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Keynote Speaker
Dr. Jason Baxter
Director, Center for Beauty and Culture at Benedictine University
Abstract Submission Deadline: July 1, 2026
Registration Deadline: September 1, 2026
The year 2026 marks the 500th anniversary of William Tyndale’s first printed translation of the English New Testament. Tyndale’s New Testament introduced scores of words and phrases into English vernacular and impacted language, text and literature and religious practice into the modern age. Sitting at the crux of both the Reformation and the Renaissance, this translation of the New Testament into the common language and its subsequent publication had a monumental impact on both spiritual formation and intellectual knowledge. It helped establish an idiom suited to both public hearing and private reading, shaping the cadence, vocabulary and narrative voice that would dominate English literature and religious expression for centuries. Even when we are not using “Tyndale’s words,” we are often using Tyndale’s English.
The movement of printed text across space and time furthermore transformed the way knowledge itself was created, consumed and deployed in both secular and religious contexts. This singular event in history raises questions about the relationship between language, literacy and the formation and transformation of the human mind, body and soul.
Call for Papers Submit a Paper Register for the Conference
About the Speaker
Jason Baxter is the Director of the Center for Beauty and Culture at Benedictine University and a prolific author, speaker, and educator. He has published seven books, including The Medieval Mind of C.S. Lewis, Why Literature Still Matters and A New Translation of Dante’s Inferno. Widely featured across media ranging from podcasts such as The Literary Life, Mars Hill Audio Journal and The After Dinner Scholar to appearances on EWTN, Baxter explores the intersection of medieval thought, technology, and modernity for both popular and academic audiences. His Substack, Beauty Matters, examines the enduring relevance of Dante and Lewis and the resilience of sacramental ways of understanding reality in a digital age.
Schedule of Events
Coming soon
Hotels and Lodging
A block of rooms has been reserved for conference participants at Courtyard by Marriott in Homewood, Alabama.
Additional nearby hotel options include:
Meals
Thursday, October 22
Light snacks provided in the afternoon
Friday, October 23
Continental breakfast at 8:30 a.m.
Lunch on campus
Light snacks in the afternoon
Banquet at 5 p.m.
Saturday, October 24
Continental breakfast at 8:30 a.m.
Boxed lunch available upon request
Parking and Transportation
Parking is limited during regular campus hours. Reserved parking for conference participants will be available at the Soccer and Baseball fields. Shuttle service will transport participants to Cooney Hall, the conference location, every 15 minutes during the following times:
Thursday, October 22
11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Friday, October 23
8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
