Students present their writing at theological conference

Concordia University, Nebraska students will present papers at the Great Plains Undergraduate Theology Conference, Friday, April 15, at Sioux Falls Seminary in Sioux Falls, S.D. Junior Anna Schuett, Grand Island, Neb. and seniors Grant Oldre, Luverne, Minn., and Tyler Walworth, Kearney, Mo., all submitted proposals that were accepted for the conference.

“The Great Plains Undergraduate Theology Conference is an annual opportunity for undergraduate scholars to gather and present their innovative and creative papers,” explained Rev. Dr. Paul Holtorf, theology department chair. Holtorf and Rev. Dirk Reek are this year’s faculty sponsors.

Students and faculty from Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota participate in the conference. Topics come from the areas of moral theology and ethics, comparative studies, practical and pastoral theology, historical studies in religion, systematic theology and scripture.

Schuett, who hopes to attend graduate school to earn her masters in creative writing, wrote about the theme of hope versus despair in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. Professor Reek encouraged her to submit a proposal for the conference.

“At this conference they want speakers from different majors,” said Schuett.  “I’m doing an independent study on The Lord of the Rings, and he [Reek] was very excited about the possibilities that opened up for my writing.”

Oldre’s paper, “Implications Concerning Sanctification and the Christian Life,” investigates what the scriptures, prominent theologians, and other dogmatic works have to say about the human will and what role, if any, the will has in the life of a Christian. Walworth explores a variety of ethical systems in his paper, “Gods Against God and Christian Necessity in the Perspective of Bonhoeffer.”

This is the second year students from Concordia have been involved in the conference.