Call For Papers

• Kathy Pulley, Missouri State University, Emeritus, Chair, kathypulley@missouristate.edu

• Scott Billingsley, University of Alaska Southeast

• Christina Littlefield, Pepperdine University

• Douglas Foster, Abilene Christian University, Emeritus

• James Gorman, Abilene Christian University

• Richard Hughes, Lipscomb University, Emeritus

• Loretta Hunnicutt, Pepperdine University

• Lana Lockhart, Spelman College

• Corey Markum, Freed-Hardeman University

The American Religion Section of the Christian Scholars’ Conference offers generative and panel sessions by invitation from the AR Committee. The AR section also offers traditional peer review sessions open to individual scholars.

Our “Call for Papers” solicits individual papers for peer review sessions for the June 9-11 meeting at Harding University. Special consideration will be given to proposals intersecting with the overall conference theme, “The Truth Shall Set You Free.” Topics explored might include (but are not limited to): justice struggles by or within faith traditions; illumination of lesser-known liberative voices or figures within American Christianity; contested visions or articulations of “truth” in American religious history, or consideration of the various ways that race and/or gender shape understandings of freedom and truth in an American Christian context.

Papers related to the Stone-Campbell Movement are particularly encouraged, whether fitting under this year’s theme or more broadly considered. Proposals should include an abstract of approximately 500 words. The deadline for submission of proposals is December 31, 2026. If proposals are accepted, participants will be notified by February 15, 2027. The due date for final papers to be submitted is April 24, 2027. Presentations should be approximately 15 minutes in length and if accepted, will undergo peer review by at least two readers and receive a formal response. All program participants must register for the conference. 

Please send proposals through the conference website form. Questions may be directed to Corey Markum (steering leader, cmarkum@fhu.edu).

• Micki Pulleyking, Missouri State University, Chair, mpulleyking@missouristate.edu 

• Sara Barton, Baylor University

• Claire Davidson Frederick, Abilene Christian University

The Arts and Spirituality Section of the Christian Scholars Conference is soliciting papers for the June 9-11 meeting at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas.

Our section reflects upon the theological and deeply complex human truths found in the works of artists, musicians, writers, storytellers, preachers, poets, painters, filmmakers, and

architects— illuminating the ways art and spirituality point to a reality beyond themselves.

Each year, we have a session entitled “Icons of the South”. For example, in the past, we have celebrated the work of Johnny Cash, Will Campbell, and Dolly Parton. (We would welcome scholars of others like Flannery O'Connor or Martin Luther King, Jr.) We will plan for one section here.

Proposals should include an abstract of approximately 300 words. The deadline for submissions is December 31, 2026. Presentations should be approximately 15 minutes in length. All program participants must be registered for the conference. Please send proposals through the conference website form. Questions can be directed to mpulleyking@missouristate.edu.

Participants will be notified by mid-February 2027 of the status of their submission.

• Mac Sandlin, Chair, mssandlin@harding.edu

• Keith Stanglin, keithstanglin@gmail.com

• Rachel Gould, rachel.gould@pepperdine.edu 

• Jim Baird, jim.baird@oc.edu 

In an age of hyper-specialization, this section calls scholars across a range of disciplines to return to the broad and enduring questions at the heart of a liberal arts education:

1. Who is God?

2. Who are we?

3. What matters?

4. What are our responsibilities?

5. How do we know what we know?

The goal of the section is to draw from the full sweep of the academy to provide new and compelling responses that open into more questions, deeper exploration, and greater insight.

Applicants should compose an original scholarly essay of 3,000–5,000 words on one of the questions above. The section is intentionally interdisciplinary, and scholars from all areas are welcome to draw on their particular field of study as they engage the topic. As this is a blind-review section, identifying information should be confined to the title page. The committee will select one paper on each question and invite the author to present in one of two sessions at the conference. All five of those papers will later be published together with an introductory essay in a special issue of "The Journal of Christian Studies". The committee will also select the best essay for special recognition and a cash prize of $1,000.

