The Conference on Christianity & Literature

Southwest Region

Regional director: Karen Youmans, Oklahoma Baptist University (Karen.Youmans@okbu.edu)

Southwest 2009 Regional Conference
From Lesser Lights to Greater: Grace and Literary Traditions

October 1-3, 2009
Houston Baptist University, Houston, Texas
Keynote Speaker: Phillip Donnelly, Baylor University

James 1:17 states, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights." Since antiquity Christians have affirmed that God is the source of language, that he invests language with meaning, and that language may convey prevenient grace. At the same time, Christians have also been keenly aware that, as a result of the Fall, language can conceal God's grace. Within language there arises a tension between revealing and concealing, which has formed and informed much of literature and its study. This conference aims to explore the implications of this tension as reflected in the literature and literary theory of Christian and non-Christian writers.

Inquiries are welcomed at any time. To register or get more information about the conference, see www.hbu.edu/hbu/Conference_on_Christianity_and_Literature.asp or contact Dr. Evan Getz at egetz@hbu.edu.

Southwest 2010 Regional Conference
Christian Literary Values and the Changing Print Culture

Sept. 30-Oct. 2, 2010
Oklahoma Christian University, Oklahoma City
Guest Speaker: Dana Gioia

In his essay “Disappearing Ink,” Dana Gioia identifies poetry as one of humanity’s “essential spiritual resources” for a time when the printed text faces strong competition from other media. Following the tradition of Christian writers, critics, and readers who have contemplated the spiritual value of works in all literary genres, the conference will explore the continuing role of literature as an essential spiritual resource.

This CCL regional conference is being held in cooperation with Oklahoma Christian University’s McBride Center for Faith and Literature. A call for papers is forthcoming.

Address inquiries to the Program Chair: Merle Gatewood, Department of Language and Literature, Oklahoma Christian University, Box 11000, Oklahoma City, OK 73136-1100, merle.gatewood@oc.edu.

2008 Regional Conference

Gregory Wolfe provided the keynote address to at the 2008 Southwest Regional conference, which met October 2-3 at Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee, Oklahoma. Almost 100 people attended the meeting, and dozens of papers were delivered on various aspects of the conference theme, "Christianity and the Things of This World." The 2009 Southwest conference will be held at Houston Baptist University.

The 2007 Regional Conference

titled "Alarming Necessities": Taste, Reading, and Theology, met September 28-29, 2007, in Arlington, Texas. The conference was hosted by Dallas Baptist University and featured keynote speakers Steven Prickett and Frank Burch Brown.

The 2006 Regional Conference

met Sept. 28-30 concurrently with Inscription: A Conference on the Christian Teaching of Writing, Rhetoric, and Literature, at Abilene Christian University, Abilene, Texas. Speakers included Jill Baumgaertner, David Jeffrey, and David Naugle.

2005 Regional Conference

The Southwest CCL Region held its 2005 meeting at the University of Texas, Brownsville. The keynote speaker was Ruben Martinez, author of The Other Side, Crossing Over, and The New Americans.

Return to the CCL Regional Conferences page

Questions to Tammy Ditmore (tammy.ditmore@pepperdine.edu)

In the Latest Issue of Christianity & Literature:


Night Reading

Franz Wright

Lights coming on
   in windows;
windows lit all
   night long
suddenly dark --

He seems to sleep,
   head nested
in crossed arms
on the desk,
   as he listens

to the first raindrops
striking the window,
the faint roar
   of aircraft just

vanishing with
   moonlit trail
past the horizon,
the underlined phrase.

      Summer 2009