Greater Sum is a literary journal of prose and faith. We publish twice per year (spring and fall) in print and year-round on the website and through other mediums.
Mission
Greater Sum is based on the idea that Christianity and the arts need not be separate—that in fact neither is wholly complete without the other. The arts provide an important different method to express the glory of God, and we owe it to our fellow people—we owe it to God—to utilize it. The journal’s aim is to bring faith and art into the 21st century through great writing and experiments in publishing, distribution, and style. We believe that Christian artists have a duty to be on the forefront of the arts and technology.
Further, Greater Sum is about great prose and great faith, not one or the other. We do not publish mediocre work just because of its spiritual component, nor will we publish tremendously good prose if it lacks any spiritual substance.
This is not a journal specifically about theological aesthetics, though the academic study of art & faith is certainly an area of interest.
Why Greater Sum?
The name comes from the concept of synergy—that some creations are greater than the sum of their component parts. It speaks to the power that both faith and art have to bring out the best in each other.
Also, there’s some math geekery behind the scenes.
I’m not a Christian; can I submit or read the journal?
Please do. It’s important that art of faith not exist in a silo. While we have a clear mission, we’re not exclusionary. There’s no statement of faith required for our artists, and we seek to publish writing of such quality that it doesn’t require a background or interest in religion to be insightful and enjoyable.