Call for Papers

At the academic heart of the Christian Scholars’ Conference are its peer reviewed sessions. The following calls for papers are posted by peer reviewed leaders. Submitted abstracts or papers will be read anonymously and evaluated by scholars selected by the peer reviewed leader and approved by the CSC director (February 5).

Narrative and Documentary Film Section: "Terence Malick's Tree of Life"

Terence Malick’s fifth film, The Tree of Life, has generated both praise and blame for its ambitious attempt to juxtapose the story of an ordinary middle class family of the 1950s with provocative glimpses of the beginning and end of time. That juxtaposition, suggesting both religious and scientific explanations of origins and highlighting the human response to suffering, raises the question of reconciliation on several levels. Malick’s unusual mixture of nonlinear (and minimal) narrative, flowing imagery, meditative voice-overs without extensive dialogue, and majestic music also challenges viewers to reconcile the use of narrative film -- typically an entertainment medium -- for philosophical or religious exploration.

The Narrative and Documentary Film section of the CSC seeks proposals for papers focused on The Tree of Life. We encourage presentations exploring the movie from the presenter's particular discipline -- literary criticism, film criticism, philosophy, music, or other fields -- or that locate Malick's latest film in the larger context of his work.

Please submit an abstract of approximately 250 words to John Williams at jewilliams @harding .edu by February 15, 2012. Participants will receive notification concerning their submissions by February 29, 2012. Presentations should be 20 minutes. All presenters accepted for the Malick session must register for the CSC.

"Reconciling Texts and Identities in the NT and Early Christianity"

The earliest textual traces of Christianity, including both the writings canonized within the NT and those that were not, reveal various attempts to reconcile sacred texts with their own lived experiences. For some authors, this meant reconciling passages from the Hebrew Bible with the identity of Jesus as the Messiah. For others, it meant reading and interpreting the words of Christ or the apostles in new and challenging contexts. But a common thread among all this literature is the need to reconcile the words of sacred texts with the identities of those who were reading them.

This session invites proposals from scholars who work in the fields of NT and Early Christianity that explore the relationship between reading/interpreting sacred texts and the creation or protection of religious identity. Interested presenters should send a title and abstract (300-500 words) no later than February 13, 2012 to james.walters@ptsem.edu for consideration by a peer-review committee. Notifications of the status of submission will be sent out by February 28, 2012.

Themes from the Old Testament: Studies in Reconciliation (This call is now closed.)

An open call is issued for papers that deal with any aspect of Old Testament studies. Preference will be given to papers that address the concept of reconciliation. Topics might explore the reconciliation between specific individuals (e.g., Jacob/Esau; Joseph and his brothers; David/Absalom; Hosea/Gomer), nations (Israel/Judah), and God and Israel (e.g., sacrifice and atonement; Exodus 33-34).

Interested presenters should send a title and 500 word abstract no later than January 31, 2012 to Danny.Mathews@pepperdine.edu for consideration by a peer-review committee. Notifications of the status of submission will be sent out by February 14, 2012.

"Reconciliation: Restoring Public Trust in Business in an Occupy Wall Street Era"

This year’s Occupy Wall Street Movement highlights growing public disillusionment with the business sector and raises several important questions. Can business regain the trust of the American people? If so, how? What are the implications of this disillusionment for the business sector and society as a whole?

In this Call for Papers we invite scholars from various disciplines (including business, economics, law, history, political science and others) to gather June 7-9, 2012 at the Christian's Scholars Conference at Lipscomb University. Interested scholars should email abstracts for paper proposals (250 word maximum) to Andy.Borchers@lipscomb.edu by February 12, 2012. After peer review one or more sessions, based on potential qualities of the submissions, will be organized. Accepted authors will be notified by February 26, 2012. Typical sessions last 90 minutes and involve 2-4 presentations and discussion.

These sessions come as a precursor to the 2013 Christian Scholars Conference theme of Business Ethics.

Faith and Science Section: "Transhumanism"

Transhumanism, a small but growing international movement advocating various technologies of human enhancement, has often been lampooned as a pseudo-religion, a “rapture of the geeks” or a “robot cult.” Yet those within the movement characterize it as a secular, rational humanist philosophy. Further complicating the matter is the recent appearance of syncretistic, transhumanist versions of various faiths. How should we characterize the movement known as transhumanism? What difference does this make in shaping a Christian theological and ethical response to the movement? Papers may address specific intersections of Christian doctrine and transhumanism, the relationship of faith and science (especially as expressed within the transhumanist movement), or elucidate specific aspects of transhumanism relevant to Christian theology or ethics.

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.

Literary Arts Section: "Reconciliation in the Writing of Abraham Verghese" (This call is now closed.)