The Bioethics section invites proposals for the 2027 Christian Scholars’ Conference. We welcome papers on any topic in bioethics, including theological and ethical examinations of healthcare, biotechnology, human flourishing, and the beginning and end of life. Special consideration will be given to papers engaging the conference theme, “The Truth Shall Set You Free.”

Interested applicants should submit an abstract of approximately 300 words, along with the title of their presentation, using the form on this webpage. Proposals should be submitted by the end of February, and notification of acceptance will be given by the end of March. All presenters must be registered for the conference. Questions may be directed to Daniel Crouch (dcrouch1@harding.edu).

Nearly 100 Years of "Brave New World": Aldous Huxley's dystopian novel, "Brave New World", is nearing its 100th anniversary.  Papers will examine the book in terms of its social prophecy, its contribution to theories of technology, its theological implications, ethical implications, and more broadly philosophical implications (including environmentalist, feminist, or other ideological perspectives), as well as its aesthetic value.  Submit a 300-600 word abstract to the form below by December 15, 2026. Questions can be directed to Nick Boone (nboone@harding.edu).

• Chris Barker, Harding University

• Russell Dabbs, Lubbock Christian University

• Carol Lusk, Lipscomb University

This is a call for papers, panels, and posters for the Business and Economics section of the 2027 Christian Scholars’ Conference, to be held at Harding University, Searcy, Arkansas, June 9-11, 2027.

We invite business & economics faculty and doctoral students to submit papers in any related field, including basic discovery, teaching, and applications. We especially encourage submissions related to the conference theme, “The Truth Shall Set You Free: Expertise, Humility and the Purpose of Scholarship.” Possible topics may include, but are not limited to:

• Business Ethics/Ethical perspectives and reasoning/Virtue ethics for business and economics

• Social responsibility of business

• Business, Christianity, and culture

• Purposeful Business and Business as Mission (BAM)

• Information systems/AI/Big data

• Economic development

• Livable world - environmental sustainability and earth care

• Leadership

  •  Women in leadership

  • Spirituality and leadership—including servant leadership

  • Leading social enterprises

  • Next generation leadership/Leadership development

  • Business skills for church leaders

• Teaching 2027

  • Impact of generative AI in the classroom and on higher education generally

  • Innovative teaching methods

  • Opportunities and roadblocks in curating community in the classroom and beyond

  • The state and future of higher education

  • The state and future of Christian higher education

For all proposals, please submit abstracts (maximum 300 words) by February 1, 2027 via the form below; under Section, select Business and Economics. All abstracts will undergo blind review. Notification of acceptance will be given by February 15. For questions or more information, contact Russell Dabbs (russell.dabbs@lcu.edu) or Carol Lusk (carol.lusk@lipscomb.edu).

As scholars and teacher of literature, we are attuned to the ways texts across genres, periods, and places train us to listen carefully and to enter into the vital and liberating work of rigorous questioning. Storytelling and poetic form afford unique opportunities to encounter truth not merely as abstract doctrine, but as a means for illuminating reality and re-imagining the world. Given this year's conference theme, we invite proposals that center literature as sites as truth-telling and aesthetic ways of knowing. Participants are welcome to consider:

• In what ways do aesthetic forms reveal dimensions of reality that conventional discourse overlooks?
• How do writers across different traditions portray themes of light, transcedence, or illumination, and how do these motifs shape the reader's capacity for ethical and spiritual attention?
• How might literature expose mirages of truth through sustained, critical inquiry?
• How might a commitment to truth-telling alter our pedagogical approaches, encouraging students to ask bolder questions and seek deeper understanding?
• How does reading train us to see cultural or historical realities that have been previously overlooked? How might literary study encourage intellectual humility and listening to marginalized voices?

