We are thrilled to announce that this year’s Landon Saunders’ lecturer on “the Human Being: the Nexus of World and Faith” will be James K. A. Smith, professor of philosophy at Calvin University. Trained as a philosopher with a focus on contemporary French thought, Smith has expanded on that scholarly platform to become an engaged…

Registration for the 2023 CSC is Open! Register Here Mark Lanier to Deliver 2023 Frank and Della Pack Plenary From the beginning of our 42-year-old conference, rhetoric has played a critical role. No wonder, since this academic discipline dates back to the ancients and the founder of the CSC, Thomas H. Olbricht, earned his PhD…

Everett Ferguson will be celebrating his 90th birthday on February 18th with a reception at the Hillcrest Church of Christ Family Room from 2 – 3:30 in Abilene, Texas. For those outside Abilene and unable to attend, Ann Doyle and Everett’s family welcomes notes, stories or remembrances which may be sent to Ann by email…

Over the course of several years N.T. Wright has been on the shortest of short lists to present a plenary lecture at the CSC. I am very pleased to announce that we’ve finally secured N.T. Wright as the Abraham J. Malherbe plenary in the closing slot at the 2023 CSC! Wright served as Bishop of…

I am delighted to announce that Dr. Willie James Jennings will deliver the seventh annual Fred D. Gray Plenary Lecture at the Thomas H. Olbricht Christian Scholars Conference on June 9, 2023 at the Lanier Theological Library and Learning Center in Houston, TX, presented by Lipscomb University. Dr. Jennings is currently Associate Professor of Systematic…

This email is our long-awaited announcement that we now have secured the venue and date for the 2023 CSC, whose theme will be “What Will Be Our Future?” I am pleased to say that our site will be in Houston, Texas at the Lanier Theological Library and Learning Center (pictured below). The construction of the…

We mourn the passing of Jan Randolph and grieve with her husband, Bob. For almost forty years Jan Randolph mentored scores of students and hundreds more through Harvard and the Brookline Church of Christ, “creating and nurturing an intellectual and Christian community” for the benefit of countless communities around the world. Jan served as assistant…

On the evening of May 23 Dr. Catherine Meeks and David Brooks, together at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C., will address the topic “Love Thy Neighbor: Building Stronger Communities.” The dialogue will be live streamed around the world. I am alerting you to this event for two reasons. The first is Brooks and Meeks’…

The CSC is a “family of scholars” that honors the highest level of academic achievement and enjoys collegial company. Scholars from Dartmouth, Yale and Harvard to Pepperdine, Harding and Lipscomb Universities gather for serious academic engagement and honest critique in a spirit of genuine kindness. More than 80 peer review, generative, round table and performance…

Legal scholars explain that the First Amendment has never been static, that it is open to interpretation, and that interpretations have changed over time. Nevertheless, we are currently in the midst of a particularly acute stage of interpretational contestation. The 14th annual Robert and Bonnie Cone Hooper Plenary at the CSC will explore what it…