Conference to discuss Christian literature in the age of politics For Immediate Release August 27, 1999 The 1999 Southwest Conference on Christianity and Literature will be conducted at Abilene Christian University Thursday, Sept. 30, through Saturday, Oct. 2. This annual meeting attracts scholars in literature, as well as from other disciplines. More than 100 attendees are expected from the Southwest region. Approximately 30 papers will be read and a dozen poems and short stories will be presented as well. The public is invited to hear ACU writers such as Steve Weathers, assistant professor of English, and Chris Willerton, professor of English, speak on current topics in Christian literature, while Vicki Smith, instructor of English, and Al Haley, writer in residence, recite original pieces. The theme for the conference this year is "The Good, the True and the Beautiful: Aesthetics and Belief After the Age of Politics." According to Haley, the theme was suggested from an article that appeared in The Chronicle for Higher Education last year. "The idea is that it may be time to stop using literature as a vehicle to make some kind of political point and simply enjoy it for what is - art," Haley said. Gregory Wolfe, publisher/editor of Image: A Journal of the Arts and Religion, will be the keynote speaker at a banquet at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 1, in the Hilton Room of the McGlothlin Campus Center. Entertainment that night will be the ACU Percussion Ensemble and the Steel Drum Band, bringing rhythms of the Caribbean to West Texas. Mr. Wolfe is also the author of Malcolm Muggeridge: A Biography, the story of an Englishman and one of the most witty and entertaining writers of the 20th Century. He, and his wife, have authored books on how to choose value-appropriate books for children. Most of the conference consists of reading 20-minute papers placed in sessions organized by theme. The papers are on a variety of topics, not necessarily the overall conference theme. For more information about the conference, call Al Haley at 674-2262. -30- Archived News Releases - Current ACU News and Events If you are a member of the media who would like more information about this release, please contact Tom Craig, director of media and community relations, at craigt@nicanor.acu.edu or call 915-674-2692 (cell phone: 665-5469). Last update: August 27, 1999 This page is maintained by Tom Craig, craigt@nicanor.acu.edu. http://www.acu.edu/people/news/990827-sccl.html