School Of Divinity Relaunches Academic Journal

This Spring semester, Liberty University’s School of Divinity will relaunch their student led academic journal, Eleutheria. 

Current undergrad and graduate students are encouraged to participate in the publication by submitting personal research papers “in the areas of theology and philosophy, scripture and interpretation, and church and mission.” 

The managing student editor, David Ochabski said that this opportunity will open up opportunities for divinity students to grow.

According to the Liberty University School of Divinity Journal website, Eleutheria’s mission is “to glorify God through the publication of excellent student scholarship from an evangelical perspective.”  

The Greek word Eleutheria means the personification of liberty.

“The people who are reviewing and the people who are submitting, they are the personification of Liberty University, organizationally and through virtues,” managing editor David Ochabski said. 

Ochabski explained that Eleutheria can help students to gain experience by getting published in a peer reviewed journal while Liberty University builds visibility for the School of Divinity. 

He continued, stating the journal’s purpose as “a publication that gives credibility to authors accepted and a transformative learning experience to those rejected, thus raising Christianity’s academic rigor overall.” 

According to the official website, Liberty University’s seminary program, established in 1973, received their accreditation by the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools. 

Chad Thornhill, professor of theological studies, detailed the shortcoming of the original student led journal. The last publication date was in 2015 and with changes in leadership, it did not have a successor to continue the student led journal. 

The School of Divinity hopes that the revamp will ensure that this journal will remain a permanent instillation for them. The entirely student led journal is headed by David Ochabski, peer-reviewed by associate editors and guided by faculty advisors such as Anthony Thornhill and Dean Troy Temple. 

Thornhill described the longevity of Eleutheria through a system of succession as “the most natural way of filling that position when David moves on, is to pull one of the associate editors up.” 

The Spring volume theme is “Unity in Christ,” and will feature guest contributor Gary Habermas, a world-renowned expert apologist for the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

“[I hope the journal] will also be a place to house articles when we put on scholarly symposia and given the journal’s potential influence,” Ochabski said. “The volume themes could become a way to help lead Christian culture.” 

Submissions are currently open to undergraduate and graduate students at Liberty University and to divinity students from other Universities until the Spring submission deadline on April 1. Through a “double-blind process” the student led editorial board encourages “any student studying in the areas of Theology and Philosophy, Scripture and Interpretation, and Church and Mission,” to submit articles to the anonymous review process. 

The online publication date for the Eleutheria Spring 2021 edition will be on May 15. To find this journal, visit digitalcommons.liberty.edu/eleu/, through ATLA Religion Database®, or The Christian Periodical Index. 

Although the journal will not be published in print, Ochabski said he is open to the idea in the future.

 “It would be nice to see a set on a shelf in the Jerry Falwell Library or the School of Divinity for passersby to see. I’m sure it would be nice for friends and family of the authors to see and/or purchase,” Ochabski said. 

Kaitlyn Nyhan is a News Reporter.