This past weekend, I attended the Southeast Renaissance Conference on Christianity and Literature. I heard some great papers (on Rebecca, on disenchantment, on Richard Wilbur’s poem “Lying” among others), saw my students and wife give fantastic papers, and talked with friends old and new. Here were my five takeaways.
- The conference presenters consisted of undergraduates, graduate students, junior faculty, and senior faculty: the entire academic gamut.
- Unlike any other conference I’ve been a part of, my deep respect for these scholars as fellow disciples has fed into my desire to hear their scholarship, no matter what they’re writing about. I haven’t read anything Chad Schrock, Carissa Turner Smith, or Luke Mills (to name just three frequent attendees) have written about the last three, and I’m always glad I get to hear them anyway.
- It’s better in community, i.e. when you go with your colleagues and students. I was the only attendee from my school at my first SECCL in 2013. This year, I presented alongside my wife and three students. It was the first time in awhile that SWU was represented at the conference, and I’m committed to our department being a consistent presence there.
- You learn to let conversation happen rather than force it. I found time for productive discussions with new acquaintances and time enough for deeper reflections with long-time friends. I was intentional about being in conversation but not overzealous in making conversations happen. I showed myself friendly and was rewarded with friendliness in return.
- Post-conference papers are even better. I didn’t get to hear the papers of two people I wanted to hear, so I asked them for copies. They obliged, and I had a wonderful morning reading them after the conference ended. I was able to send comments and ask questions with more acuity than if I had simply heard the papers. What a blessing.