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Congresses

2019 Annual Meeting

San Diego, CA

Meeting Begins11/23/2019
Meeting Ends11/26/2019

Call for Papers Opens: 12/19/2018
Call for Papers Closes: 3/6/2019

Requirements for Participation

Program Units

 

Academic Teaching and Biblical Studies

Renate Viveen Hood
Description: Pedagogy and the classroom each provides a hermeneutical and heuristic frame of reference for the reading and interpretation of the Bible. Each classroom is also part of a larger institutional context has its own mission statement and culture. These provide concrete interpretive communities in which reading and interpretation take place. The exploration of the dynamics of teaching within the context of pedagogical concerns, institutional goals and cultures, and specific classroom communities is the goal of the group's agenda.

Call for papers: Session 1: 10-minute Teaching Tips for Teaching Biblical Studies. What tricks and techniques for the Biblical Studies classroom do you have? Propose an engaging 10-minute presentation that models teaching and learning practices based on research and experience, engages the attendees in learning, and shows promise of helping learners develop desirable biblical literature study skills, knowledge, and attitudes. Session 2: Engaging undergraduates in student-faculty research. If you have found ways to engage your undergraduate students in your research, share with us. Please describe your project, what training you provided, what results have been and whether your students have had opportunity to share at a meeting or conference. Presentations are 20 minutes each. Session 3: Teaching Biblical Studies Using Games. Games can be a powerful way of engaging students in the text. Whether it is a short game at the start of a lesson, a game that takes a full class period, or a simulation that lasts several class periods, games can ignite student imagination and interest. Share your concrete ideas for use in higher education settings. We prefer proposals that are widely applicable and/or can be fully or partially modeled in the presentation. Presentations are 20 minutes each, followed by 5 minutes of Q&A. Session 4: The Digital Debate - Pros and Cons of Technology in the Classroom. Should professors prohibit outside technological devices in class, or embrace them? How are students' personal tech tools either effectively banned by the professor or leveraged for learning benefit? We invite lively presentations focused on evidence-based research and practice. Please submit a proposal that chooses a side, discusses the evidence behind your position, and offers concrete and repeatable techniques to either ban or make use of tech in the classroom. Each presenter will have 20 minutes to make and defend their case with examples, followed by 5 minutes of Q&A.

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African Association for the Study of Religions

Esther Acolatse
Althea Spencer Miller
Description: The African Association for the Study of Religions is an academic association of the scholars of religions posted in universities in Africa, and of scholars of the religions of Africa posted in universities outside Africa. It was founded at an IAHR (International Association for the History of Religions) conference in Harare, Zimbabwe, in September 1992 for the purpose of promoting the academic study of the religions of Africa more generally through the international collaboration of all scholars whose research has a bearing on the subject. The AASR seeks to stimulate the academic study of religions of Africa in a variety of ways: providing a forum for multilateral communications between scholars of African religions; facilitating the exchange of resources and information; encouraging the development of linkages and research contacts between scholars and institutions in Africa, and between scholars in Africa and those overseas. The AASR also endeavors to assist scholars to publish their work and travel to professional meetings. The AASR is an affiliate of the IAHR since 1995. It meets at the IAHR quinquennial congress and organizes conferences in Africa. Its members participate in panels at conferences outside of Africa. The AASR publishes the bi-annual AASR Bulletin and maintains a web site: www.a-asr.org. AASR plans for an online journal are at an advanced stage.

Call for papers: The African Association for the Study of Religions is an academic association of the scholars of religions posted in universities in Africa, and of scholars of the religions of Africa posted in universities outside Africa. It was founded at an IAHR (International Association for the History of Religions) conference in Harare, Zimbabwe, in September 1992 for the purpose of promoting the academic study of the religions of Africa more generally through the international collaboration of all scholars whose research has a bearing on the subject. The AASR seeks to stimulate the academic study of religions of Africa in a variety of ways: providing a forum for multilateral communications between scholars of African religions; facilitating the exchange of resources and information; encouraging the development of linkages and research contacts between scholars and institutions in Africa, and between scholars in Africa and those overseas. The AASR also endeavors to assist scholars to publish their work and travel to professional meetings. The AASR is an affiliate of the IAHR since 1995. It meets at the IAHR quinquennial congress and organizes conferences in Africa. Its members participate in panels at conferences outside of Africa. The AASR publishes the bi-annual AASR Bulletin and maintains a web site: www.a-asr.org. AASR plans for an online journal are at an advanced stage.

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African Biblical Hermeneutics

Kenneth Ngwa
Description: This section is devoted to the study of the Bible from African perspectives, and focuses on African issues. A diversity of methods reflecting the social-cultural diversity of Africa is used in reading the Bible. The emphasis is on encouraging readings of the Bible that are shaped by African perspectives and issues, and giving voice to African biblical scholars as they contribute to global biblical scholarship. The unit expects to publish essays from its sessions.

