Alpha Beta Sigma Chapter, Arizona State University
Tempe, Arizona 85287

Chapter Representative Dr. Eugene Clay reports that Heidi Toth, a member of the Alpha Beta Sigma Chapter of Theta Alpha Kappa, presented a paper to the Arizona History Convention in April 2022 entitled, “The True Story Behind What Really Happened: How a New Exhibit at Bosque Redondo Aims to Rebuild the Memory of a Lost Chapter of New Mexican History,” which explored the deportation of Diné (Navajo) people in the nineteenth century. Ciara Bernal, a recent graduate from Arizona State University, has coauthored a forthcoming article with Lecturer Terry Shoemaker: “Skateboarding and Subjective-Life Embodied Spirituality” in the Journal of Contemporary Religion. Ciara has also been awarded funding to complete the MA program in Folk Studies at Western Kentucky University.

Alpha Nu Tau Chapter, Freed-Hardeman University
Henderson, Tennessee 38340

Chapter Representative Dr. Rick Brumback reports that the Alpha Nu Tau Chapter of Theta Alpha Kappa inducted its first student members in the Spring 2022 semester: 9 undergraduate and 2 graduate students. The university is thankful to add its affiliation with Theta Alpha Kappa to its association with honor societies in other disciplines as we continue to promote academic excellence and participation in the larger academy.

Alpha Beta Zeta Chapter, University of the Cumberlands
Williamsburg, Kentucky 40769

Chapter Representative Dr. Jefferson Calico reports that the Alpha Beta Zeta Chapter of Theta Alpha Kappa inducted thirteen new members from their undergraduate ranks in the Spring 2022 semester.

Epsilon Chapter, Iona University
New Rochelle, New York 10801

Chapter Representative Dr. Elena G. Procario-Foley reports that the Epsilon Chapter of Theta Alpha Kappa inducted three members, all undergraduates, in the Spring of 2022. In addition to Religious Studies, the inductees represented double majors and minors in Psychology, Social Work, and Media and Strategic Communication.

Establishment of New Chapter

With this issue of the journal Theta Alpha Kappa welcomes one new chapter.

Alpha Xi Gamma Chapter, Kenyon College
Gambier, Ohio 43022

The Alpha Xi Gamma Chapter of Theta Alpha Kappa has been established at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. Kenyon College was founded in 1824. Kenyon College offers the undergraduate degree in Religious Studies. The College enrolls approximately 1730 undergraduate students. Kenyon College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. The Chapter Representative is Dr. Krista N. Dalton.

News from the National Board

The 2022 Annual Business Meeting and Reception for the membership of Theta Alpha Kappa will take place on Sunday, November 20, at 6–7:30 pm MST in Denver during the AAR-SBL Annual Meeting. The location is the Mattie Silks room at the Hilton City Center. (Please note that the meeting will not be available online this year.) Chapter Representatives will receive additional information about the meeting in the Fall 2022 President’s Newsletter in early November. All chapter representatives, TAK inductees, and others interested in the society are encouraged to participate, and we eagerly anticipate our first in-person gathering since 2019.

Undergraduate Achievement Awards

As of September 1, nominations for the 2021–2022 Undergraduate Achievement Award will be open. All chapters whose chapter number ends in the digits 0-4 are encouraged to select one student for this $100 Award; selection criteria are left to the discretion of the local chapter but might focus on overall academic excellence, chapter leadership, outstanding public service, or, in the case of a sophomore or early junior inductee, as an encouragement award toward continued excellence. To name an awardee, Chapter Representatives should send the student’s name and current mailing address to the Treasurer:

Dr. Michael Berger, TAK Treasurer
Dept. of Religion
Emory University
S210 Callaway Center
537 Kilgo Circle
Atlanta, GA 30322
michael.berger@emory.edu

Upon receipt of this information, an Award check will be issued directly to the student. Notice of the selected student must come from the Chapter Representative either via regular mail on signed letterhead or via e-mail from the Chapter Representative’s institutional address. The current policy is to offer the award to half the chapters each year. In the academic year 2022-2023, chapters ending in the digits 5-9 will name an awardee; in the next academic year (2023–2024), chapters ending in the digits 0-4 will name an awardee. See the Theta Alpha Kappa website for your chapter’s number.

