Updated 2/20/2013
Calls for Papers
Before and After the Emancipation Proclamation: Antebellum Literature/the Literary Marketplace from Reconstruction Through World War I
When Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation 150 years ago, he sought to stake out a higher moral ground for the Union in response to what James Madison called the “original sin” of America—slavery. The following two sessions will feature papers that examine literary representations of ethical issues created by slavery and racism; presenters may focus on any literary genre(s) (novels, short stories, plays, poetry, slave narratives, essays, sermons, diaries, etc.). For each session below, the list of questions serve as examples of the kind that presenters may raise:
I. Before Emancipation: Antebellum Literature and the Ethics of Abolition
Where did authors who wrote against slavery find their ethical justification? In what ways did activist writers engage/negotiate religious dialogues or address the competing voices on both sides of the slavery debate? How did writers expose, intentionally or not, the ideological contradictions of the cult of “true womanhood” in their treatment of race, gender and sexuality? How did writers employ, modify, or react against the prophetic mode used by abolitionists such as Frederick Douglass, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and John Brown?
II. After Emancipation: From Reconstruction Through World War I
How did African American writers use their influence to uplift the race? How did women writers of the time, such as Francis Harper, tackle ethical issues of the day such as temperance and the right to vote? How did the literary marketplace—novels, magazines, etc.,—shape the reception of black writers of this time? How did novels of passing and the tragic mulatto both subvert and reinforce the color lines of the period?
Please submit abstracts of no more than 300 words or papers of 7-9 pages (14-18 minutes for reading) by March 1 to Kimberly Reed, Lipscomb University (kimberly.reed@lipscomb.edu). Because this will be a peer-reviewed session, all abstracts or papers must be submitted with two cover pages: one cover page with the title, presenter’s name, academic affiliation (or “Independent Scholar”), mailing address, telephone, and e-mail address; and a second cover page with only the title of the presentation. The actual abstract or paper must be titled but bear no writer identification on any of its pages.
Tobias Wolff and the Moral Story
Tobias Wolff is considered by many to be among the finest short story writers in the American literary tradition. While his stories focus on the personal conflicts of the central characters, there is also a moral dimension that is key to understanding both the characters and the stories. We are seeking papers that focus on this dimension of Wolff’s work. Any of his work--his novel, stories, or memoirs--may be included in your discussion and analysis.
Email your submissions to John Struloeff, Pepperdine University at john.struloeff@pepperdine.edu by 11:59 p.m. (PT) February 15. Notification of acceptance: February 20.
Required information in your proposal:
Your name
Your university affiliation
Your paper title
An 85-100 word abstract of your paper. (If you have it, please also submit a working draft or more detailed abstract/outline of the paper.)
Timed presentations only:7-9 double-spaced pages (15-18 minute reading time).
All panelists must register with the conference in order to present their papers. The registration fee and lodging rates are very reasonable! (http://www.lipscomb.edu/csc/Registration)
Best Practices for the Care of Vulnerable Children
Christian ministries and agencies serving children and families through adoption, foster care, and residential child care feel ethically bound to improve the quality of care for those they serve, even though this may, in some cases, require radical transformation of their business or operational models. We invite presentations of case studies, qualitative research, quantitative research, or meta analyses that describe best practices (and their resulting consequences) in serving vulnerable children and their families.
For consideration by a peer-review committee, please submit a 350 word abstract along with a brief bio to Ron Bruner at ron.bruner@oc.edu no later than February 1, 2013. All program participants must be registered at the conference. Participants will be notified by February 15, 2013 of the status of their submission.
Ethical Dilemmas in Placing Vulnerable Children
In years past Christian adoptive and foster care agencies transitioned through a period of ethical crisis when they moved from placing children exclusively with families within Churches of Christ to placing children with families who were Christian in a broader sense of the word. Since then the challenges have grown. The Chinese government, for example, currently restricts adoptions of Asian children to parents with a limited body mass index (weight-height ratio). Others have expressed concerns about placements with single-parent families. How should Christian agencies handle pressures to include or exclude families of certain demographics or forms in caring for vulnerable children? We invite papers that consider specific ethical dilemmas involved in adoptive and foster care for agencies grounded in a Christian context.
