The R. Thomas Schaub Religious Studies Essay Contest was begun in 2005 as a tribute to R. Thomas Schaub, professor emeritus in the Department of Religious Studies at IUP. Professor Schaub taught courses on Biblical Studies and on Palestinian archaeology until his retirement from IUP in January 1999. He is a renowned scholar of the archaeology of the Dead Sea Plains, and continues to work in the field. Professor Schaub’s publications include many articles and volumes on his archaeological projects, one of which is Bab edh-Dhra’: Excavations at the Town Site (1975-1981), published by Eisenbrauns in 2003 (jointly authored with Walter E. Rast). Thus, the Department of Religious Studies is pleased and honored to name after him its scholarly essay contest for students.

The winners of R. Thomas Schaub Religious Studies Essay Contest in 2007 were: The first prize, Luke Hopkins' "Seek and Ye Shall Find"; the second prize, Elizabeth Dallas Knowlton's "Burden of Eve"; the third prize, Chelsey Atkins' "Searching for Miriam: A Christian Feminist Retrieval of the Virgin Mary".

Submissions for the 2007 R. Thomas Schaub Religious Studies Essay Contest are now being accepted.

General Guidelines:

1) The competition is open to all IUP undergraduates, and is not restricted to papers from or related to a course taught by a Religious Studies professor, although such papers are encouraged. Unfortunately, however, only one entry per student can be accepted, so students should please choose their best work. Those desiring advice of any kind are encouraged to discuss their essay with a department professor in advance.

2) Style: 5-15 pages in length (excluding cover sheet and bibliography), double-spaced, no wider than 1 inch margins, 10 or 12 cpi Times font. Use of citations must be consistent throughout, but students may choose from MLA or APA styles.

3) Papers will be judged not only on content and the quality of critical arguments, but also on style and composition. Religious Studies is a diverse set of disciplines, and it is expected that papers on a variety of topics may be submitted - for example, papers on some aspect of a particular religion (Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, etc.), or on some general approach to religion, philosophy, or sociology of religion, etc. The main expectation, however, is that the paper utilize scholarly methodologies and promote academic discourse.

5) Awards will be made at the 2006 Spring Semester gathering of the Dept. of Religious Studies at the end of the semester. There will be three prizes: $150, $75, and $50 will be awarded to the first, second, and third place winners respectively. In addition, the winning essays will be published electronically on the department website (minor revisions may be required).

Any questions? Please email Dr. Gibson at: JGibson@iup.edu.