The protagonists of Abraham Verghese’s literary work often find themselves at the center of what appears to be inescapable conflict. In My Own Country, the writer relates his experience as the sole infectious-disease physician in Johnson City, TN during the outbreak of AIDS. His second book, The Tennis Partner, tells the story of his own unraveling marriage and his unexpected friendship with a medical student who struggles with drug addiction. In Cutting for Stone, his first novel, two characters come of age in a country on the brink of revolution. The Literary Arts section of the Christian Scholars' Conference invites submissions of proposals that address his writing through the thematic lens of reconciliation.

Proposals should include an abstract of approximately 250 words and be submitted via email to John Struloeff at John.Struloeff@pepperdine.edu by January 30, 2012; please use the subject line “CSC Paper Proposal.” Presentations should be 15-20 minutes in length and may consist of reading and/or multimedia components. Time will be allotted at the end of the session for Q&A. All program participants must be registered for the conference. Participants will be notified by February 13, 2012 of the status of their submission.

"The Healed and the Scarred: Structural Wrongdoing and the Limits of Christian Reconciliation"

As historian David Blight has argued in his study of American Civil War memory, Race and Reunion, public reconciliation of episodic conflict can obscure sinister structural realities. Dietrich Bonhoeffer presaged this critique by distinguishing between the eschatological healing of resurrection and the fragmentary “scarring over” available to temporal institutions. Is the illusion of healing really all temporal institutions can offer history’s victims? This session explores the potential for Christian reconciliation to inform public redress of structural wrongdoing—such as gender inequality, global wealth disparity, and exploitation of nonhuman animals.

While especially interested in theological connections, we invite papers from any discipline seeking to expand critical discussion of reconciliation beyond the political by drawing other harms and other “publics” into the conversation. Submit a 200-300 word abstract to Chris Dowdy at cdowdy@smu.edu by February 1, 2012. A peer-review committee will select three papers for presentation. Participants will be notified of their status by February 14, 2012.

Biblical Exegesis

New Testament Exegesis issues an open call for exegetical studies that deal with questions or issues pertaining to discrete texts. Papers may focus on any NT passage and will be judged on originality, clarity, and exegetical rigor. Papers that pertain to the conference theme of Reconciliation are especially welcome. PhD students are invited to submit complete papers of approximately 8-10 pages, double-spaced. Faculty members may submit proposals of 300-400 words describing the aim and scope of their papers. All proposals will be considered by a peer-review committee, which will organize one or two sessions, depending on the number and quality of proposals received. Please send proposals to John Harrison at john.harrison@oc.edu no later than February 10, 2012. Paper proposals should include the title of the paper and a brief bio of the author, which will appear in the CSC program, if the paper is accepted. We will notify you of the status of your submission by March 1, 2012.

Reconciliation and Anglo-Saxon Narrative (This call is now closed.)

Abstracts addressing a theme of reconciliation and Anglo-Saxon narrative are requested. Papers and presentations may explore the theme of reconciliation within ideas of discord and/or accord in the Anglo-Saxon literary canon. Issues may include—but not limited to—migration, political structures, development of a definable Anglo-Saxon nation, kingship, and hierarchy within and extraneous to family structures, social systems, etc. Proposals should include an abstract of approximately 500 words and be submitted via email to carole.carroll@LCU.edu by December 21, 2011. Presentations should be 15-17 minutes in length and may consist of reading and/or multi-media components. Time will be allotted at the end of the session for Q & A. All program participants must be registered for the conference. Participants will be notified by January 21, 2012 of the status of their submission.

Reconciliation and Biblical Hebrew Narrative (This call is now closed.)

Abstracts addressing a theme of reconciliation and biblical Hebrew narrative are requested. Papers and presentations may explore the theme of reconciliation and issues which include—but are by no means limited to—social systems, characterization of kings and community leaders, grammatical structures and interpretation, narrative and allegory, word order and time, and storytelling including repetition and structure, etc. Proposals should include an abstract of approximately 500 words and be submitted via email to shenai.alonge@LCU.edu by December 21, 2011. Presentations should be 15-17 minutes in length and may consist of reading and/or multi-media components. Time will be allotted at the end of the session for Q & A. All program participants must be registered for the conference. Participants will be notified by January 21, 2012 of the status of their submission.

"Christian Service to At-Risk Children: Improving Prevention, Intervention, and Sustainability" (This call is now closed.)

The Stone-Campbell Movement owns a long tradition of service to at-risk youth and families. Are there ways we can make these ministries more effective? Can these ministries help more with prevention? We invite papers exploring the effectiveness of ministries with at-risk youth and families through adoption, foster care, residential child care, or other means. Presentations will preferably describe practices that are preventative, incorporate evidence-based practice, or empower measurable outcomes. For consideration by a peer-review committee, please submit a 350 word abstract to Ron Bruner at wbhdir@aol.com no later than December 21, 2011. Participants will be notified by January 18, 2012 of the status of their submission.