For consideration by a peer-review committee, please submit a 350 word abstract along with a brief bio to Ron Bruner at ron.bruner@oc.edu no later than February 1, 2013. All program participants must be registered at the conference. Participants will be notified by February 15, 2013 of the status of their submission.
Hey, That Seems Familiar...
Appropriation, Referencing, the Pastiche and Ethics in the Creative Arts
Strictly creative pieces often borrow, reference, give homage, quote or appropriate other creative works in some fashion as relates to the creation of works of art—all without the requirement to cite sources, bibliographic or otherwise.This is the modus operandi in all of the creative disciplines: it specifically references the visual arts, music, theatre, dance and writing (literature/ poetry).
Presenters should be energized about looking incisively at their discipline and the ethical questions arising from the systemic practice of unoriginal beginnings to original works, and how those questions relate and correlate across the fields of creativity-- impacting both creator and audience in social and faith-centered ways. The focus can be on personal/professional practice or student behavior within academic settings, and the pedagogic steps taken to both raise and address the questions.
Submission Guidelines:
For Consideration by a peer-review committee, please submit a 350-word abstract to Daniel Adams at dadams@harding.edu no later than January 31, 2013. Participants will be notified by February 14, 2013, of the status of their submissions. Three papers will be presented at the conference.
Posthuman Ethics: Making Decisions about our Common Future
As emerging technologies in many fields change how humans do everything from making children to making war, how do we evaluate the morality of these changes and craft a guiding vision for our common future? This session will explore specific technologies, their impact on the political, economic, and religious dimensions of human existence, and examine strategies for ethical evaluation of technologies, practices, and visions of the posthuman future. Papers may focus on the likely consequences and ethical implications of transhumanist life extension research, use of robotic drones in warfare, pharmaceutical and/or other enhancements of the human body, other specific technologies or research goals, and/or the theoretical question of whether the current theoretical framework of bioethics is able to evaluate the implications of these new and emerging technologies.
For consideration by a peer-review committee, please submit an abstract of no more than 400 words to Chris Doran at cdoran@pepperdine.edu no later than February 1, 2012. Participants will be notified by February 15, 2012 of the status of their submission. All program participants must be registered for the Conference.
Call for Papers in Bakhtinian Studies:
“Am I My Brother’s Keeper: Bakhtinian Readings of the Cain and Abel Story in both the Jewish and Christian Scriptures”
Mikhail Bakhtin’s exploration of non-monologic unity in the modern novel continues to provoke creative exploration of the multiplicity of ways in which biblical texts make their meaning thereby resisting the hegemony of finalized readings. This session invites papers that explore the application Bakhtin’s literary theory--heteroglossia, dialogism, addressivity, and carnival--to illuminate the polyvalent and unstable nature of ethics in world of biblical stories. While the session will give particular attention to ethical questions raised in the story of Cain and Abel as represented in both the Jewish and Christian scriptures, papers on other passages similarly represented will be considered as well. Selected authors will present their work in 20 minute periods, and authors, respondents and the audience will enjoy time for discussion.
Full versions of the conference papers are preferred, but proposals or abstracts (350-500 words) will be accepted for consideration. Please submit to Jim Dvorak (jim.dvorak@oc.edu)and Charles Rix (charles.rix@oc.edu) by January 31, 2013. Participants will be notified of the status of their submissions by February 15.
With Friends Like These: Critical Engagements with the Release of Rachel Held Evans’s Year of Biblical Womanhood
Rachel Held Evans’s Year of Biblical Womanhood (Thomas Nelson, 2012) was released to storm of controversy and media attention. She has garnered reviews and critiques in a wide range of publications, from Christianity Today to First Things to Slate, been denounced by Mark Driscoll and other “Young Reformer” evangelicals, and even refused space on the shelves of Christian retailer Lifeway.Citing alleged discomfort with mention of female genitalia in the book, some even described this last episode as “Vaginagate.” The turbulent response is indicative of the multiple identities Held Evans has dared to negotiate: evangelical, skeptic, progressive, feminist, and more. At another level, the criticism and support alike signal complexity and contradiction in how—and by whom—women’s bodies are discussed and defended.
