1517 Faith & Reason Conference
Examining the historical evidence for the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
March 12–13, 2027
Wax Space · Dallas, Texas
Jesus: The Public Record explores the historical evidence for Jesus Christ and the reliability of the New Testament accounts. Through historical inquiry and Christian apologetics, we'll examine the events at the heart of Christianity—and why they matter for the Christian faith.
Conference Details
When
Friday–Saturday, March 12–13, 2027 Check-in opens Friday at 4:30 PM. Sessions conclude Saturday at 2:30 PM.
Where
Wax Space at Tyler Station Oak Cliff, Dallas, Texas
Schedule
The conference begins Friday evening and continues through Saturday afternoon. A complete schedule will be announced soon.
Plan Your Visit
Dallas is served by two major airports: Dallas Love Field (DAL), approximately 25 minutes from the venue, and DFW International Airport (DFW), approximately 30 minutes away. Travel times vary with traffic.
Complimentary on-site parking is available at Tyler Station, home to Wax Space.
Accommodations
Attendees are responsible for arranging their own accommodations. Consider these Dallas-area lodging options:
Please contact hotels directly for availability and reservations.
Conference Presentation
The Historical Jesus
Dr. Adam Francisco is scholar in residence and director of academics at 1517. A historian, theologian, and Christian apologist, he previously served as dean of the College of Theology, Arts & Humanities and assistant provost at Concordia University Chicago.
Francisco earned his DPhil at the University of Oxford, where he studied theology and history, including Arabic and Islamic theology. His scholarship explores the history of Christian apologetics, the Reformation, and Christianity's encounter with Islam.
He is the author and editor of several works, including Martin Luther and Islam, Making a Case for Christianity, and The Resurrection Fact. He also co-hosts 1517's Thinking Fellows podcast.
A veteran of the U.S. Navy, Francisco is passionate about equipping Christians to give a reasoned defense of the hope they have in Christ.
The Reliability of the Gospels
Dr. Kirk Clayton is a professor of theology at Concordia University Chicago, where he teaches systematic theology, directs the Pre-Seminary program, and leads the university's Apologetics Boot Camp. His work focuses on Christian apologetics, particularly the reliability of Scripture and the historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Clayton studied at the International Academy of Apologetics in Strasbourg, France, under Dr. John Warwick Montgomery and other leading scholars. He has spoken at conferences and events throughout the United States and has been a frequent guest on KFUO Radio and Issues, Etc.
In 2025, he taught Christian apologetics in Australia, and in 2026, he served as an essayist at the LCMS Convention in Phoenix, presenting on Christ's Resurrection for You.
The Historicity of the Resurrection
Dr. Joshua Pagán is the founding instructor of the Institute for Intellectual Formation & Skeptical Inquiry in Fort Wayne, Indiana. A scholar of Christian apologetics and philosophy of religion, his work focuses on the historical and philosophical foundations of the Christian faith.
A veteran of U.S. Army Special Operations Forces, Pagán studied philosophy at Purdue University before earning his M.Div. and Ph.D. from Concordia Theological Seminary. During his doctoral studies, he conducted research at Princeton Theological Seminary exploring the intersection of science and religion.
Pagán also serves as executive director of Aboite Lutheran Church, editor of the Journal of the International Society of Christian Apologetics, and an adjunct professor. He is the author of Paul and the Resurrection: Testing the Apostolic Testimony (2020).
His research interests include analytic theology, religious epistemology, Christian apologetics, and the relationship between science and theology.
Fact, Value, and Faith
Caleb Keith oversees the 1517 Podcast Network and produces Thinking Fellows and Outlaw God. His work focuses on Lutheran theology, Christian apologetics, and the relationship between faith, reason, and the modern world.
Keith graduated summa cum laude as an Honors Scholar from Concordia University Irvine and earned an M.A. in systematic and philosophical theology from the University of Nottingham. In 2018, he published a translation of Martin Luther's Heidelberg Disputation.
Through his work in theological education and podcasting, Keith seeks to make substantive Christian theology accessible to a broad audience. He and his wife, Erika, have five children.
Join us March 12–13, 2027, in Dallas, Texas.
All sessions + general hospitality, including lunch on Saturday
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