By Lauren Ludwig 
 
Lee University was recently awarded a $30,000 grant by the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) to support scholarly conversations about the intersection between Christianity and international relations. The project will be directed by the university’s Dr. Ana Shippey, associate professor of political science. 
 
The grant will fund three conferences, titled “Reframing International Relations: Imago Dei (Lee University, 2026), Shalom (Lipscomb University, 2027), and Agape (Baylor University, 2028).” The Imago Dei conference will take place on April 16-18. CCCU faculty from Baylor, Georgetown, Lee, Lipscomb, and Westmont will collaborate and host the three-day conference on Lee’s campus for international relations scholars, including panels, workshops, and a public panel open to the community. 
 
The Imago Dei conference is the first of three conferences that will focus on international relations from a Christian perspective. 
 
“Political science has historically treated Christianity as peripheral to the study of politics, focusing on the malevolent aspects of religion instead of its benevolent role,” said Shippey. “My colleagues and I believe that Christians have much to contribute to a fuller and clearer understanding of international relations and are thankful for the opportunity to reframe the Christian narrative in international relations.” 
 
International relations is a subfield of political science that studies the interactions of nations and states on a broad range of topics, including politics, economy, diplomacy, and conflict resolution. The goal of “Reframing International Relations: Imago Dei” is to discuss the tensions that exist between the Christian concept of Imago Dei – the belief that humans are created in the likeness of God – and the critical idea of the supremacy of the state as the critical actor in international relations. Fourteen universities are expected to participate in the conference. 
 
“The opportunity to offer Christian-informed approaches for studying international relations seems especially important right now,” said Dr. Debbie Murray, Lee provost. “We welcome the opportunity to engage in productive and creative ways for Christian scholars to join hands and work together to influence a broader academic audience in the implementation of this grant.” 
 
Lee University acknowledges funding from the Networking Grants for Christian Scholars, a project run by the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities. 
 
The CCCU is an international association of more than 185 Christian higher education institutions, emphasizing public advocacy, professional development and scholarship, and experiential education while maintaining a Christ-centered outlook. 
 
For more information about the CCCU, visit cccu.org/. 
 
For more information about the History, Political Science, and Humanities Department at Lee, visit leeuniversity.edu/academics/arts-sciences/hps/.