Lee University Presents at Christianity and Literature Conference
Lee University English students, alumni, and professors presented academic research at the Southeast Conference on Christianity and Literature in Birmingham.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Christianity
Lee University English students, alumni, and professors traveled to Samford University in Birmingham to present academic research at the Southeast Conference on Christianity and Literature. The conference's annual theme was "Transformative Language: Literacies of Mind, Body, and Soul."
Why it matters
The conference gives undergraduate and alumni scholars a venue to share research on the intersection of faith and literature with a regional academic audience. It also highlights the continued role of Christian literary study in higher education in Tennessee and across the Southeast.
The Christianity and Literature society was formally organized in 1956 and includes hundreds of members across the United States, Canada, and more than a dozen other countries. Lee University's delegation included four undergraduate students, three alumni, and two English professors.
The players
Lee University
Lee University is a private Christian university in Cleveland, Tennessee, affiliated with the Church of God.
Jason Baxter
Jason Baxter is director of the Center for Beauty and Culture at Benedictine University and a scholar of Christian thought and culture.
Samford University
Samford University is a private Baptist-affiliated university in Birmingham, Alabama, that hosted the conference.
The details
Undergraduate students Ana Brewster, Madelyne Carr, Olivia Divel, and Alia Serrano presented alongside alumni Garrett Mikulka, Elliana Shaffer, and Hallie Wielfaert. Dr. Ashley Mulligan and Dr. Chad Schrock, professors of English, presented their own research papers, and Jason Baxter of Benedictine University delivered the keynote address.
Timeline
1956: The Christianity and Literature society was formally organized.
November 2026: Lee University's delegation presented at the Southeast Conference.
Season Trajectory
The Christianity and Literature society, formally organized in 1956, has built a membership spanning North America and more than a dozen other countries over nearly seven decades. Regional conferences like the Southeast gathering help sustain that scholarly network across generations of students and faculty.
Readers interested in Christian literary study can follow the society's work through its published membership and conference information. Students considering graduate or undergraduate research in English and religious literature may find regional conferences a useful entry point.
The takeaway
Regional academic conferences give students early experience presenting research before wider audiences. The Lee University delegation shows how undergraduate scholarship can take a seat alongside established faculty at a long-running society's gathering.
Further reading
For more on faith-based scholarship across the region, explore our Christianity coverage.
More information
Learn more about the society at Christianity and Literature.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Chattanoogan.