Call for papers: 1. Book Review Panel Discussion on the book, Navigating African Biblical Hermeneutics: Themes and Trends from our Pots and our Calabashes (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2018). This panel discusses the theories, methods, and content of the edited volume which emerged from a 2014 session. 2. Methodology (MITs) Through his multiple publications on the methods, the contexts, and the contents of African Biblical Hermeneutics, David T. Adamo has made significant contributions to the field of ABH. This invited session provides a critical appraisal of Prof. Adamo’s work, with particular attention to his methodological formulations around colonial and postcolonial readings, community-oriented readings of the Bible, the Bible as an object of power in Africa, etc, followed by response from Prof. Adamo. 3. Trans/Nationalisms and the Future of African/a Biblical Hermeneutics The emergence of 20th century African biblical hermeneutics coincided with the early stages of structured anticolonial resistance movements, particularly in the forms of political and cultural nationalisms. Ongoing transformations in global geopolitics in the 21st century require fresh explorations of cultural and political nationalisms. This session invites papers that consider the lasting impact of such nationalisms, and their implications for the future of African/a Biblical Hermeneutics in its local and global formulations. 4. The Bible, Gender and Motherhood in African Contexts Motherhood and mothering have constituted some of the celebrated “feminine” roles in Africa and in the biblical worlds. In 21st century post-colonial African contexts, the complexity around notions of gender, masculinities as well as assisted reproductive technologies, among others, necessitate that African biblical scholars critically engage the theme of the Bible and motherhood. This session invites papers that will critically engage these issues in African contexts.

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African-American Biblical Hermeneutics

Herbert R. Marbury
Kimberly D. Russaw
Description: The purpose of the African American Biblical Hermeneutics Section (AABHS) is to engage in the interdisciplinary and holistic study of the Bible and its place in a multi-faceted and complex African-American cultural Weltanschauung. The section provides a forum for scholarly discussion of any aspect of engagement with the bible from the perspective of African American culture, history, literature, or politics. It encourages interdisciplinary discussions about hermeneutics and culture and strives to encourage emerging scholars in publishing scholarly work in the field and advancing the study of African American hermeneutics.

Call for papers: The purpose of the African American Biblical Hermeneutics Section (AABHS) is to engage in the interdisciplinary and holistic study of the Bible and its place in a multi-faceted and complex African-American cultural Weltanschauung. The section provides a forum for scholarly discussion of any aspect of engagement with the bible from the perspective of African American culture, history, literature, or politics. It encourages interdisciplinary discussions about hermeneutics and culture and strives to encourage emerging scholars in publishing scholarly work in the field and advancing the study of African American hermeneutics.

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Ancient Fiction and Early Christian and Jewish Narrative

Christy Cobb
Eric Vanden Eykel
Description: The Section on Ancient Fiction and Early Jewish and Christian Narrative fosters methodologically diverse analyses of these ancient narratives, including: their interplay and interconnections; socio-cultural contexts; representations of reality, including religion; and narrative form, including plot, character, style, voice, etc.

Call for papers: The Ancient Fiction and Early Christian and Jewish Narrative section is planning three sessions at the 2019 Annual Meeting: the first will be co-sponsored with the Christian Apocrypha group and will feature invited papers related to the forthcoming Festschrift for Judith Perkins. The second will be co-sponsored with the Rhetoric in the New Testament section. For this session we invite proposals on “Ancient Fictional Letters,” specifically addressing the way these letters incorporate the principles of rhetoric. Suggested topics include but are not limited to the rhetoric of the letter genre itself, or rhetoric that pertains to the various audiences. For the third session we invite proposals on any topic related to the interests of the Ancient Fiction and Early Jewish and Christian Narratives section. We welcome diverse methodological and theoretical perspectives, as well as focused case studies regarding specific ancient narratives. For this session we are particularly interested in papers that address issues of race, gender, and ethnicity in ancient fiction. How are such identity markers used by ancient authors to specify categories of “insiders” vs. “outsiders”? To what extent are these markers “malleable”?

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Ancient Near Eastern Iconography and the Bible

Brent A. Strawn
Martin Klingbeil
Description: This section examines the ways that ancient pictorial material informs interpretations of biblical texts. We welcome papers that explore the relationships between iconographic and textual materials as well as papers that deal exclusively with iconographic issues.

