History

The Christianity and Communication Studies Network (CCSN) is an educational outreach of FaithComm, Inc., a non-profit [501(c)3] organization, founded in 2013. It is the mission and purpose of FaithComm, Inc. to provide educational opportunities for teachers, researchers, students, communication professionals, and others interested in the study of communication and culture from a faith-based perspective. FaithComm, Inc. seeks to educate, coordinate, and offer valuable information about communication studies and its related sub-disciplines in ways that ultimately promote pro-social discourse and civility in all sectors of society.

The idea for the CCSN grew out of the workshops in communication sponsored by the Gainey Institute for Faith and Communication at Calvin College, which “promotes the study, practice, and living of communication in the context of the Christian faith by partnering with individuals and organizations that share its goals” (Gainey Institute).

Each summer the Gainey Institute’s workshops brought educators, students and other professionals from across the globe to Calvin College for a week of fellowship and learning around key issues and topics in the field of communication. Strategic collaborations, partnerships, friendships, and publications of all kinds serving students, researchers, and practitioners resulted from these workshops. For many of those in attendance, these workshops were professionally and personally transformational.

Several of the CCSN advisory committee members had participated in these summer workshops and looked for ways to extend year-round the kinds of experience and opportunities they had encountered at the Gainey Institue’s summer workshops, and to open such opportunities to a broader, more geographically diverse, audience. In partnership with FaithComm, Inc., members of the advisory committee eventually launched the CCSN.

Although the CCSN has no formal affiliation with Calvin College or the Gainey Institute for Faith and Communication, it owes a debt of gratitude to the institute and the quality leadership of its executive director Quentin Schultze.


Enjoy recent books by CCSN members, webinar presenters, editorial board members, and special guests. Click on the book to read more and view amazon.com details. Or, visit the member publications area to learn about other CCSN publications.