines and newsletters; second, to ensure that you
are reading the assigned texts and/or one of your choosing; and third, to instruct you on how to
write a review and to encourage you to submit a review of a book that has interested you to a
journal or magazine for publication.

1. A critical book review is not a book report. A review presents a very quick summary of
the text and then offers a critique (hence, a critical review).

2. Do not present a chapter-by-chapter summary rather report on the content of the book as
you assess and evaluate its strengths and weaknesses. You may compare this text with a
text by different authors or with other writings by the same author. Among other ways to
 consider developing the review, you can think about how you have you been persuaded
by the author’s presentation.

3. Finally, provide comments on how clearly the text is written, what educational level is
presumed, how useful will it be to the professional, the teacher, the student, the minister,
and/or an interested lay person?