Call for papers: The Ancient Near Eastern Iconography and Hebrew Bible unit invites papers for two or perhaps three sessions for the 2019 meeting. One session will be co-hosted with the Meals in the Hebrew Bible and Its World section, and welcomes papers devoted to the topic of feasting in iconographic (particularly Levantine) perspective, especially "Feasting with the Dead." This session will be a combination of invited papers and selected papers that are submitted for consideration on this theme. A second session will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the second edition of The Ancient Near East in Pictures (ANEP) edited by James B. Pritchard (1969). This useful volume is in need of revision, and one such area is the question of the canon of ANE art. We invite papers reflecting on presenting pictorial material, what constitutes the "canon" of ANE art, and how a handbook of ancient Near Eastern pictures relating to the Old Testament might look like today. Depending on submissions there may be a third, open session and so we welcome papers on topics that fall within the general scope of the iconography unit, which includes all aspects of ancient Near Eastern iconography and the Hebrew Bible. We especially welcome papers focused on the relationship between iconography and epigraphy, image and text, and how to make iconography accessible in teaching environments (e.g., via online resources).

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Anglican Association of Biblical Scholars

Elizabeth Struthers Malbon
Description: The Anglican Association of Biblical Scholars is an international association of biblical scholars who are affiliated with the churches of the Anglican Communion, including the Episcopal Church in the U.S., the Anglican Church of Canada, and the Church of England. Its purpose is to support biblical scholarship at all levels in the Anglican Communion. AABS is dedicated to fostering greater involvement of biblical scholars in the life of Anglican churches, and to promoting the development of resources for biblical studies in Anglican theological education.

Call for papers: The 2019 meeting of the Anglican Association of Biblical Scholars will be held on Friday, November 22 off site in San Diego. We are hopeful that we will be able to arrange bus transportation from the conference center. All are welcome to join us from 5:00 to 9:00 pm for fellowship, Holy Eucharist, dinner (reservations required online in the fall at www.aabs.org), and an invited panel. In addition, we will meet for Holy Eucharist in the conference venue at 11:45 on Sunday morning, November 24.

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Animal Studies and the Bible

Arthur Walker-Jones
Lidar Sapir-Hen
Description: This unit seeks to make the insights of animal studies available to biblical scholars by promoting interdisciplinary and intersectional analysis of biblical animals, animality, and the ethics of human relationships with other animals.

Call for papers: This unit seeks to make the insights of animal studies available to biblical scholars by promoting interdisciplinary and intersectional analysis of biblical animals, animality, and the ethics of human relationships with other animals. For 2019, we are planning at least two sessions: an open session and a joint session with the Ecological Hermeneutics section. For the open session, we seek paper proposals on one or more of the many animals that appear in the Bible. Proposals may make use of insights from various fields, including zooarchaeology, iconography, natural history, biology, anthropology, history, philosophy, literature, and ethics. They may explore the intersections of animals in the biblical text with issues of gender, race, colonialism, ecology, and disability. For the joint session with Ecological Hermeneutics, we seek paper proposals on wildlife depletion then and now, including issues associated with species extinctions and destruction of habitat in the biblical period and their relevance for modern times. The consultation plans an edited volume, and papers from these sessions may be considered for publication.

Tags: Cultural Criticism (Interpretive Approaches)

Apocalypse Now: Apocalyptic Reception and Impact throughout History

Ana T. Valdez
Bert Jan Lietaert Peerbolte
Description: Apocalypse Now is conceived as an interdisciplinary research group aiming to analyze the effective history of biblical and related apocalyptic literature (Daniel, Revelation, Enoch etc.) in the creation, establishment, and development of eschatological groups from antiquity to the present within the Abrahamic traditions, and in particular those of apocalyptic nature. It is of much interest to our work to observe how those groups developed networks of eschatological nature throughout history that can be found today at the basis of some social and political movements. By analysing in tandem the nature of the different groups over the centuries and how eschatological hope circulated among them at different moments, this research unit aims to foster and develop new interpretation theories that can lead to a better understanding of the use of apocalyptic expectations in the 21st century, and in particular, of the processes that led apocalypticism to take peaceful and/or violent forms.

Call for papers: Apocalypse Now is conceived as an interdisciplinary research group aiming to analyze the effective history of biblical and related apocalyptic literature (Daniel, Revelation, Enoch etc.) in the creation, establishment, and development of eschatological groups from antiquity to the present within the Abrahamic traditions, and in particular those of apocalyptic nature. It is of much interest to our work to observe how those groups developed networks of eschatological nature throughout history that can be found today at the basis of some social and political movements. By analysing in tandem the nature of the different groups over the centuries and how eschatological hope circulated among them at different moments, this research unit aims to foster and develop new interpretation theories that can lead to a better understanding of the use of apocalyptic expectations in the 21st century, and in particular, of the processes that led apocalypticism to take peaceful and/or violent forms.

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Aramaic Studies

Tawny L. Holm
Ute Possekel
Description: The Aramaic studies section is intended to provide a forum for scholars interested in various aspects of Aramaic language. Previous paper topics have included aspects of the Targumim, Qumran Aramaic, Peshitta, Samaritan papyri, and Elephantine Aramaic.