Please submit 300-word abstracts to Rachel Gould, Eric Bontempo, and Jon Singleton by January 15, 2027. Notification will be given by February 15, 2027. Graduate students are encouraged to submit. Please send any questions to Rachel Gould at rachel.gould@pepperdine.edu.

In keeping with this year’s conference theme, “The Truth Shall Set You Free,” we welcome proposals that consider how truth is sought, discerned, taught, embodied, contested, and practiced within both ecclesial and academic contexts.

This section is especially interested in papers that bring together the concerns of congregational practitioners and academic scholars. How do churches and universities understand their respective callings to truth? What forms of truth-telling are needed in congregations, classrooms, communities, and public life? How might ministers and academics collaborate in the service of truth that liberates rather than diminishes, heals rather than harms, and forms communities in the way of Christ?”

Please submit your proposals no later than December 31, 2026. You will be notified by the committee no later than February 15, 2027.

• Wes Crawford, Abilene Christian University, Chair, twc99a@acu.edu

• Joel Anderson, University of Arkansas, Little Rock, Chancellor Emeritus

• Stanley Talbert, Pepperdine University

• Claire Davidson Frederick, Abilene Christian University

The struggle for civil rights in America is, at its core, a story about the gap between promise and reality — between the soaring ideals enshrined in founding documents and the brutal machinery of exclusion that has defined so much of this nation’s history. Slavery, segregation, racial terror, and systemic inequality have not been aberrations in the American story; they have been woven into its fabric. The wounds inflicted by the Middle Passage, Jim Crow, the Klan, lynching, racially motivated assassinations, and mass incarceration have not healed on their own — they were, and continue to be, contested at great cost by those who refused to accept that this is all America could be.

This year, with the Christian Scholars’ Conference convening in Arkansas, we especially welcome papers and panels that illuminate civil rights histories and contemporary struggles rooted in Arkansas and the American South. The soil of this region has been both a site of profound injustice and remarkable courage — from the Little Rock Nine to the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee’s organizing in the Delta, from Daisy Bates to Fannie Lou Hamer. We invite scholars to recover, examine, and amplify these stories.

All papers centering on the topic of civil rights — past or present, regional or national — will be considered. Special preference, however, will be given to those studies and sessions that engage civil rights histories and movements connected to Arkansas and the American South, as well as papers that speak to the ongoing struggle for civil rights in our present moment.

Please submit your proposals via the form below no later than January 20, 2027. You will be notified by the committee no later than February 15, 2027. For questions or more information, contact civilrightschristianscholars@gmail.com.

Joi Carr, Ph.D., Pepperdine University, joi.carr@pepperdine.edu

In light of this year’s conference theme, “The Truth Shall Set You Free,” we invite proposals that explore the ways truth is represented, pursued, interpreted, communicated, challenged, and experienced through the study and practice of film.

This section welcomes contributions that are interdisciplinary, bridging film and creative media studies scholarship with other disciplines. Submissions should consider: How do films and other forms of media define, question, and reveal truth? What role do cinema and media arts play in shaping our understanding of reality, identity, memory, and justice? How do filmmakers engage in truth-telling through visual storytelling and narrative? In what ways can film expose injustice, challenge dominant perspectives, foster empathy, and encourage critical reflection on the human experience? How do film narratives exploit theological or religious subtexts, motifs, symbolism, or myth? Consider aesthetic language, film form and content, including any national cinemas, commercial or independent.   

Submissions beyond this specific scope are welcomed.

For questions or more information, contact Joi Carr (joi.carr@pepperdine.edu).

Submission Guidelines:

• Proposals must include the name, title, and institution.

• Bio length:100- 200 words 

• Abstract: 300-350 words

• Submission Deadline: January 15, 2027, via the conference form below. Notification will be sent no later than February 15, 2027

Theme: "The Truth Shall Set You Free"

The Health Sciences Section invites abstracts for oral presentations for the 2027 Christian Scholars Conference at Harding University. As a growing section, we welcome submissions from across all healthcare, public health, nursing and allied health disciplines. Our goal is to cultivate a vibrant, interdisciplinary community of scholars who reflect on the intersection of healthcare, scientific truth, and Christian faith.