2022 Annual Graduate Fellowship Awards

Each year, Chapter Representatives are invited to nominate a student to compete for graduate fellowship awards. The nominee must be an inducted member of TAK who will be advancing to a graduate degree program in religion or theology in the following Fall. This year, the first-place winner is Philip Lindia, who was inducted into TAK at Wheaton College and is now in a M.A. in History of Christianity program at the same institution. The second-place winner is Kimberly Fromkin, who was inducted into TAK at Valdosta State University and is now in a Master of Liberal Arts-Religion program at Harvard University Extension School. There were two third place winners: James Nicholson, who was inducted into TAK at Truman State University and is now in a Master of Theological Studies program at Duke Divinity School; and Renee Susanto, who was inducted into TAK at Pomona College and is now in a Master of Divinity program at Harvard Divinity School.

Invitation to the 2023 Albert Clark Awards

The National Board of Directors of TAK invites entries for the 2023 Albert Clark Award, given annually for the best papers in religious studies or theology, as judged by panels established by the Board. Each competition winner in each category (undergraduate or graduate) will receive a $500 award, and the runner-up in each category will receive a $250 award. The winners and runners-up will have their essays published in the Journal of Theta Alpha Kappa. Other excellent essays submitted for the competition will be chosen to appear in the Journal.

Competition guidelines: The competition is open to current students at the undergraduate or graduate level who satisfy one of these conditions: a) currently enrolled in or having graduated from a school with an active TAK chapter, provided that the paper was written while attending that school and submitted for the competition within 12 months after graduation; b) currently enrolled in a school that does not have a TAK chapter, provided that the student was inducted in a chapter of TAK at a school previously attended.

  • Papers in religious studies and in all fields of theology are welcome.
  • Authors may only submit one paper for consideration, and the paper may not be submitted for publication elsewhere during the duration of the competition.
  • All papers submitted will be considered both for the Albert Clark Award and for publication in the Journal.
  • Papers should be double-spaced and a maximum of 20 pages, including footnotes, with 12-point font size.
  • Papers should be submitted as Word documents or PDFs.
  • Submissions should follow the Chicago Manual of Style 17th edition (footnotes and bibliography). The citation of all source material, including information drawn from electronic sources or the internet, should be as complete as possible.
  • The paper must be free of any information that may identify the author and may not contain comments by previous readers.
  • Papers must be submitted with a completed Clark Award Submission Form. Clark Award Submission Forms are available at https://thetaalphakappa.org/clark-awards/.
  • Papers must be titled “Lastname Clark submission”; forms must be titled “Lastname Clark form”.

Winners will be chosen and all applicants will be notified of the judges’ decisions in March 2023. Deadline for submission is Monday, January 23, 2023. Send completed Clark Award Submission form and the paper in one email to: Dr. Andrea Stanton, JTAK Associate Editor (andrea.stanton@du.edu).

“Start Up” Grant

The national board of TAK offers a “start-up” grant of $200 for any region of the AAR or SBL that organizes a section at its annual meeting for the presentations of papers by chapter members. A $100 award should be given for the best paper presented, and the remaining $100 may be used at the discretion of the region to help organize the session. In subsequent years, the honor society will continue to offer $100 for the best paper presented at a TAK session. Participants should also be encouraged to submit their papers for the Albert Clark Award and possible publication in this journal.

Procedures for Ordering TAK Certificates and Regalia

The Board of Directors of Theta Alpha Kappa has an agreement with Kenneth E. Jernigan & Associates to collect inductee information and fees and to issue the induction certificates to the Chapter Representative. Chapter Representatives should refer to the link on the TAK website for detailed information about recording and processing this information. Please let us know of any problems. Send comments to
theta_alpha_kappa_inquiries@ThetaAlphaKappa.org.