Call for papers: The Aramaic Studies Section invites papers on any aspect of Aramaic language, texts, and culture. We welcome presentations on Targumim, Qumran Aramaic texts, Syriac language and literature, Samaritan papyri, Elephantine Aramaic, magical texts, and other topics. For the 2019 meeting we are also planning a joint session with SBL's International Syriac Language Project on the current state of Biblical Aramaic lexicography, as well as an independent thematic session on women, gender, and family in Aramaic.

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Archaeology of Religion in the Roman World

Jorunn Okland
Jacob A. Latham
Description: The goal of this unit is to promote the study of material culture associated with religious activity in the Hellenistic and Roman periods and to showcase new theoretical approaches to this evidence. Presentations related to Second Temple Judaism, early Christianity, and Greco-Roman religion, broadly defined, are all welcome.

Call for papers: The Archaeology of Religion in the Roman World section invites papers for three sessions: 1. What’s the “Matter” with Gender and Sexuality in the Roman World?: Co-sponsored by LGBTI/ Queer Biblical Hermeneutics. While not as prominent as Roman “family values," diverse sexualities and genders were traced on and through the objects (e.g. graffiti and terracotta erotica). In this session, inspired by the work of Sarah Levin-Richardson, we invite papers that explore how ancient sexualities and genders, especially those we might identify as “queer,” are represented in and created by the ancient material world and how these shed light on our understanding of biblical texts, traditions, and interpretations. Authors might consider ancient spaces (e.g. brothels, villas), things (e.g. tintinnabulum, amulets), and/or representations of things and acts (e.g. painting, statuary). Papers that engage theoretical discussions of the material world and queer theory are especially welcome. 2. Architectures of Imperial Cult: This session welcomes papers that explore the role that architecture played in facilitating Roman ‘imperial cults’ in their diverse forms. Papers might focus on the construction, organization, and/or layout of a building(s); the objects, actors, and rituals within the architectural setting; or the broader spatial context around the sites. Papers might also aim to articulate more clearly the range of categories that are conventionally placed under the single heading “imperial cult.” 3. Religion, Slavery, and Material Culture: Co-sponsored by Paul and Politics. We seek papers that address religion, slavery, manumission, and material culture in the Roman world with a special interest in the material culture of enslaved and freed persons in the contexts of early Jewish and Christian communities. Michael Flexsenhar, author of Christians in Caesar’s Household: The Emperors’ Slaves in the Makings of Christianity (forthcoming, 2019), will be the respondent.

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Archaeology of the Biblical World

Erin Darby
Eric Welch
Description: This interdisciplinary unit is dedicated to the archaeology associated with the geographies, people groups, and time periods related to biblical literature, with special attention to the contributions of material and textual evidence. This unit adheres to ASOR’s Policy on Preservation and Protection of Archaeological Resources (http://www.asor.org/excavations/policy.pdf). As a unit we are committed to upholding the highest ethical standards relating to provenance. The unit will not be a venue that supports the analysis or authentication of illicit materials.

Call for papers: In 2019 Archaeology of the Biblical World will host an invited panel and at least one open session. Broadly construed, the "Biblical World" includes the time periods and geographies associated with the Hebrew Bible and New Testament. The unit welcomes proposals that use archaeology in conjunction with biblical studies in order to explicate a historical context, a particular passage, or some cultural element associated with the biblical world. Additionally, we welcome studies and results from archaeological projects that are concerned with sites or material culture related to the biblical world. All submissions must be in accordance with the SBL Policy on Scholarly Presentation and Publication of Artifacts. Specific questions regarding submissions for which these issues are relevant should be brought to the chairs. - See more at: https://www.sbl-site.org/assets/pdfs/SBL-Artifacts-Policy_20160903.pdf

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Art and Religions of Antiquity

Vasiliki M. Limberis
Mark D. Ellison
Description: This consultation examines the visual and material evidence of the religions of the Mediterranean basin in antiquity (Judaism, Christianity, and Greco-Roman "paganism") as well as the methods by which scholars study these materials alongside textual or documentary evidence.

Call for papers: For the 2019 Annual Meeting in San Diego, the Art and Religions of Antiquity Program Unit is offering two open sessions on the following themes: (1) The Art of Religion in Home and Street. We invite papers that discuss ways art and architecture served to enhance, prompt, guide, or inform religious practices and commitments in domestic spaces and/or public streets. (2) Faces of Holy Persons. We seek papers examining the portraiture of holy persons in the religions of the ancient Mediterranean, with attention to the cultural contexts and influences upon the production, form, style, media, uses, and/or reception of such portraits.

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Asian and Asian-American Hermeneutics

Monica J. Melanchthon
Henry W. Morisada Rietz
Description: The unit promotes Asian and Asian American biblical scholarship, highlighting the broad range of diversity that makes up the different Asian and Asian American communities. It also aims to contribute to diversifying biblical scholarship and expanding biblical studies in terms of topics, approaches and discourses.

