Helms School of Government Hosts A Conference To Discuss The Crisis Of American Culture

Liberty University’s Helms School of Government hosted its first Culture & Crisis Conference via Microsoft Teams March 5-6, bringing in faculty, students and special guests to discuss important issues regarding constitutionalism and federalism. 

Former Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell opened the conference by speaking during the first session. Discussions were also held between Heritage Foundation scholars, the Family Foundation Forge Leadership and Liberty University faculty and students. 

More than 400 registered participants took part in the event. Helms School of Government Dean Robert Hurt moderated the four plenary sessions while government professors Kahlib Fischer and Mary Prentice moderated the 20 breakout sessions. 

Under the guidance of Prentice, Fischer and  Hurt, the main points of the conference were constitutionalism and federalism, specifically regarding the issues facing America today.  

“These are two hot issues in this day where we have all these crises, such as the George Floyd issue and protests, COVID-19 crises and the executive power grab a number of governors have had regarding if they have rights to close down all of these businesses,” Prentice said.

According to Prentice, students who participated in the conference submitted research papers prior to the event for review on quality and maintaining a biblical worldview. The papers were chosen by Fischer and Prentice to review and then sent to each moderator to look over.

Students and faculty presented research on constitutionalism and federalism. The presentations also included a question and answer period.

Faith Chudkowski, a junior at Liberty University, was one of the first students to publish in Liberty University’s Journal of Statesmanship & Public Policy. She presented on Augustine and Cicero’s visions of justice.

“It was really helpful academically, we are here at college to learn,” Chudkowski said. “To participate in a conference where you have to meet deadlines, edit your work… (and) to present alongside your peers, it produces a higher quality of scholarship.”

According to Chudkowski, it is important for Christians to know how to engage critically in current issues. 

“I appreciated getting to engage with the cultural issues we talked about, in a way that is Christ like and respectful,” Chudkowski said.

Andrew Langeland, a Liberty graduate student, who presented on Manumission, said that Christians should approach today’s issues by looking at them from all perspectives. 

“Looking at these subjects from all perspectives, such as examining social issues from a historical, cultural, economic and biblical perspective, we then can have the moral authority to speak on these issues or even intellectual authority, to know issues inside and out,” Langeland said. 

Hurt was pleased with the outcome of the conference and impressed by those who took part. 

“These are difficult issues, dealing with the pandemic and civil unrest, so the fact that we have bright students who are thinking about public policy that can go toward addressing concerns that have been raised from a Christian worldview, I think is really beneficial,” Hurt said. “I think there is a great future for Liberty
with this. “ 

For more information on the Journal for Statesmanship and Public Policy visit https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/jspp.

Emily Robertson is a News Reporter.