In keeping with the conference theme, "The Truth Shall Set You Free," and CSC's mission of faith integration, we seek proposals that explore how scientific truth and Christian faith intersect to promote healing, human flourishing, and ethical practice.

We invite submissions on topics including, but not limited to:

• Primary Research & Clinical Practice: Original empirical or clinical research across healthcare fields.

• Faith & Healthcare Integration: Exploring the integration of faith, spiritual care, or Christian worldview in clinical practice or public health.

• Ethics & Truth in Health Sciences: Navigating bioethics, scientific integrity, evidence-based truth vs. health misinformation, or human dignity in care.

• Pedagogy & Formation: Innovative teaching strategies, clinical education, or nurturing Christian formation in future health professionals.

• Interprofessional Collaboration: Cross-disciplinary approaches to addressing complex health challenges.

Submissions outside these specific topics are also warmly welcomed.

Submission Guidelines:

• Proposals must include the name, title, institution, and bio for all presenters.

• Bio length: 100- 200 words (for each presenter)

• Abstract: 250–300 words

  • Abstract Format: Abstracts should clearly communicate the purpose or central question, approach or framework, key findings or insights, and relevance to health sciences and/or faith integration.

• Please indicate whether you would prefer to present for the full concurrent session (75 minutes) or are willing to present for a half-session (35 minutes).

• Review Process: All submissions will undergo a peer-review process.

• Submission Deadline: January 31, 2027

GENESIS 11:10–25:11 

The “Hermeneutics of Unity in and after Scripture” section explores the hermeneutics of unity involved in the reception of earlier texts by later ones within the biblical corpus, as well as by other authors and communities in Second Temple Judaism, early and medieval Christianity, and more contemporary periods. Across this literature, focused attention is given to the nature of the hermeneutic employed to foster and protect continued unity within each respective interpreting community. 

The section conceives of “hermeneutics” in a general sense that includes specific exegetical techniques but also directs attention to the presuppositions or worldviews that direct the applications of these techniques. Because “unity” has various conflicting definitions, the section welcomes explorations of these various kinds of unity, their promises, and their problems. The section further welcomes explorations of the hermeneutics of unity, whether that unity moves toward positive ends (e.g., orthodoxy, orthopraxy) or negative ones (e.g., slavery, segregation, anti-Semitism). 

ADDITIONAL SECTION DETAILS AND CALL FOR PROPOSALS 

This year’s papers treat the reception of Gen 11:10–25:11. Having addressed

• Gen 12:1–6 in 2026

• Gen 14 in 2025

• Gen 16 in 2023

• Gen 19 and 22 in 2024

This year’s sessions will particularly focus on Gen 11:10–32; 12:7–13:18; 15; 17–18; 20:1–21:7; and 23–25:11. 

The volume from the group’s sessions on Gen 1:1–11:9 is now in print as Reading for Unity in Genesis 1:1–11:9 (Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2026), and the publisher has expressed interest in partnering on further volumes in the sequence. So, paper drafts delivered at the conference should be of (nearly) publishable quality. Final essays will likely be of 7500 words (+/- 10%). In addition, although the section is addressing issues that have long been central to the Stone-Campbell tradition, participants should address their essays to a more general audience. 

The conveners will both invite participants and welcome unsolicited proposals by submission to the form below. Unsolicited proposals submitted via the form should include a title and an 85–100-word abstract. For questions or more information, contact david@jdavidstark.com or doden@harding.edu.

Section Chair: Keith Stanglin (Center for Christian Studies and Harding School of Theology)

For this peer-reviewed session at the 2027 Christian Scholars Conference, the editors of the Journal of Christian Studies invite papers on the topic of “Christianity, Science, and Scientism.” 

