Center for Christianity
and Scholarship
Summer 2026 Faculty Theological Collaborative: What it Means to Be Human

Blacknall Memorial Presbyterian Church

1902 Perry Street, Durham, NC 27705

August 3 - 5

The Faculty Theological Collaborative supports Christian professors at secular universities through advanced theological training, living examples of the unity of faith and scholarship, and rich fellowship with faculty across institutions and disciplines. This three-day workshop is built around a series of dialogues between academic theologians and scholars in the natural sciences, social sciences, and arts and humanities.

This year's topic is: “What It Means to Be Human.” Christianity defines a person as created in the “Image and likeness of God,” with the capacity to grow into greater likeness, “from glory to glory,” or to deface that divine image through sin. Inside this Christian frame, questions arise with implications for every academic discipline: What is the relationship of body and spirit? What distinguishes the human from a highly functioning AI? Is a person defined by their individuality or their connectedness within social, political, or economic networks? What entails ethical treatment of another human being? These questions have pressing implications for the academy—and are best considered from a variety of perspectives, rather than from the confines of a single discipline. Join us and discover how the practice and purpose of your discipline might be better informed by a Christian understanding of the human person. 

Registration information will be announced soon, along with information on this year's speakers. Stay tuned.

Key Components:
Advanced Theological Training

Lectures from Regent College and Duke Divinity faculty build a foundation of theological knowledge about core Christian truths, giving faculty confidence to connect these doctrines with their own disciplines.

Practical Examples

Presentations by scholars who are actively developing faith-informed projects model exemplary dialogue between theology and other disciplines and give concrete examples of what it can look like to integrate faith with research or teaching.

Discipline-Based Workshops

Collaborative workshop sessions gather faculty to apply what they have learned in the context of their own fields of study and take away practical ideas and inspiration for faith-informed teaching within secular universities.

Previous participants write:
"This was such an uplifting, stimulating, and friendly conference. Enjoyable all the way around and fruitful"
"My understanding of God's work of creation was bolstered and enriched, and I found the applications demonstrated and discussed by faculty in secular teaching environments made me feel more hopeful about my own work."
“I appreciated new ideas that stimulated my thinking and faith; new connections with fellow Christians; practical ideas to reflect Christ better in my work and relationships.”
“The interaction across fields/disciplines was incredibly rich and inspiring. It reminded me why I wanted to become a professor in the first place!”
The Faculty Theological Collaborative is Co-Sponsored by the following organizations:

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