Call for papers: The Asian and Asian American Hermeneutics Seminar invites proposals for papers relating to reading the Bible and other sacred texts in, from, as well as to Asian and Asian American contexts and communities. We welcome papers that examine issues involved in interpretation and hermeneutics, as well as papers that offer readings of specific texts and passages from Asian or Asian American perspectives. We are especially interested in papers dealing with family, race, nationalism, migration, and sexuality. Both experienced and first-time presenters are encouraged to submit proposals. There will be two further sessions: 1. To honor the work of Gale Yee with invited panelists - organized in partnership with the program units on Minority Criticism and Biblical Interpretation and the Feminist Hermeneutics of the Bible. 2. Review of the forthcoming "T&T Clark Handbook to Asian American Biblical Hermeneutics," edited by Uriah Kim and Seung Ai by a panel of invited scholars.

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Assyriology and the Bible

Jeffrey L. Cooley
Rannfrid I. Lasine Thelle
Description: Assyriology and the Bible section provides the focused context for papers dealing with various Mesopotamian-related topics. It seeks to generate strong integrative research between the disciplines of Assyriology and Biblical Studies by encouraging adept historiographic, philological, literary and/or iconographic work.

Call for papers: In San Diego, the Assyriology and the Bible Section will host a special invited session on “Signs and Signifying: Mantic, Cultic, and Literary Dimensions,” as well as open sessions, for which we accept proposals on any subject related to the study of both Assyriology and the Bible. Additionally, we will be co-hosting a special joint session on “Genesis in the Mesopotamian Context,” organized with the SBL Genesis Section (to whom proposals should be submitted). We invite papers comparing and contrasting texts from the various cuneiform traditions and Genesis. In addition, we welcome papers for this special joint session on the contextual (comparative) method generally, including the history of the relationship between the disciplines from pan-Babylonianism to the present.

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Bible and Emotion

Amy Cottrill
Kathy Barrett Dawson
Description: This section focuses on understanding the spectrum of emotions displayed throughout the Bible in their literary and cultural contexts, informed by the burgeoning cross-disciplinary study of emotion in contemporary philosophy, psychology, literary theory, linguistics, neuroscience, politics, economics and other fields.

Call for papers: The Bible and Emotion Group will host two sessions in 2019. One session will feature a panel of invited papers and respondents focusing on the reciprocal relationship between law and emotion--how law shapes and scripts emotional experience and expression, and how emotion affects legal doctrine, reasoning, and imagination. The second session is OPEN. We invite proposals related to critical study of emotion across the full range of biblical literature and closely related literature. We are interested in papers that examine divine and/or human emotions in a biblical text, set of texts, book, or genre.

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Bible and Ethics

Jacqueline Grey
Volker Rabens
Description: This unit explores ethical issues related to the biblical canon. It seeks to bring together exegetes of the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament in order to discuss similarities, differences, and intertextual connections between the various ethical traditions in biblical literature and their respective contexts.

Call for papers: The Biblical Ethics unit will have three sessions at the 2019 Annual Meeting, of which one will be an open session on the theme of “Social Justice and Marginalized Minorities” (the other two being a joint session with the Ethics and Biblical Interpretation section and a book review panel). Our unit welcomes paper proposals on this theme. While papers may focus on specific texts, we especially invite proposals that engage intertextual connections of the theme(s) within the biblical canon and/or its cultural and religious contexts.

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Bible and Film

Rhonda Burnette-Bletsch
Description: This unit focuses on the critical analysis and interpretation of the multiple intersections between Bible and Cinema. Our focus is broad, giving attention to “Bible films” (“Bible on Film”), the use and treatment of biblical texts in films (“Bible in Film”), how films and biblical texts can function in analogous ways (“Bible as Film” / “Film as Bible”), and how Bible and Film can be placed into mutually critical dialogue. We explore how biblical texts can enhance our understanding of cinema, and how films can offer lenses for helping us (re)interpret biblical texts. In short, we welcome papers that seek to illuminate our understanding of Bible, Film, or both. (This unit was titled Scripture and Film through 2013).

Call for papers: In addition to one or two open sessions (for which we invite papers on any subject pertaining to Bible and Film broadly construed), we also invite specific paper proposals on these topics: (1) Borders/Border Crossing, Immigrants, and the “Other” in Bible/Film; (2) (Transgressive) Gender and Sexuality in Bible/Film; (3) Rethinking the Field of Bible and Film: Methods, Theories, and Analysis; (4) Pedagogical Value of Bible and Film; (5) Latin American Films; (6) Monsters and the Monstrous in Bible and Film; (7) Non-Hollywood Films. Papers in categories (1) and (2) will be considered for a joint session with the AAR’s Religion, Film and Visual Culture Unit.

