Ellen Charry of Princeton to keynote 2018 SCJ Conference; 2017 conference highlighted by SCJ 20th Anniversary Dinner
For the first time, Emmanuel Christian Seminary at Milligan College will host the 2018 Stone-Campbell Journal (SCJ) conference on Friday, April 6 and Saturday, April 7 on its Johnson City, Tennessee campus.
The theme “Theology of Others: Judaism, Islam, and “None-of-the-Aboves,” will be developed by Ellen Charry, Margaret W. Harmon Professor of Theology, Princeton Theological Seminary; Evertt Huffard, Dean, Harding School of Theology, and Richard Knopp, Professor of Philosophy & Christian Apologetics, Lincoln Christian University.
Charry will present “‘The Wall of Hostility has come Down’: Reconstructing the Theological Relationship Between Judaism and Christianity.”
Huffard will present “Allah is God: A Theological Challenge for Muslims and Christians;” and Knopp will present “Understanding and Engaging the ‘Nones.’”
Preparations for the 2018 event are underway, and the formal call for papers has opened. Related papers or papers on other biblical, theological, or historical topics are sought from scholars and student scholars for parallel sessions. Send paper title (no abstract needed) to Stewart Penwell, Conference Parallel Paper Coordinator, at stewart.penwell@scinternational.org by January 20, 2018.
The first 35 paper topics submitted are guaranteed a slot after which availability will limited. Additionally, 16 study groups welcome inquiries. Information regarding paper and study group submissions at www.stone-campbelljournal.com.
The 2018 Student paper competitions will occur in three categories: Junior/Senior; M.A./M.Div., and Restoration (Isaac Errett Award from the Disciples Historical Society). Contact Les Hardin (lhardin@johnsonu.edu) immediately to indicate interest and to obtain the competition rules (also available on the SCJ website) for the undergrad and grad competition, and also receive information on the $2500 scholarship available to both undergrad and grad winners. For the Isaac Errett competition, contact Newell Williams (n.williams@tcu.edu). The winner receives a cash award. Submissions for all student paper competitions are due December 15, 2017.
2017 SCJ Conference a Success
SCJ’s 2017 conference, “Communicating the Old Testament,” gathered nearly 250 scholars and students from 48 different colleges, universities, and graduate schools in 14 states to Johnson University’s Tennessee campus in Knoxville.
The conference featured Ellen Davis, Amos Ragan Kearns Distinguished Professor of Bible and Practical Theology at Duke Divinity School; Chris Heard, Associate Professor of Religion, Pepperdine University, and Jason Bembry, Professor of Old Testament, Emmanuel Christian Seminary at Milligan.
Davis presented “The Practical Value of Old Testament Exegesis” and “Telling the Story for this Time and Place.”
In addition, Heard presented “Drowning in Cuteness: How the Flood Became a Children’s Story,” and “The Lord Chooses How the Dice Fall: Using Games to Teach Old Testament.” Bembry presented “The Old Testament Prophetic Tradition – Wide A-‘woke in America.”
These lectures were complemented by more than 80 papers presented by established and emerging scholars in parallel sessions and 13 study groups, as well as the annual student paper competitions.
For the first time, the winners of both the undergraduate and graduate divisions of the Student Paper Competition were from the same institution: Lincoln Christian University. Jonathan Totty won the graduate division with his paper “Irenaeus On the Economy of God” (Sponsor: Steve Cone). Kory Eastvold won the undergraduate division with his paper “’What, Then, Shall We Say?’: The Interpretation of Romans 4:1” (Sponsor: Frank Dicken).
Continuing a program launched in 2016, winners were each awarded a $2500 scholarship to one of 10 participating institutions affiliated with the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement, along with a year’s subscription to SCJ, registration at the 2018 SCJ Conference and a cache of books from participating publishers.
The 2017 conference highlight was the 20th Anniversary Celebration and Awards Dinner. The evening included reflections from the original six editors plus awards for various articles in the 20 years of SCJ. Among the 14 awards presented was the SCJ’s inaugural Lifetime Achievement award presented to Robert B. Hull, Professor of New Testament, Emeritus Emmanuel Christian Seminary at Milligan College.
Two of the main session papers will be published in upcoming issues of SCJ. Ellen Davis’ paper on Old Testament Exegesis will be available in November in SCJ 20.2. Chris Heard’s flood presentation will be published in spring 2018 in SCJ 21.1.
Stone-Campbell Journal (SCJ) is a peer-reviewed journal published twice annually by Stone-Campbell International, a nonprofit formed in 2005 to serve the church and promote its unity through the advancement of scholarship within the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement. In addition to publishing SCJ, Stone-Campbell International also annually sponsors the SCJ Conference each spring. For more information, visit www.stone-campbelljournal.com.
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EDITOR’S NOTE: For more information, please contact SCJ Director of Communications Joni Sullivan Baker at 513/319-3231, jbaker@buoyancypr.com