Journal of Literary Theory Vol. 20, No. 2 (2026)

Anniversary Issue »20 Years of JLT«: What Does ›Literary Theory‹ Mean Today?

Submission Deadline: 15 January 2026

Call for Articles

What does ›literary theory‹ mean today? How is it practiced, what role does it play in various academic traditions, and how might this term be reconceived? In asking what is precisely understood by the term ›literary theory‹ today, a wide range of uses emerges. These vary, among other things, in how they determine the scope of the term, whether they use it descriptively, or as a value-laden expression, and how they understand its relationship to related terms. Despite the occasional claim of the ›end of literary theory‹, the excessive use of the term has watered down its meaning. Literary theory is regarded, for instance, as: a distinct field of study within literary studies; a systematic approach to literature as a subject or field of inquiry; a philosophically-driven approach to literary texts or literary phenomena; and/or a practice of ›theorizing‹ alongside other literary studies practices. However, it is also frequently connected with the transfer of theories from other disciplines to the subject of literature, or with any examination of literary texts or literary phenomena that draws on an existing literary theory or theoretical framework.

Some of these perspectives can be reconciled with each other; others are mutually exclusive or presuppose significantly different conceptions of ›literary theory‹. Considering this background, we regard it as productive to engage in a discussion that clarifies, compares, and critically evaluates the various approaches to ›literary theory‹ in use today. The aim is not to simply compare or contrast specific literary theories, but rather to explore the status, scope, and varying definitions of the term ›literary theory‹ and the vaster field of study to which it refers. In addition, this anniversary issue seeks to open up new perspectives on, and engagements with, ›literary theory‹.

The following bullet points are only intended as a rough outline of the subject area. Contributions that address other aspects of the field are, naturally, also welcome.

• Scope of the Term: In a narrow sense, ›literary theory‹< refers to specific theories, like discussions of ›French Theory‹ or ›Deconstruction‹, as subcategories within the field of ›(literary) theory‹ in general (cf. Williams 1996; Guillory 1993). This approach, which has also influenced the »After Theory« debate (cf. Eagleton 2003), frequently defines, sometimes also polemically, the scope of the terminology through historical examples. The opposite position encompasses a broader understanding, such as the assumption that the interpretation or reading of a literary text could already be recognized as a contribution to literary theory, if it is ›theoretically informed‹ and is carried out, for instance, through a gender perspective, a spatial theory, or a postcolonial approach. Literary texts themselves can also be classified as literary theory or theory-generating, if they allow for the extraction of general claims about literature (cf. e.g., Schilling 2015). Between these two points of opposition are terms that include systematic statements about the field of ›literature‹ as their subject. In terms of scope, one might ask: What subjects are considered relevant to literary theory, and for what reasons? What functions do overarching or narrow definitions of literary theory serve? Which texts or text types possess a potential for literary theory?
• Classificatory, Descriptive, and Evaluative Usage: ›Literary theory‹ is often used for classification purposes and, thus, to refer to structured, systematic, abstract, and general claims about the subject area ›literature‹ (cf. Köppe/Winko 2013, ch. 2). However, such an understanding of the term, which corresponds to a scientific-theoretical definition of ›theory‹, is rarely stated explicitly in contexts relating to literary studies. From this perspective, it is worth asking descriptively under what conditions we might refer to a literary theory, or reflect normatively on the conditions by which the term of literary theory is applicable. Further, ›literary theory‹ or, more broadly, ›theory‹ can also function as a value expression that is ideologically and emotionally charged and intended to encompass merely a select group of theoretical texts. In some cases, the term ›theory‹ is reserved for the programmatic texts from one’s own ›founders of discourse‹, such as texts from the Frankfurt School from the student movement during the 1970s or poststructuralist thinkers from the intellectuals of the 1980s (cf. e.g., Felsch 2015). Similarly, the term ›theory‹ may acquire characteristics that carry an evaluative position, such as being resistant or undermining toward existing institutions or traditions of thought (e.g., de Man 1986). What evaluative meanings are attributed to literary theories or the term ›literary theory‹, and what functions do these attributions serve?
• Relationship to Related Concepts:
  • ›Methodology‹: How is literary theory related to the methods of scholarly engagement about literature? Is it reasonable to assume that literary studies methods, such as methods of text analysis, must always be firmly grounded in a well-defined literary theory, as if following a textbook? A discrepancy between theoretical knowledge and methodological knowledge has often been apparent (e.g., Felski 2008), and praxeological studies also seem to suggest that literary studies has at least some methods at its disposal that remain unaffected by theoretical debates and are sometimes in conflict with explicitly-adopted theoretical assumptions (cf. Martus 2016). Nevertheless, the widespread belief persists that literary theories should be ›applied‹ in interpretative and literary-focused historical work and evaluated based on the effectiveness of such applications.
  • ›Positioning‹ and ›School of Thought‹: Scholars may be skeptical of the term ›theory‹ and prefer to use other, less presuppositional terms, such as ›position‹. Alternatively, they may approach the phenomena differently by placing greater emphasis on social relationships, referring, for example, to ›schools‹. What are the challenges of applying the concept of theory to literature? What are the advantages of an alternative form of classification?
  • ›Concept of Literature‹: A similar set of questions arises regarding the relationship between literary theory and the concept of ›literature‹, which is constantly being redefined or problematized, often without explicitly linking it to a literary theory (e.g., Bewes 2023). Does every concept of literature, even if only implicitly, rely on a literary theory? Can a literary concept replace literary theory?
• Genuine Literary Theory Formation vs. Theory Imports: In the history of literary theory, philosophy, sociology, psychology, cultural studies, and media studies in particular have served, and continue to serve, as major sources for theoretical frameworks. Can literary theories actually be shaped by theory imports from other disciplines (cf. e.g., Culler 2007)? What role do discipline-specific reflections play in theory formation? What role should they play?
• Literary Theory as Practice: Building on the JLT discussion in the special issue 18/2 The Practice of Literary Theory (Geulen/Martus/Spoerhase 2024), this Call for Articles invites a closer examination of the practices of theorizing about literature. What are ›practices‹ (and/or methods) of theorizing? Which theoretical markers appear in academic contributions/publications? How many of these markers are required to classify or consider a contribution as literary theory?
• Academic Cultures: Are there different disciplinary codes and contexts for engaging with literary theory? What influences might play a role here? For example, can we identify regional or national research traditions? That is, what do the very different lineages of transatlantic theory transfers (cf. Huyssen/Rabinbach 2017) reveal about conceptions of literary theory in Germany, France, and the USA?