This call for papers welcomes exploration of the implications of this book and its reception from a number of disciplinary perspectives. What do the controversy and Held Evans’s commercial success say about the commodification of religious identity? What do they say about the boundaries of women’s bodies? How are masculinist assumptions at work even in those who have sprung to Held Evans’s defense? How are we to theorize the online outpouring of support and critique through social media? Critical engagements from a variety of disciplines and perspectives—feminist theory, literature, theology, history, cultural studies, social media and internet studies, popular culture, humor studies—are invited to place Rachel Held Evans’s book in its various discursive contexts. Abstracts of no more than 300 words should be sent to cdowdy@smu.edu by January 31. Three proposals will be chosen and presenters notified by February 14.
Call for Papers in New Testament
The New Testament Section issues an open call for studies from scholars and graduate students that deal with questions or issues pertaining to discrete texts, themes or backgrounds. Special consideration will be given to those papers that relate directly to the Conference’s main theme of Ethics. Papers may focus on any NT passage and will be judged on originality, clarity, and exegetical rigor.
Faculty proposals should be 300-400 words describing the aim and scope of their papers. Graduate student proposals should be an 8-10 page paper, doubled-spaced. All proposals should be sent to John Harrison (john.harrison@oc.edu) no later than January 15, 2013
Proposals will be considered by a peer-review committee, which will organize one session of two papers for established scholars and another session of two papers from graduate students. Paper proposals should include the title of the paper and a brief bio of the author.
You will be notified you of the status of your submission by February 10, 2013.
The Ethical Integration of Social Justice in the Church:
Lessons from the US Civil Rights Movement
The US Civil Rights Movement was rooted in the teachings of Jesus, and was led largely by Christian faith leaders. However, the Churches of Christ were on one hand, largely silent, and on the other hand, expressed virulent opposition to the Movement. Interestingly, the Churches of Christ also claimed their response to the Civil Rights Movement as a reflection of the teachings of Jesus. This conflict was played out in racially segregated congregations, college campuses, and in private Christian academies. Members of the Churches of Christ continue to see the remnants of this conflict in contemporary churches, college campuses, and private Christian academies.
We are seeking proposals for paper or panel presentations that examine this tension between Churches of Christ and the Civil Rights Movement, specifically, and social justice issues more broadly. Furthermore, we are seeking proposals that provide examples of social justice efforts in congregations, on college campuses, and in private Christian academies.
Please submit proposals of no more than 500 words to Tanya Brice, Baylor University, at tanya_brice@baylor.edu by midnight January 4, 2013. Notifications of acceptance will be sent January 31, 2013. This will be a peer-reviewed process. The proposal must be submitted with two cover pages: one cover page with the title, presenter’s name, academic affiliation (or “Independent Scholar”), mailing address, telephone, and e-mail address; and a second cover page with only the title of the presentation. The actual abstract or paper must be titled but bear no writer identification on any of its pages.
A Multidisciplinary Call for Papers:
Seeking Justice: Diverse Concepts of a Vital Idea
Scholars often explore and debate justice evident in policies, ideas and culture, yet we do not share a common understanding of the idea. This session will explore diverse conceptions of Justice and their divergent, plural effects in the world. Selected papers will explore the roots of the idea, will advance a specific thesis, or will survey competing theories of justice. Papers then should demonstrate how these theories are manifest in specific application.
The reviewers intentionally seek papers in diverse disciplines and forms to demonstrate contrast and breadth of ideas. Papers may be scholarly works-in-progress, articles, essays or works of fiction, and papers may discuss justice broadly or in discrete application to specific issues.
Selected authors will present their work in 15 minute periods, and authors, respondents and the audience will enjoy time for discussion.
Full versions of the conference papers are preferred, but abstracts(350-500 words) will be accepted for consideration. Please submit to Prof. Jeffrey R. Baker at jbaker@faulkner.edu.
Submissions are due by January 14, 2013. Participants will be notified of the status of their submissions by February 1.
Church of Christ Graduate Students in Theology
Church of Christ graduate students are invited to submit scholarly papers falling broadly within the theological disciplines, broadly interpreted. Papers which relate directly to Churches of Christ are welcome, but no such connection is required. Students are encouraged to submit work from their own current research; papers will be selected based on the quality of the proposals. One paper from will be selected from the session(s) for publication in Restoration Quarterly.