Communication Section (This call is now closed.)

The Communication Section of the Christian Scholars’ Conference invites submission of papers for a peer-reviewed rhetoric panel at the 2012 conference to be held at Lipscomb University in Nashville on June 7-9, 2012. We welcome papers related to the topic: “Reconciliation at the Intersection of Scholarship and Practice.”

Submission Guidelines:

Papers should conform to MLA standards. Papers should not exceed 25 pages, excluding references. All papers should contain a 100-word abstract. Authors should include a detachable cover page to ensure a blind review process. There should be no identifying references to the author(s) within the manuscript.

Papers should be submitted as a Microsoft Word attachment to John Jones at John.Jones@pepperdine.edu no later than January 21, 2012.

Graduate Students in Theology (This call is now closed.)

Church of Christ graduate students are invited to submit scholarly papers falling broadly within the theological disciplines. Papers exploring the relationship between the student’s own work and his or her ecclesial identity with Churches of Christ are encouraged but not required. Examples of relevant questions might be: how does one inform the other? What is the significance of one for the other? What tensions exist between them? Students are encouraged to use their own current research as a test case or point of departure for reflecting on these or related questions. One paper will be selected from the session for publication in Restoration Quarterly.

For consideration by a peer-review committee of faculty readers, a 300-500 word proposal providing 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 December 18, 2011.

"Beyond Forgiveness: The Relationship of Justice to Reconciliation" (This call is now closed.)

Much of the theoretical literature (theological, philosophical, social-psychological, etc.) on reconciliation has focused on the relationship between forgiveness and reconciliation, often seeming to equate the phenomena or drawing a linear relationship that leads from forgiveness to reconciliation. In construing the topic in this way it is often assumed or argued that reconciliation and justice are antithetical or have no relevant relation to one another. More recently this tendency has been challenged by theorists engaging restorative justice (for example, John W. De Gruchy, Reconciliation: Restoring Justice for one example of this) or liberation theology (for example, Miguel De La Torre, Liberating Jonah: Forming an Ethics of Reconciliation) as categories that illuminate the nature of reconciliation. This session intends to move this conversation forward by exploring the relationship between justice (retributive, distributive, restorative, etc.) and reconciliation.

For consideration by a peer-review committee, please submit a 250 word abstract to James McCarty at jwmccar@emory.edu by January 20, 2012. Participants will be notified by February 20, 2012 of the status of their submission. Three papers will be presented at the conference.

“Engaging the Other in Verghese’s Oeuvre” (This call is now closed.)

Abraham Verghese, author of two memoirs and a work of fiction, has lived his life in otherness. Verghese grew up in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the child of expatriates from India. He chronicles his work as the “AIDS doctor” in Johnson City, Tennessee, during the initial outbreak of AIDS in the mid-1980s in My Own Country: A Doctor’s Story (1994). In The Tennis Partner (1998), Verghese continues his memoir, recording the disintegration of his marriage and his friendship to a young intern who has his own personal struggle with drug addiction. His first novel, Cutting for Stone (2009), has a sweeping scope, set in a mission hospital in Ethiopia. Common to Verghese’s writings is the collocation of belonging and alienation. Verghese finds integration in his writing through his blending of scientific exactness in his medical descriptions and emotive narration of the experiences of otherness. Submissions are welcome on any aspect of Verghese’s writings. This session invites submissions from both working scholars and PhD students.

Abstracts of 100 to 150 words should be sent in a Word attachment via email by December 21, 2011 to Nancy W. Shankle, shanklen@acu.edu. Authors should include a detachable cover page to ensure a blind review process. There should be no identifying references to the author(s) within the manuscript.

American Religious History Section (This call is now closed.)

The American Religious History Section of the Christian Scholars’ Conference issues its call for papers. The American Religious History peer-reviewed session seeks papers that will advance Restoration scholarship. Paper topics include, but are not limited to, nineteenth-century Restorationism (conceived broadly), and the Stone-Campbell tradition.

Proposals should include an abstract of approximately 500 words. The deadline for submissions is December 21, 2011. 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 proposals to both Joshua Fleer at jfleer@fsu.edu and Kathy Pulley at KathyPulley@MissouriState.edu. Participants will be notified by January 18, 2012 of the status of their submission. Three papers will be presented at the conference.

“What Does it Mean to be Human?” (This call is now closed.)

Each discipline has its own spot on the battleground of defining and understanding the essence of humanity. This is no longer the exclusive domain of the philosopher. Intensity of activity has increased in the last decade, fueled by advances in technology (including but not limited to: affective computing, robotics, artificial intelligence applications, human-brain interfaces, neuroscience, genetics and psychology). The purpose of the session is to examine the latest theories in the above and related disciplines with the goal of identifying areas of reconciliation amongst the multiple disciplines and a Christian world view. Submissions addressing this topic in all disciplines are requested.