Conference brings Christian scholars to campus
Chris Pepple |
The 28th annual meeting of the Christian Scholars’ Conference will be held June 26-28 on the Lipscomb University campus. This year’s conference brings together scholars and practitioners to stimulate academic dialogue about the intersection of faith, academics and the public square. The conference theme, “The Christian Faith, Life of the Mind and the Public Square,” calls upon Christian scholars from a wide variety of disciplines in the liberal arts and sciences to present their own academic research and to reflect on the integration of scholarship and faith as both influence and are influenced by policy and politics. The Christian Scholars' Conference is expected to bring more than 250 scholars and leaders from around the country to the three-day event.
Featured speakers for the conference include Senator Bill Frist, former White House Press Secretary Michael McCurry, Stephen V. Monsma and Shaun Casey. Senator Frist’s keynote address titled “How Faith and Academics Have Shaped my Life in Public Service” opens the plenary sessions which are designed to bring together a diverse group of political and intellectual. McCurry, who served as the White House as Press Secretary to President Bill Clinton (1995-1998), as spokesman for the Department of State (1993-1995) and director of communications for the Democratic National Committee (1988-1990), will address the topic of “Recovery of Bipartisan Politics in the Context of Global Poverty.”
Former Tennessee Sen. Bill Frist
Shaun Casey, advisor to the Barack Obama presidential campaign
Michael McCurry, former press secretary for Pres. Bill Clinton
Stephen Monsma, research fellow at the Henry Institute
Monsma and Casey will dialogue concerning “How Christian Faith has Led Me to Activity in Public Policy.” Monsma is a research fellow at the Henry Institute for the Study of Christianity and Politics, Calvin College and a professor emeritus of political science at Pepperdine University where he was on the political science faculty from 1987 to 2004 and held the Blanche E. Seaver chair in social science. He is also a nonresident scholar at the Institute for Studies of Religion at Baylor University. He has published widely in the fields of public policy, church-state relations, and faith-based nonprofit organizations. Casey currently serves as an advisor to the Obama presidential campaign and is a Visiting Fellow at the Center for American Progress and Associate Professor of Christian Ethics at Wesley Theological where he directs the National Capital Semester for Seminarians, a Washington-based semester program in theology and public policy that is open to all seminary or divinity school students in North America.
While the plenary sessions stimulate academic interaction, at the heart of the Christian Scholars' Conference are its 50 break-out sessions which will feature more than 150 scholarly presentations during five time slots. Representing a variety of academic disciplines, typical sessions focus on three or four presentations with critical interaction, panel discussions or occasional discipline-appropriate performances.
On June 27, the Christian Scholars’ Conference will honor Carl Holladay for his significant scholarly contributions in biblical studies and his exemplary leadership in the academy. During a festive conference luncheon, Holladay will be presented with a Festschrift in tribute to his distinguished career. Holladay is the Charles Howard Candler Professor of New Testament Studies at Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta.
Holladay has authored numerous articles and books, including the four-volume Fragments from Hellenistic Jewish Authors and most recently A Critical Introduction to the New Testament: Interpreting the Message and Meaning of Jesus Christ. He continues to publish and is currently writing two other books, The New Testament as the Church’s Book and A Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles. His current research focuses on Luke-Acts; Judaism in the Graeco-Roman world; and Christology.
In cooperation with Festschrift editors Gail O'Day and Patrick Gray, selected Festschrift writers will present their essays during three breakout sessions. Convened by O'Day, Gray and Thomas H. Olbricht, these sessions will exemplify the academic rigor Holladay enjoys and commands and will include responses from the honoree. O’Day serves as the associate dean of faculty and academic affairs and A.H. Shatford Professor of Preaching and New Testament at Candler School of Theology at Emory University. Gray is assistant professor of religious studies at Rhodes College. Olbricht is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Religion at Pepperdine University.
To register for the conference, please visit csc.lipscomb.edu.