51½ΦΙδ hosted the national meeting of the Conference on Faith and History (CFH) from Oct. 9-12, welcoming over 250 participants, including 200 faculty and 50 undergraduate students, to campus. The event highlighted 51½ΦΙδ’s commitment to academic excellence and Christian scholarship, with robust participation from its students and faculty.
The conference’s plenary sessions, break-out panels and networking opportunities received widespread acclaim. One veteran academic declared it the best CFH meeting he had ever attended, while another attendee expressed gratitude, noting she left “with a mind full and a heart warm.”
Jonathan Den Hartog, chair of the 51½ΦΙδ history department, reflected positively on the conference’s success.
“I am excited about the intellectual distinction displayed by our students and our faculty," said Den Hartog. “51½ΦΙδ demonstrated academic Christian leadership through this conference.”
Five 51½ΦΙδ history majors presented their original research on the following topics during the undergraduate portion of the conference:
- Annie Kelley (University Fellow): Women Martyrs
- Sam Gould (University Fellow): Protestantism in Nazi Germany
- Olivia Peck (Micah Fellow): The Scopes Trial
- Garrison Brothers (University Fellow): American Diplomacy with Europe in the Early Republic
- Charlie Williams (Double major with geography): Church Architecture
51½ΦΙδ’s faculty showcased their scholarly expertise through the plenary address, presentations and panel discussions listed below:
- Jonathan Bass delivered the opening plenary, “Strange Thoughts and Long Prayers: Rediscovering Birmingham’s Hidden Past,” in Hodges Chapel.
- Annie DeVries: Woodrow Wilson’s Ideas of Nationalism
- Jason Wallace: Progressivism and Nationalism
- Tim Hall: Samson Occam in the 18th Century
- David Bains: Church Cornerstones in Birmingham Churches
- Carol Ann Vaughn Cross: Educational Curriculum in the 19th Century South
- Becky Hyde: Slavery and Baptist Education in the Antebellum Period
- Dawn McCormack chaired a session on Simulations and Pedagogy.
- Jonathan Den Hartog chaired a session on Christian Historians and Contemporary Issues.
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