Ethics and Biblical Interpretation

Call For Papers: For the 2017 Annual Meeting, the Biblical Ethics and the Bible and Ethical Interpretation sections will co-host a session on Ethics and Election: Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Interpretations of "Chosenness" in the Bible. What does it mean to be God's "chosen" and what are the moral implications, if any? What are the implications for the "enemies" of God's chosen people? Does a commitment to election inevitably result in violence (including indifference) toward the non-chosen? In his new book, Putting God Second: How to Save Religion from Itself, Rabbi Donniel Hartman, the president of the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, explores the positive and negative moral implications of chosenness, among other subjects. His book asks, in part, "Why are the great monotheistic faiths--Judaism, Christianity, and Islam--chronically unable to fulfill their own self-professed goal of creating individuals fused with moral sensitivity and societies governed by the highest ethical standards?" Our program units invite proposals that address the moral implications of election especially when election results in power inequality and even violence. All proposals should engage scriptural texts in dialogue with theological and/or ethical concerns.

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