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The Thomas H. Olbricht Christian Scholars' Conference is an interdisciplinary conference in which faith is on the table, making it unique among academic conferences. Thank you for joining us for the 2024 conference at the Lanier Theological Library and Learning Center in Houston June 5-7.

The Lanier Theological Library and Learning Center hosted the 2024 conference in partnership with Lipscomb University. More than 300 scholars from across the country and around the world gathered to explore the theme, Hope Amidst Crises: Challenges, Opportunities and Collaborations.

Watch for more information about the 2025 conference which will be held at Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas June 4-6, 2025. Pepperdine University will host in 2026, Harding University in 2027 and Lipscomb University in 2028.

2024 Theme

Academic scholars from across the country and around the world gathered to explore the theme, Hope Amidst Crises: Challenges, Opportunities and Collaborations.

Building on this theme and emphasizing the interdisciplinary possibilities of the conference, the 2024 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.

2024 Featured Speakers

Esau McCaulley

Esau McCaulley

scholar, author, professor

Wheaton College

N.T. Wright

N.T. Wright

Scholar, Author, Professor

Oxford University

David French

David French

New York Times columnist, scholar

Lipscomb University

Mark Lanier

Mark Lanier

Attorney, Author, Teacher

Lanier Theological Library, Houston, Texas

Lynn H. Cohick

professor, author

Houston Theological Seminary at Houston Christian University

John Walton

Professor, author

Wheaton College

Charlie Styles

CEO, scholar

Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics

Mark Love

Professor, author

Rochester University

Jonathan Brant

Jonathan Brant

Scholar, Author

Wycliffe Hall, University of Oxford

View All Speakers

Call for Papers

The CSC invites submissions of papers and posters to be presented at the 2024 annual meeting. We seek proposals for more than 12 sections across the disciplines.

Submit a Paper

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.

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Sessions

Peer-reviewed and generative sessions cover a wide range of academic disciplines.

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Schedule

A variety of interactive paper, panel, poster, round table, and town hall sessions are planned and framed by featured speakers.

Learn More

“One of the most significant

and transformational annual events

among Christian colleges and universities.”

William Lofton Turner, Lipscomb University

“Christian Scholars’ Conference — a rather sedate title for an event

that features a live radio show, concerts, movie screenings, and talks

by a variety of distinguished international guests.”

Nashville Scene

“The CSC is one of the key places

where I’ve seen scholarly collaboration

between the disciplines.”

Alan Bradshaw, Lipscomb University

“People will see that the idea of being a serious intellectual and being a serious person of faith

not only are not in conflict with each other but also they complement and advance each other.

They allow us to ask the really hard questions and give us a framework for understanding the world.”

Tim Perrin, Pepperdine University

“The Christian Scholars' Conference brought together in one place a variety of comforts

that tend to be unique to such disparate venues as

corporate retreats, academic societies, and family reunions.”

Chapter 16

“It's a stereotype: Southerners are good at hospitality in part because we are

so good at glossing over the truth. ... This year's Christian Scholars' Conference made great strides

in adding truth-telling to a long tradition of Southern hospitality.”

Chapter 16

“I often tell people that the key to maintaining my sanity as a university administrator is to teach one

class each semester and attend the CSC. These two things keep me grounded in teaching and

scholarship and serve as a constant reminder of why I work at a university.”

Scott Billingsley, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

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CSC News
Mark Your Calendar
Mark your calendar for the 2024 Thomas H. Olbricht Christian Scholars Conference June 5-7, 2024 Hosted by the Lanier Theological Library and Learning Center Houston, Texas In partnership with Lipscomb University The Thomas H. Olbricht Christian Schol...
CSC News
N.T. Wright to return as featured speaker in 2024
Dr. N.T. Wright, fellow at the University of Oxford and one of the most important New Testament scholars of our day, will join us again for the 2024 conference. Dr. Wright is a first-rate academic who writes with clarity for both professional guilds ...
CSC News
McCaulley to deliver Gray Plenary
Dr. Esau McCaulley, author and associate professor of New Testament at Wheaton College, will deliver the eighth annual Fred D. Gray Plenary in Human and Civil Rights.  Dr. McCaulley’s research and writing focus on New Testament theology. He co...
CSC News
New York Times columnist, legal scholar David French to deliver 2024 Thomas H. Olbricht Christian Scholars’ Conference Frank and Della Pack Plenary Lecture
Dr. David French, New York Times columnist and distinguished visiting professor of public policy at Lipscomb University, will deliver the Frank and Della Pack Plenary Lecture at the 2024 Thomas H. Olbricht Christian Scholars’ Confere...
VIEW ALL NEWS
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Join us in 2024!

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James Cone with conferee at the CSC in 2017

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Pulitzer Prize winner Marilynne Robinson delivering the CSC plenary address

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Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), delivering the CSC plenary address.

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US Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith delivering the CSC plenary address

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David Brooks engaging conferees during breakfast at the CSC

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