The session aims to include three presentations that should address one or more of the following questions:

What is the relationship between science and Christian faith? Is it true, as Richard Dawkins has claimed, that there is deep conflict between true science and Christian faith, or, as Alvin Plantinga has claimed, that there is deep concord?  To what extent may we “trust science”? What are the limitations of science and the scientific method?  How does true science point us to God?  The approach in your article may be biblical, historical, theological, philosophical, sociological, or any combination thereof.

This is not an exhaustive list of questions but is meant to indicate the sort of inquiry we invite on

the topic. We seek well-balanced, philosophically informed, and theologically sensitive approaches to these questions, drawing from various fields of expertise. Also, because the journal’s motto is “scholarship for the church,” the moral and pragmatic questions as they relate to the church are foremost.

To submit a paper, please send an inquiry first, with title and abstract (ca. 150 words) to the form below by January 15, 2027. The deadline for receiving papers is March 15, 2027. Selections will be based on the editorial team’s evaluation of relevance, quality, and potential fit as an article in JCS. Selections for the conference session will be made by April 1, 2027. Please contact Keith Stanglin with further questions.

Accepted presenters may be invited to submit their contribution as an article in the Journal of

Christian Studies special issue on this topic. The Journal of Christian Studies is dedicated to scholarship for the church and is indexed in ATLA Serials. Final articles should be between 3,000 and 6,000 words. For questions or more information, contact the editor, Keith Stanglin (stanglin@christian-studies.org)

The New Testament Section of the CSC invites papers for the 2027 Christian Scholars Conference. Special consideration will be given to proposals on the conference theme, “The Truth Shall Set You Free.”   

For all proposals, please submit abstracts (approx. 300 words) by Dec. 31, 2026 using the form on this webpage. All program participants must be registered for the conference. Notification of acceptance will be given by April 1, 2027.

Dr. Nate Wiewora, Harding University, Chair

The Open Sessions section of the Christian Scholars’ Conference invites proposals for scholarly papers and generative sessions across disciplines. We welcome submissions on a broad range of topics, particularly those that do not fit within the scope of the conference’s other designated sections. Proposals may explore questions related to scholarship, faith, culture, and the human experience from a variety of disciplinary perspectives.

Proposals related to the conference theme, “The Truth Shall Set You Free,” are especially encouraged, though submissions on other topics are welcome.

Please submit proposals through the conference website form. All proposals will be reviewed for scholarly quality, relevance to the purpose of the Christian Scholars’ Conference, and fit within the conference program. All program participants must register for the conference.

For questions or more information, please contact Dr. Nate Wiewora (nhwiewora@harding.edu) at Harding University.

• Alden Bass, Lipscomb University

• Jeff Childers, Abilene Christian University

• Tera Harmon, Abilene Christian University

• Laura Locke Estes, Pepperdine University

The Patristics Section of the Christian Scholars’ Conference (June 9–11, 2027) issues a call for papers pertaining to the field of Patristics. We particularly encourage papers that address topics related to the early Christian reception of biblical models and teaching about prayer, or early Christian prayer practices, but other topics are also welcome. This open session will coincide with the annual Everett Ferguson Lecture in Early Christian Studies, to be given by David G. Hunter.

Faculty members may submit proposals of 300-400 words describing the aim and scope of their papers. PhD students are invited to submit complete papers of approximately 10 pages, double-spaced. All proposals will be considered by a peer-review committee, which will organize one or more sessions, depending on the number and quality of proposals received.       

Please submit proposals to the form below no later than January 27, 2027. Paper proposals should include the title of the paper and a brief bio of the author, which will appear in the CSC program if the paper is accepted. We will notify you whether your paper is accepted by February 26, 2027. For questions or more information, contact Jeff Childers (childersj@acu.edu).

