Being the editor of a publication is hard work.

Beyond mapping out the content, proofreading it and laying it out on the page, there are countless editorial decisions and editor-to-writer interactions that determine what is ultimately presented to readers.

It's a full-time job - in most instances.

However, in the case of academic journals, which engage scholarly subject matter authorities from around the world and serve small but deeply influential audiences, the herculean tasks at the top are often carried out by faculty who already have a full-time gig.

Such is the case for Hank Willenbrink, Ph.D., professor of English and theater at The University of Scranton, who recently put the finishing touches on his first issue as editor-in-chief of "Ecumenica: Performance and Religion."

"The major thing I feel is - well, it's a few things," Dr. Willenbrink said. "One, I feel immense gratitude to the people who gave up their time to contribute to it, everyone from the editors to the contributors and the peer reviewers. There's a lot of work that doesn't get seen and I really feel gratitude to everyone, including David Mason, who was the editor before me and kind of held my hand through so much of this.

"The second thing I feel is: it's just damn good scholarship. People are really bringing out their A-game. There are a lot of things in it that I find so fascinating. The different pieces speak to each other without knowing it."

The 122-page special edition, filled with book and performance reviews, essays and roundtable conversations, didn't come together overnight.

In some ways, it began in 2021, when Dr. Willenbrink's first contribution was published in "Ecumenica."

"'Ecumenica' was kind enough to work with me on that and it's really from there that we began a deeper connection," he said. "About a year ago, they wrote to me and asked if I would be interested in taking on the editor-in-chief role. I said, 'Yeah. Absolutely.'"

Contributors in the new issue are currently employed at colleges on the West Coast, in the Ivy League and even across the border in Canada.

"The runway for issues like this can be up to two years," Dr. Willenbrink said. "In this particular case, it was a bit more condensed, partially because of the editorial transition. We were really grinding on this about a year or less than a year."

Dr. Willenbrink describes "Ecumenica" as existing to probe the intersection between all kinds of performance and religion, two broad categories that open numerous possibilities he hopes to explore further in future issues.

"We're always accepting people to pitch ideas for contributions or academic essays," he said. "You know what they say about Motel 6: 'We'll leave the light on for you.' We've always got the light on for folks that are interested in writing."

For more information and to purchase the latest issue of "Ecumenica," please visit the Scholarly Publishing Collective.