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Bible and Popular Culture

Dan W. Clanton Jr.
Description: This unit explores and analyzes the relationship between the Bible and popular culture. It focuses on materials designed for everyday life—comic strips, advertisements, theme parks, popular music, etc. Drawing from a variety of disciplines and analyzing both the printed and visual media, presenters will explore the interaction between biblical text and popular culture.

Call for papers: The Bible and Popular Culture Unit will host three sessions in 2019. Our first session is an open session, and we invite proposals for papers focusing on any aspect of the reciprocal relationship between the Bible and popular culture. Our second session is co-sponsored with the AAR’s Religion and Popular Culture Unit, titled “Comic-Con at the Intersection of Religion, Bible, and Popular Culture.” Papers might address Comic-Con and other comic conventions as a ritual/festival act or pilgrimage site, cosplay as performative identity, fan culture as religion, fictional religions/sacred texts at Comic-Con, discussion of religion and atheism at Comic-Con, presence/absence of biblical and religious comics and figures from Comic-Con and fan culture, and the implications of the changing material presence of comics and sacred texts at cons and in various cultures. Our third session is co-sponsored with the Contextual Biblical Interpretation Unit, and is titled “The Use of the Bible in an Era of ‘Populist’ Politicians.” This is an open joint session on the use of the Bible in an era of “Populist” Politicians, to explore how populist politicians use the Bible (Trump, Duterte, Zuma, Bolsonaro, etc.). Populism is increasingly identified globally as a specific form of political/contextual action and often involves the Bible. We will investigate how the Bible is invoked by populist politicians and their followers, and the hermeneutics involved, exploring the intersections between populism, contextuality and biblical interpretation. Topics might include the notion of populist hermeneutics, general populist interpretations, or specific issues (immigration, authoritarianism, white supremacy, anti-Semitism, etc.). Papers could include discussions of fake news, the question of objectivity, multiple truths, and one true interpretation. Do we critique objectivity when facts are disregarded? What is the role of biblical scholars in public/political contexts?

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Bible and Practical Theology

Deborah A. Appler
Johnny Ramirez-Johnson
Description: This section aims to promote the development of integrative knowledge centered upon the intersections between biblical interpretation and practical theology. We want to challenge both doctrinal reductionism and the distancing inherent in the historical-critical method, as well as encourage relational and interactive readings of both human situations and biblical texts in order to reveal their multivalence.

Call for papers: Session I - “Prophetic Preaching and Practical Theology” This is an invited joint session with SBL Homiletics and Biblical Studies Section: TBD Session II - “Communities in Motion.” This session invites papers that explore intersections between biblical texts and practical theology as related to the modern contexts of communities/individuals in exile, those immigrating, going through life transitions, economic shifts, facing life-altering events, etc.). Interdisciplinary collegial presentations are encouraged but not required. Session III - “Exploring Prophetic Bible and Practical Theology Intersections” We invite papers that provide resources and/or strategies focused on intersections between the Bible and practical theology. Both empirical and theological approaches are welcomed. (Possible areas of intersections with Bible and Practical Theology include but not limited to--#MeToo, and gender-related issues, race relations, immigration, public theology, “truth as method,” partner teaching, etc.). Interdisciplinary collegial presentations are encouraged but not required.

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Bible and Visual Art

Christine Joynes
Heidi J. Hornik
Description: The purpose of the section is to provide a forum at the national SBL to explore historical, hermeneutical, theological, iconographic, and/or theoretical aspects related to the interpretation of the Jewish and Christian Scriptures in visual art through the centuries.

Call for papers: The Bible and Visual Art section welcomes submissions for the following two sessions at the Annual Meeting in 2019: (1) For a joint session with the Society for the Arts in Religious and Theological Studies we seek papers by scholars, artists, and activists that will investigate, illuminate, demonstrate, interrogate whether and how biblically inspired or oriented visual imagery contribute to movements of resistance and/or the work of decolonization. Themes for exploration could include but are not limited to race, gender, religious and cultural imperialism, and anthropomorphism. Presenters may wish to engage with some of the following questions: (i) Are artists using biblical imagery to participate in movements of resistance and decolonization, to what texts and imagery are they most drawn, and how do the images they use function as acts of resistance or "interruption" or "dangerous memories" during times of social protest? (ii) What aesthetic and theological theories, hermeneutics, or critical theories (of race, gender, class, sexuality or other intersections) either inform artists’ use of biblical images of resistance or protest or the reception of these visual expressions? (2) For our open session, we invite proposals that fall within our broad purpose: to explore historical, hermeneutical, theological, iconographic and/or theoretical aspects related to the interpretation of the Jewish and Christian Scriptures in visual art through the centuries. We particularly encourage topics that relate to art, sculpture or other forms of biblical art in public spaces in San Diego, California. (3) Our third session, co-sponsored by the Cognitive Linguistics section, will bring together art historians and biblical scholars to explore the relationship between images, cognitive linguistics and biblical texts.

