TFC Logo

American Evangelicalism Conference: General Information

Who is hosting this conference? Who are the speakers?

Toccoa Falls College’s History Society and Philosophy Club are hosting this conference. The speakers include acclaimed professors and speakers from throughout the country, professors from Toccoa Falls College, and students from both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

What is this conference about?

The eight-year period from 1976, Newsweek’s Year of the Evangelical, through 1984 was quite formative for American, evangelical Protestantism. It was during this time that Jerry Falwell’s Moral Majority launched the evangelical community into an active political bloc, James Dobson started Focus on the Family, Francis Schaeffer was at the height of his intellectual influence, and Billy Graham’s ministry penetrated the Iron Curtain. This period was also significant for the movement’s identity, as Evangelicals defined themselves theologically, politically, socially, culturally, and so forth. The problem is that it has been a quarter century since then.

The contexts in which American Evangelicals live have changed dramatically. In 1984 the Cold War seemed to be entering a new freeze, China was a Third World country, Postmodernity was in its infancy, the United States was revered by much of the world, homosexuality was taboo, and the internet did not exist. Yet the movement seems oddly oblivious to these changing contexts as it uncritically thrusts its past conclusions into the present. The time has come for a serious reevaluation of American Evangelicalism’s beliefs, direction, and its engagement with the larger society. That is not to say that the conclusions reached by Evangelicals a quarter century ago were simply wrong. Surely there are some aspects of the conclusions that need to be reaffirmed, others that need to be nuanced, and still others that need to be revamped.

When will this conference be held?

The conference will be held on Friday and Saturday, February 27–28, 2009. For more details of the schedule, please click here.

Where will this conference be held?

The conference will be held on the campus of Toccoa Falls College in Toccoa Falls, GA. For directions, please click here.

Why is this conference being held?

The purpose of this interdisciplinary conference is to encourage evangelical Christians to exercise discernment as they seriously think about the issues confronting the Church today, then figure out how to rightly engage them. The conference will also seek to exhort unity within the Body of Christ that overcomes denominational, institutional, racial, and cultural boundaries.

How much is admission? How do I register?

For those who register at least two weeks before the conference (February 13th), admission will cost $15 for students and $20 for non-students. For those who buy tickets at the door, admission will cost $25. To register, please click here.

Conference Topics

As an interdisciplinary event, the aim of this conference is to assess American Evangelicalism from as many perspectives as possible in order to get a holistic understanding of the movement’s beliefs, direction, and its engagement with larger society. The topics that will be addressed include:

 

U.S. Immigration Policy

With so many topics, there is something for everyone.