Published on December 19, 2024 by Gunnar Sadowey  
CFH2024

Samford University 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 Samford’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 Samford 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. “Samford demonstrated academic Christian leadership through this conference.”

Five Samford 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

Samford’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.

The Conference on Faith and History is a community of scholars exploring the intersection of Christian faith and historical inquiry. The organization fosters meaningful dialogue and scholarship rooted in faith.

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.