Chair

Matthew D. Love, Ph.D., Harding School of Theology, mlove1@harding.edu

Call for Papers

The practical theology section invites submissions of abstracts for individual scholarly papers as well as proposals for generative sessions on topics and questions related to intersections of theology, ministry, practice, and experience. Session proposals can be for traditional paper presentations, roundtables, or book review panels. Previous topics have included worship, liturgy, and the arts; spiritual formation; missiology; ecclesiology; pedagogy; pastoral care; homiletics; church leadership; and faith and trauma. Proposals that address the conference theme are particularly encouraged, as well as those that include diverse voices and interdisciplinary representation.

In order to receive full consideration, paper abstracts and session proposals should be submitted by Dec. 11, 2026. Abstracts and proposals undergo a peer review process and are accepted based on merit, appropriateness to the conference theme and purpose, and the availability of space in the overall conference program. 

Purpose

The practical theology section of the Christian Scholars’ Conference exists to encourage research and engaged reflection about the integration of theology and practice. It explores the ways that theology is shaped by place and time, as well as one’s personal and social actions and habits. It seeks to discover new possibilities for enacting theological reflection within diverse contexts of ministry and life. The practical theology section invites peer-reviewed and generative sessions that deal with such topics as homiletics, worship, ministry education, pastoral care, missions, and spiritual formation.

The Sciences section committee welcomes abstract submissions for oral presentations from scientists working in the natural sciences and mathematics. Presentations of 10 to 12 minutes in length on current or recently completed work will be followed by 3 to 5 minutes for questions. PhD and Master's candidates with substantial, in-progress work completed are encouraged to submit as well. Abstracts should be 250 to 300 words and should explicitly state how your topic contributes something new to science or mathematics.

Because this section encompasses several scientific disciplines, make sure you use language that will be intelligible to non-scientists and scientists outside of your specific discipline. Preference will be given to papers connecting their work with the 2027 conference theme "The Truth Shall Set You Free." For all proposals, please submit abstracts by March 1, 2027, via the form below. Notification of acceptance will be given by March 26, 2027.

The Theology & Philosophy section of the CSC invites papers for the 2027 Christian Scholars’ Conference. 

Theology 

Papers or panels on any topic in theology are welcome, but special consideration will be given to theological topics that address the theme of theology and the pursuit of Truth. What are the sources of theology, and what norms help to adjudicate theological claims? How ought we to understand the nature of theological language, especially along cataphatic and/or apophatic lines? How does the person, context, and character of the theologian enter into the nature of the theological task? 

Submission guidelines: Interested applicants should submit (i) a 500-word abstract and presentation title (the name of your file should be the title of your presentation) and (ii) a cover letter including your name, institutional affiliation, position at your institution, email address, and the title of your paper.

These should be emailed to john.kern@pepperdine.edu. To be eligible for consideration, abstracts should be .doc or .pdf format and should be prepared for blind review by removing any personally identifying information. Accepted presenters will be given 15-20 minutes to present their papers to be followed by 10 minutes of Q&A. The submission deadline is March 9, 2027 (11:59 pm EST).

Authors of accepted papers will be notified by March 23, 2027. Any relevant questions should be directed to John Kern (john.kern@pepperdine.edu).

Philosophy

Papers on any topic in philosophy are welcome, but special consideration will be given to (1) papers that engage the ideas or history of the Stone-Campbell Movement, or (2) papers on the conference theme, “The Truth Shall Set You Free.”

Submission guidelines: Interested applicants should submit (i) a 500-word abstract and presentation title (the name of your file should be the title of your presentation) and (ii) a cover letter including your name, institutional affiliation, position at your institution, email address, and the title of your paper. These should be emailed to derek.estes@pepperdine.edu. To be eligible for consideration, abstracts should be in .doc or .pdf format and should be prepared for blind review by removing any personally identifying information. Accepted presenters will be given at least 15-20 minutes to present their papers to be followed by 10 minutes of Q&A. The submission deadline is March 9.

Authors of accepted papers will be notified by the end of March. Any relevant questions should be directed to Derek Estes at derek.estes@pepperdine.edu.

Click here for information on this section's purpose.