Johnson and Emmanuel Students Win 2023 Student Paper Competition

Category: General, SCJ Conference

The Stone-Campbell Journal Student Paper Competition took place during the SCJ Conference at Johnson University April 14-15, 2023.

The SCJ Student Paper Competition provides an avenue for students and emerging scholars to test and refine their research and writing among supportive mentors and peers. Judges from SCJ-affiliated institutions provide meaningful critique and assessment, mentoring students through the process of thinking holistically about their topic and sharing research in academic conference setting.

This year Anna Konstantopoulos (Emmanuel Christian Seminary at Milligan) won the graduate division with her paper "Origen: Platonism and the Preexistence of Souls in the Gospel of John" (Sponsor: Lee Blackburn). Leah Hardin (Johnson University Florida) won the undergraduate division with her paper "Israel’s Purity Covenant: YHWH's Influence on the Waters of Bitterness" (Sponsor: Rob Fleenor). Both Anna and Leah received a free one-year membership in Stone-Campbell Journal and free access to SCJ archives, free registration to the 2024 SCJ Conference, a donation of books from participating publishers, and a one-year, $2500 scholarship from any of ten participating graduate schools in the Stone-Campbell heritage.

Anna and Leah were chosen from the finalists in their respective divisions who presented their papers at the conference. Graduate finalists also included: Kimberly Hampton (Lincoln Christian University), “The Response of Christians to 1918 Influenza and the Impact on the Church” and Hanes McPherson Swingle (Emmanuel Christian Seminary at Milligan), "The Chosen: Judges 7:1-7." Undergraduate finalists also included Johnny Galloway (Harding University), “You Did it to Me”: Christ’s Presence in the “Least of These,” and Brianna Parkhill (Lincoln Christian University), “Understanding Second Temple Demonology and the Divinity of Jesus Christ.” These finalists also received a free one-year membership in the Stone-Campbell Scholars Community.

Student competition submissions for the 2024 SCJ Conference are due by January 5, 2024. See competition rules and flyers on the SCJ Website under Conferences and Lectureships/Student Paper Competition. Contact Adam Bean (albean@milligan.edu) for the Graduate and Undergraduate Competitions or Lisa Barnett (lisa.barnett@ptstulsa.edu) for the Isaac Errett competition. The 2024 SCJ Conference will be held April 12-13, 2024 at Milligan University.

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