From March 3rd through 5th, five students and five professors attended the annual Southwest Commission on Religious Studies conference. The Southwest Commission on Religious Studies was established in 1974 to encourage, support, and coordinate scholarly activities in the field of religious studies in the Southwest. The Commission encourages related scholarly organizations, university departments, and other faculty and research groups to participate.
The Southwest team listened to papers on the New Testament, the Cappadocians, Black theology, and theology in film. A highlight of the weekend was a panel discussion of Dr. Jeehei Park’s new book, All Citizens of Christ: A Cosmopolitan Reading of Unity and Diversity in Paul’s Letters. Dr. Park is a conference New Testament and Early Christianity program co-chair.
Another highlight was their visit on Sunday Morning to Friendship West Baptist Church, a congregation with a total membership of over 13,000. Rev. Dr. Dominique Robinson was invited to the platform to bring greetings from the Seminary.
They also met up with Rev. Dr. Lora Walsh, University of Arkansas, an Iona facilitator in the Diocese of Arkansas. Lora is the newly elected President of the American Academy of Religion’s Southwest Region.