Christian Education in a Secular Age: A Conference

Briercrest College and Seminary – October 28-29, 2021

https://www.briercrest.ca/post/christian-education-in-a-secular-age

Briercrest College and Seminary invites proposals for a virtual conference exploring aspects of the theory and practice of Christian education in a secular age. This was initially advertised for the fall of 2020 and canceled due to COVID-19. If you previously submitted a proposal that was accepted, the organizers will be in touch with you shortly.

At the heart of this conference is a central question: How can Christian education contribute to human flourishing within our secular context? Dr. Jens Zimmermann will give the keynote address, “The Challenge and Promise of Christian Humanism.” Proposals are invited for individual papers, panels, and roundtable discussions. Papers examining theoretical issues or scholarship and teaching in any of the disciplines in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and Christian ministry are welcome. The conference theme emerges from the interdisciplinary impact of Canadian philosopher Charles Taylor’s A Secular Age (Belknap Press, 2007), which has challenged widespread assumptions about the nature of secularization in the modern West and has major implications for the work of Christian educators in twenty-first-century North America. All proposals that engage the theme of Christian education in a secular age will be considered. The conference will be held online, October 28-29, 2021.

The Call for Papers:

The complete call for papers is available here. Proposals are due by June 15 2021.

Conference Format:

This digital conference will have synchronous and asynchronous elements. The participants will submit recorded papers to the conference organizers by Oct. 15, 2021. Starting on Monday, Oct. 25, participants will have access to all the papers and discussion boards. On Oct. 28 and 29, panels will meet virtually for live discussion, facilitated by a chair. On Thursday evening, all participants will have the opportunity to join Dr. Zimmermann for a conversation engaging his keynote address. Recordings and discussion boards will remain available to participants until Nov. 5, 2021.

Further information will be posted to this site as it becomes available.