The planned special issue is particularly closely linked to the profile of JLT. The question of what is actually understood as literary theory also has an impact on our editorial practice: JLT rejects a significant number of submitted articles, not because they are poorly written, but because, following our understanding of ›literary theory‹, they do not fit the journal’s focus. Many submissions concentrate on applying existing theories to literary texts and phenomena, but do not engage with literary theory itself. We are, therefore, particularly interested in a discussion that explores the different conceptions of ›literary theory‹ within the field.

Contributions have to be submitted by 15 January 2026. Please submit your contribution to the editorial office (JLT@phil.uni-goettingen.de).

Please note that articles that address topics on literary theory but do not respond to a specific call for papers, can be submitted to JLT at any time. They will be considered for publication for the general research section in one of the upcoming issues.

Articles are selected for publication in a double-blind peer-review process. Submissions will be evaluated by two reviewers, based on their originality and relevance to the focus of JLT. For further information, please visit the website of the journal (https://jltonline.de/) or the publisher (https://www.degruyter.com/journal/key/jlt/html).

The JLT publishes scholarly articles on questions of literary theory, the methodology of literary studies and the methods of scholarly interpretation of literary texts. In addition, articles exploring the history of disciplines concerned with literature and articles empirically examining the actual research practice of these disciplines are of interest. The JLT is open to interdisciplinary contributions that address questions related to literature and literary theory, including those from linguistics, digital humanities, media and cultural studies, sociology, philosophy, and the arts.

The JLT has a dedicated and exclusive theoretical focus. Case studies will not be considered for publication. Case studies are studies dedicated to individual authors, literary texts or problems of literary history. Even if such case studies address theoretical questions or methodological problems as a prerequisite for the actual investigation and even if, in a common understanding of the term, they ›apply‹ a given theory to a literary text or body of texts, the JLT is not the appropriate journal for them.

References

Bewes, Timothy, The Novel as a Challenge to the Concept of Literature, DVjs 97:4 (2023), 917–926.

Culler, Jonathan, The Literary in Theory, Stanford 2007.

De Man, Paul, Resistance to Theory, Minneapolis 1986.

Eagleton, Terry, After Theory, New York 2003.

Felsch, Philipp, Der lange Sommer der Theorie. Geschichte einer Revolte. 1960–1990, München 2015.

Felski, Rita, From Literary Theory to Critical Method, Profession (2008), 108–116.

Geulen, Eva/Steffen Martus/Carlos Spoerhase, JLT-Gespräch: Die Praxis der Literaturtheorie, JLT 18:2 (2024), 121–147.

Guillory, John, Cultural Capital. The Problem of Literary Canon Formation, Chicago 1993.

Huyssen, Andreas/Anson Rabinbach, Introduction: Transatlantic Theory Transfer: Missed Encounters?, New German Critique 44:3 (2017), 1–4.

Köppe, Tilmann/Simone Winko, Neuere Literaturtheorien. Eine Einführung, Stuttgart ²2013.

Martus, Steffen, Zur normativen Modellierung und Moderation von epistemischen Situationen in der Literaturwissenschaft aus praxeologischer Perspektive, Scientia Poetica 20 (2016), 220–233.

Schilling, Erik, Literatur als Theorie – Theorie als Literatur. Chancen und Grenzen literaturtheoretischer Komponenten in literarischen Werken, in: Andrea Albrecht et al. (Hg.), Theorien, Methoden und Praktiken des Interpretierens, Berlin et al. 2015, 609–633.

Williams, Jeffrey, The Death of Deconstruction, the End of Theory, and Other Ominous Rumors, Narrative 4:1 (1996), 17–35.

Please contact the editorial office if you have further questions:

JLT – Journal of Literary Theory
Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
Seminar für deutsche Philologie
Käte-Hamburger-Weg 3
37073 Göttingen, Germany
JLT@phil.uni-goettingen.de
https://jltonline.de/
https://www.degruyter.com/journal/key/jlt/html