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Bible, Myth, and Myth Theory

Austin Busch
Debra S. Ballentine
Description: This section (a) provides a forum for sustained and focused attention on the concept of myth and its place in biblical studies and (b) encourages the development and refinement of multi- and interdisciplinary approaches to this area of inquiry.

Call for papers: The kinds of stories that people today recognize as ancient myths—stories of semi-divine heroes, hostile and benevolent gods, weird monsters, and the like—arguably find their closest contemporary analogs in modern science fiction and superhero fantasy. For our first session we solicit papers that attempt to understand these intersections from a variety of critical perspectives. Proposals may address broad generic convergences—e.g., the relationship between ancient and modern post-apocalyptic narrative—or they may employ theory to elucidate the role these ancient and contemporary “myths” play in their respective societies and cultures. Explorations of discrete points of contact between classic or contemporary SF works and their ancient counterparts are also welcome (e.g., Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and biblical or Greco-Roman myth; Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash and Babylonian myth; and so on). Our second session will be a panel of invited papers focusing directly on myth theory. Papers will demonstrate and discuss how scholars improve historical and comparative studies of ancient Near Eastern and Mediterranean texts and traditions, including both Hebrew Bible and New Testament, by explicitly engaging in theorization of myth. We are also co-sponsoring a third session with the Mind, Society, and Religion: Cognitive Science Approaches to the Biblical World unit, titled "Conceptualization of Divine Beings in the Ancient Near East." It aims at bringing together historical, cultural, and cognitive perspectives on how people in the ancient Near East thought about gods, conceptualized divine beings, and transmitted myths about heavenly agents. This session is partly invited and partly open; proposals are welcome both from cognitive and/or historical perspectives. Papers will be circulated beforehand, and Mark S. Smith is invited as respondent.

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Biblical Archaeology Society

Robert R. Cargill
Description: The Biblical Archaeology Society (BAS) was founded in 1974 as a nonprofit, nondenominational, educational organization dedicated to the dissemination of information about archaeology in the Bible lands. BAS’s flagship publication, Biblical Archaeology Review, is the only magazine that connects the academic study of archaeology to a broad general audience eager to understand the world of the Bible.

Call for papers: The Biblical Archaeology Society (BAS) in conjunction with the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) is proud to offer several refereed sessions dealing with the archaeology of the lands of the Bible. This year we shall be sponsoring three invited sessions. 1) The first session is on "Fresh Results from Excavations in the Land of the Bible" and will present papers on new archaeological discoveries from various excavations associated with the land of the Bible. 2) The second session is on "The Biblical Period: New Studies and New Finds" and will present papers addressing archaeological discoveries and studies that offer new insights to the Biblical period and its history. 3) The third session is on "The Archaeology of First and Second Temple Jerusalem" and will present papers dealing with the archeological of Jerusalem and its history from either the first or second temple periods.

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Biblical Exegesis from Eastern Orthodox Perspectives

Athanasios Despotis
James Buchanan Wallace
Description: This unit fosters interpretation of biblical texts through engagement with Eastern Orthodox interpretive tradition. Such engagement might include critical reflection on Eastern patristics, Orthodox liturgical tradition, and modern Orthodox theologians to stimulate theological interpretation. The consultation will bring Orthodox perspectives to bear on contemporary exegetical issues.

Call for papers: We welcome proposals regarding the following topics: 1.The Role of Philosophy in Greek and Byzantine Exegesis (joint session with the History of Interpretation Unit) In this session, we examine the relation between “philosophy,” an enterprise construed in various ways by Christian theologians, and the exegetical works of Greek and Byzantine interpreters. Though scholars often recognize the significance of philosophical traditions both for allegorical interpretation and for commentaries, they have paid less attention to the role of moral philosophy, for instance, in patristic moral exhortation. We, therefore, welcome proposals that examine the role of philosophical traditions in Eastern patristic exegesis. 2.Canon in Orthodox Christianities (j.s. with the Ethiopic Bible and Literature Unit) Biblical research has frequently focused on the origins of the canon and the causes that drove its creation, as well as the relative importance of canonical lists, actual codices, and the ascription practices of interpreters. This session seeks to deepen research on the canon by examining both the contents of canons and the meaning of canonicity in the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches. We invite papers that examine issues of the canon outside of the Christian West. We are interested in papers that assess how local political, theological and cultural factors may have shaped the delineation and reception of a canon, as well as the meaning of “canonical” status. 3.Biblical Interpretation and Middle Eastern Christianity (j.s. with the Middle Eastern Christianity Unit): We welcome proposals addressing the topic of biblical interpretation as it relates to Middle Eastern Christians. The topic includes exegetical traditions and motifs within the Middle Eastern Christianity. Proposals could remark on disjunctions to other Christian exegetical traditions or intersections with others.