For consideration by a faculty peer-review committee, a 300-500 word proposal that provides the title, general lines of argument, and method for the paper should be submitted via e-mail attachment to David Mahfood, dmahfood@smu.edu by January 15, 2013. Participants will be notified by February 15, 2013 of the status of their submission.
American Religious History Section:
Integration of the Stone-Campbell and Mormon Restoration Movements.
The American Religious History peer-reviewed session seeks papers on the intersection of Stone-Campbell and Mormon restoration movements. These two movements emerged together on American soil during the so-called Second Great Awakening, and the traditions have displayed both differences and similarities, from Alexander Campbell's biting review of the Book of Mormon to Kenneth Starr's Washington Post op-ed endorsement of Mitt Romney. Please submit proposals that explore how these two movements have cooperated, competed, and understood themselves in light of the other. Paper topics include, but are not limited to, such themes as religion and politics, religious intolerance, and identity formation.
Please submit an abstract of approximately 500 words. The deadline for submissions is January 31, 2013. Participants will be notified by February 15, 2013 of the status of their submission. Presentations should be approximately 20 minutes in length and will receive a formal response. All program participants must be registered for the Conference. Please send abstracts to both Joshua Fleer at jfleer@fsu.edu and Kathy Pulley at KathyPulley@MissouriState.edu.
Crises in psychology:
When people researching people goes wrong
Psychology has recently seen a number of high-profile lapses in research and professional ethics. Recent controversies have centered around data fraud in social psychology and ape cognition, potentially questionable techniques in neuroscience, and the association between psychology and the questioning of detained combatants.
This peer-review panel seeks to inform Christian scholars of recent issues in psychological ethics, to find ways to encourage Christian institutions to maintain best practices, and to explore the techniques for uncovering data fraud.
Papers will be sought on the following topics:
1. Analyses of recent cases of fraud in psychology
2. The systemic pressures and practices that allow for fraud to occur
3. Cultural and intrapersonal determinants of fraud
4. Statistical techniques for detecting fraud as well as their efficacy and potential pitfalls
5. The responses of professional organizations to these challenges
6. Methods for correcting the culture and practice of psychology
Please email abstracts of approximately 250 words to J. P. Gerber jp.gerber@gordon.edu by January 19, 2013. There should be no identifying references to the author(s) within the manuscript. Abstracts will undergo blind review and participants will be notified by February 2, 2013 of the status of their submission.
Call for Abstracts to Business Faculty:
Crises in Ethics: Theology, Business and the Liberal Arts
Headline generating ethical lapses have led to a crisis in business ethics and to growing public disillusionment with business in general. Christians in the business world face especially challenging dilemmas in living their faith and careers at the same time. Perhaps the question could be stated “is Christian business ethics” a double oxymoron?” In this Call for Abstracts, we invite business scholars to gather June 6-8, 2013 at the Christian's Scholars Conference at Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN. Topics can include, but are not limited to:
Teaching ethics in undergraduate business courses
Objective of the firm – Profit maximization or Stakeholder Benefit?
Ethics in functional disciplines (accounting, marketing, management and finance)
Teaching ethics in graduate business courses
Corporate Stakeholders
Conveying ethics in co-curricular activities
Ethics and Social Justice (including living wage)
Socially conscious capital
Ethics and Sustainability
We plan to concentrate our sessions on a single day, highlighted by a noon luncheon for business faculty.
Please email abstracts of approximately 250 words to Andy.Borchers@lipscomb.edu by January 19, 2013. There should be no identifying references to the author(s) within the manuscript. Abstracts will undergo blind review and participants will be notified by February 2, 2013 of the status of their submission. One or more sessions will be organized for the conference.
Call for papers in History, Philosophy, and Political Science:
Nixon Reconsidered: Truth, Reputation and Time
Richard M. Nixon, 37th President of the United States, resigned in disgrace on August 9, 1974. Since that time hundreds of books have been published about the man, his presidency, and his legacy. Almost forty years after his resignation, what have we learned?
Nixon and his reputation have undergone several overhauls over the years. In the Forties, his involvement with the downfall of Alger Hiss made Nixon a pariah in many circles. In the Fifties, the Checkers speech helped Nixon sidestep another potential public relations nightmare that could have ended his career. Through many ups and downs, Nixon managed to have a career of public service that lasted fifty years. At his death in 1994, pundits and former presidents lauded his work in foreign affairs, even calling him one of the greatest statesmen who ever served as president.
