The Thomas H. Olbricht Christian Scholars' Conference is an interdisciplinary conference in which faith is on the table, making it unique among academic conferences. We encourage you to make plans to attend the 2026 conference, which will be held on the campus of Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA on June 3-5, 2026. More than 300 scholars from across the country and around the world will gather to explore the theme, On Earth as It Is in Heaven: Christian Scholarship as Tangible Good.
Watch this space for the conference's call for papers and sessions, which will launch in Fall 2025. Please note that Harding University will host the CSC in 2027, and Lipscomb University will host the conference in 2028.
2025 Theme
Academic scholars from across the country and around the world gathered to explore the theme, Curating Community: Recovering our Connections in a Divided World, on the campus of Abilene Christian University in Abilene, TX.
Building on this theme and emphasizing the interdisciplinary possibilities of the conference, the 2025 CSC provided research and resources for facing contemporary challenges, but with special emphasis on the central place that collaboration holds in our efforts to meet those challenges.
2025 Plenaries and Endowed Lectures
Shirley Hoogstra
Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU)
Linda Livingstone
Baylor University
Phil Schubert
Abilene Christian University
Gerald Turner
Southern Methodist University
Robert P. George
Princeton University
Cornel West
Union Theological Seminary
Beth Allison Barr
Baylor University
Benjamin Espinoza
Riverstone Church
Octavio Esqueda
Biola University
John Barton
Pepperdine University
Gina A. Zurlo
Harvard University
Victor H. Matthews
Missouri State University
Speakers
Interact and engage with leading thinkers, from Pulitzer-Prize winners to U.S. Poet Laureates, in addressing multi-disciplinary issues at the forefront of scholarly dialog.
Special Lunch
This year's conference will include an honorary lunch for Dr. Larry Long, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of English and Provost Emeritus at Harding University.
Schedule
This year's conference includes six plenary sessions and nearly sixty concurrent sessions.
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