The Society of Christian Scholars
We invite you to visit the SCS website to discover the membership benefits for Christian Scholars worldwide.
The Society of Christian Scholars equips missional Christian academics to have a redemptive influence for Christ among their students, colleagues, institutions, and academic disciplines.
The Society of Christian Scholars equips you to:
- Grow in Christlikeness through spiritual formation in the academic setting
- Exhibit excellence in research, pedagogy, and administration
- Think Christianly about all research issues and agendas
- Adapt successfully to the uniqueness of one’s ethnic and institutional culture
- Communicate the gospel effectively and help others grow in their faith
- Collaborate with other Christian scholars locally and globally
By God’s grace, this results in human flourishing and the common good.
*Requirements: Members must be academic staff or students of a tertiary institution that does not require students to adhere to a faith statement.
Membership is also open to academics serving in non-institutional contexts (think tanks, private industry, etc.) or retired from any of the above.
SCS members can click here to view the webinar filmed at Tyndale in July 2019 entitled The Spirit World in Africa and the West with Dr. Esther Acolatse as keynote speaker.
Dr. Susan Robbins and Dr. Obert Hodzi were respondents.
Dr. Peter Schuurman, GSC’s Executive Director, was Moderator.
Here is an article from October 2019 explaining the Society of Christian Scholars in more detail…
The Society of Christian Scholars is just 7 months old and we are already counting so many blessings.Our membership is growing and scholars have started enjoying the benefits of interacting with one another across continents. Through this platform, it is now possible for a Senegalese or Russian Christian scholar to interact with Christian peers from Mexico, Lithuania, or China. Furthermore, our Editorial Services (included with Full Membership) are helping scholars send well-written articles to highly rated journals. In addition, our Mentorship Programme is finding its rhythm as mentees locate suitable mentors to guide them in different aspects of their careers.
In this short period, slowly but inexorably, small groups are beginning to spring up in different places. Recently, we facilitated, via Society Grants, the travels of 15 scholars from Francophone Africa to the IFES World Assembly in South Africa. Currently, Society scholars in Europe are making plans to attend the International Network for Christian Higher Education (INCHE) conference in Budapest, slated for April next year. In the Africa region, Anglophone African scholars are preparing to meet with Francophone scholars in Kinshasa next month. That all these things have happened within only 7 months of the Society’s existence is amazing. What else can one do but chant, “To God be the glory!!!”
By the grace of God, I see much more coming. I see a future where the voices of Christian scholars will echo loud and clear in the pathways of contemporary culture. However, we must ask ourselves a few questions: are we prepared to take advantage of the opportunities offered by our Society? How well do we even know the Society of Christian Scholars? Have we studied the member site assiduously to know what is available? If you have not yet done so, please permit me to invite you on a journey of discovery. Fasten your seat belt as we board Flight SCS Member Site!
Right in front of us are treasures and opportunities begging to be discovered. All you need to do on board this flight is to open your laptop or turn on your handheld device and click here! Our first stop is the Resource library.
Are you familiar with these resources that will help you flourish as a missional Christian academic?
The sections cover Theology and Academy, Loving God with the Mind, Growing Spiritually, Pursuing Vocational Excellence, Interacting with Culture and Engaging Unbelief.
The next stop is at the Research Databases, which contain literally millions of resources to aid your research. The EBSCO and Open Access databases are treasures that cannot be quantified. No one can exhaust the books and journals contained here, and they are all for your use!
From here, let us move on to explore Partnerships. The Society offers organizations the opportunity to join as institutional partners and collaborate in many ways.
From here let us fly to see the Seminars, Conferences and Webinars taking place in different regions of the world. Do you know of any conferences happening near you? Please do not hesitate to inform us. You are also invited to promote your own conferences on our member site, and don’t forget to join our webinars that are advertised on the site.
There are still many more areas to explore. Have you ever visited the Job Board? There you will find employment opportunities in various disciplines in different parts of the world.
Our next flight takes us to Local Communities. Wherever you travel, we would like to help you find a small group of Christian scholars near you. We encourage scholars to form small groups in their community and to inform the Society of their existence.
The next stop is Group Video Conferencing. Do you need to video chat with a group of colleagues or students? Zoom™ allows you to meet with up to 100 people with no time limits. This is a rare opportunity for scholars.
We have already mentioned our Mentorship program and our free Editorial Services. I almost forgot our Member Directory, which provides opportunities for interaction among scholars in various fields of interest.
As we begin our final descent, Society Grants will be our final destination. The purpose of these grants is to assist members with research and projects related to the Society’s purpose. Time and space do not permit us to dwell on all the treasures of our member site, but I call on every Society member to undertake this personal voyage of discovery.
Spread the word to your friends and colleagues and invite them to join the Society.
One more thing. As you disembark, please do not forget to get your free copy of The Outrageous Idea of the Missional Professor. This is the international edition of Paul Gould’s book, garnished with African, Oriental and western flavours.
Thank you and God bless you.
Prof. Osam Edim Temple
Chair, Executive Committee