We are looking for papers with perspectives from history, philosophy, and political science/government that examine Nixon as someone whose career helps us discuss ethics in the political/social realm. Some have said that the distrust of politics and political figures that pervade our current social climate are rooted in Richard Nixon and Watergate. This discussion will examine Nixon’s impact on ethics and politics.
Guidelines:
• Send E-mail submissions to Susan Blassingame, Lubbock Christian University: susan.blassingame@lcu.edu. Submissions must be e-mailed by midnight, January 4, 2013. Notification of Acceptance: January 31, 2013.
• Timed presentations only: 7-9 double-spaced pages (15-18 minute reading time)
• Paper submissions: Full versions of conference papers are preferred but 500-word abstracts are accepted for initial consideration.
• Blind judging: All abstracts, proposals, or papers MUST be submitted with two cover pages: one cover page with the title, presenter’s name, academic affiliation (or “Independent Scholar”), mailing address, telephone, and email address; and a second cover page with only the title of the presentation. The actual abstract, paper, creative writing, or panel proposal must be titled but bear NO writer identification on any of its pages.
Call for papers in Literature:
Ambiguous Ethics in Literature: Exploring the Value(s) of Anti-Heroes
In many works of fiction, the closest thing we have to a protagonist is an anti-hero. This figure is often conflicted, burdened, and complex—facing the challenges posed throughout the narrative with a determined commitment to a certain code of values, many of which may be illegal, amoral, immoral, or inhumane. Such characters have value, though, not only to the stories in which they play a part, but also in the lives of those who encounter them on the page. As we enter into their world and witness their responses to injustice, corruption, and suffering, we are made to question our role in our world and in its sometimes ambiguous, conflicted, and complex challenges.
Papers on this topic should examine short stories, novels, or plays that feature anti-heroes who have value for readers, who by participating are making sense not only of the unfolding narrative but also of the life that such a story might be holding up for ethical consideration.
Submission Guidelines
E-mail submissions only:
Send to Kenneth Hawley, Lubbock Christian University at kenneth.hawley@lcu.edu by midnight, February 1. Notification of Acceptance: February 15.
Paper submissions:
Full versions of conference papers are preferred but 500-word abstracts are accepted for initial consideration.
Timed presentations only:
7-9 double-spaced pages (15-18 minute reading time).
Blind judging:
All abstracts, proposals, or papers must be submitted with two cover pages: one cover page with the title, presenter’s name, academic affiliation (or “Independent Scholar”), mailing address, telephone, and e-mail address; and a second cover page with only the title of the presentation. The actual abstract or paper must be titled but bear no writer identification on any of its pages.
Call for papers in Education:
An Exploration of the Development of Ethics and Character
Christian scholars hold that the highest form of intellectual excellence is developed and enriched through moral values, religious participation and concern, and active engagement in creating a caring and just world. Since educators have one of the most important roles in developing students’ intellectual excellence, what are the foundational underpinnings of ethics and morality in the classroom? What does it mean to be fair and respectful of diverse peoples and communities and do educators do and teach this? Can morality be used in the education process of our youth? How should ethical decision-making be taught in our schools? How should educators be trained to help students develop moral competence and character and thus help them reach intellectual excellence? What dilemmas do educators face when an ethical framework is not used? What dilemmas do educators face when an ethical framework is used?
Submission Guidelines
Essays should raise questions, single out issues and identify dilemmas of personal or social significance that you have encountered. Essays should articulate with clarity the ethical or moral issue and should be relevant to the conference theme. Essays may include reference to published scholarship, but must be original, unpublished work and should reflect your individual voice.
Essays should fall within 1,000 – 1,500 words and be sent via attachment to: Dr. Candice McQueen, Dean of the College of Education, Lipscomb University at candice.mcqueen@lipscomb.edu.
Submission deadline: January 31, 2013 and notification of acceptance before February 14, 2013.
Blind judging: All papers must be submitted with two cover pages: one cover page with the title, presenter’s name, academic affiliation, mailing address, telephone, and e-mail address; and a second cover page with only the title of the presentation. The actual paper must be titled but bear no writer identification on any of its pages.