Tags: Religious Traditions and Scriptures (History of Interpretation / Reception History / Reception Criticism)

Biblical Greek Language and Linguistics

Constantine R. Campbell
James D. Dvorak
Description: This section aims to promote and discuss ongoing research into biblical Greek language and linguistics, covering the Septuagint and particularly the New Testament. While traditional language studies are welcome, methods derived from modern linguistic theories and their applications are encouraged.

Call for papers: The Biblical Greek Language and Linguistics Section invites members to present a paper that utilizes linguistics to study the biblical text, and to submit their proposal through the online system before the call deadline of March 6, 2019. Proposals are to consist of a 1-2 page description of the paper, should include bibliographic resources, and make clear the theoretical framework that is being employed in that paper. In addition, proposers (both full- and student-members) who have not previously presented in this section of the SBL Annual Meeting must submit their full paper to the program unit co-chairs by February 15, 2019. Please note that papers must be of such a length that they can be presented within 25 minutes, so as to allow for 5 minutes of response and discussion after each presentation. This section will have at least one themed session, on a topic currently being specified. However, any other papers that further contribute to the discussion of the Greek of the Bible and using a clearly articulated theoretical framework will be considered for the open session.

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Biblical Hebrew Poetry

Elizabeth R.Hayes
Kevin Chau
Description: This section focuses on all aspects of Hebrew poetry in the biblical canon: archaic poetry, the role of oral tradition, poetic meter, parallelism, structural and nonstructural poetic devices, imagery, metaphor, and figurative language. Papers dealing with any portion of poetry in the Hebrew Bible are welcome.

Call for papers: Our section will hold five sessions: (1) Blessings and Curses, (2) Metonymy and Metaphor in the Poetry of the Psalms (joint with Psalms), (3) Conceptions of Parallelism and Other Formal Features of Biblical Hebrew Poetry (joint with Linguistics and Biblical Hebrew), and (4-5) two general sessions. Session (1): Blessing and cursing are extraordinary vehicles of communication. Blessing and cursing saturate a large swath of poetry in the Bible. The inaugural session on these performative acts of speech and literature will consist of four invited papers followed by a prepared response and Q&A. Session (2): This session continues the 2017 AM joint session. We welcome all papers that deal with metaphor and/or metonymy in the poetry of the Psalms: how metonymy and metaphor work together and how they function differently; how metonymy and metaphor is expressed through poetry; poetic analyses of metaphor and metonymy in specific psalms that bring exegetical insights. This joint session will have respondents, and presenters are required to submit drafts by Aug 31. Session (3): While parallelism has remained the central organizing feature of biblical poetry since its identification by Lowth, recent research reflects two trajectories: [1] modification of the concept of parallelism; and [2] proposals for other formal structuring features such as line length, rhythm, meter, and syllable counts. Papers that explore either of these trajectories from a linguistic viewpoint are welcome. This session will have respondents, and presenters are required to submit drafts by Aug 31. Sessions (4-5): General papers regarding any aspect of biblical poetry. A portion of the general papers will be selected for a session with a respondent. These papers are due Aug 31; more info upon acceptance (in Spring).

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Biblical Law

Dr. Hannah K. Harrington
Shalom E. Holtz
Description: The purpose of the Biblical Law Section is to promote interdisciplinary research on ancient Near Eastern, biblical, and post-biblical law. Methodological perspectives include historical-critical, literary, legal-historical, feminist, and social-scientific approaches.

Call for papers: The Biblical Law section invites proposals for two open sessions on any aspect of the study of biblical law, including work related to cuneiform documents, the Dead Sea Scrolls and other Second Temple Literature, questions of pentateuchal criticism, legal history, gender analysis, social-scientific analysis, and newer methodologies. Together with the Qumran section, we will be co-sponsoring a session of invited papers on the topic of on how the Qumran authors interpreted laws dealing with the temple. In particular, the panel will explore similarities and differences in halakha related to the cult vis-a-vis other systems of legal interpretation in ancient Judaism. Copies of papers are distributed in advance through our section's Web site (biblicallaw.net).

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Biblical Lexicography

Erik Eynikel
Michael P. Theophilos
Description: The Section brings together those working on lexicography and lexicology of ancient biblical languages. The discussions seek to bring the theoretical to bear on the practical task of dictionary making and encourage research in the area of historical lexical analysis.

Call for papers: The Section brings together those working on lexicography and lexicology of ancient biblical languages. The discussions seek to bring the theoretical to bear on the practical task of dictionary making and encourage research in the area of historical lexical analysis.

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Biblical Literature and the Hermeneutics of Trauma

David G. Garber, Jr.
LeAnn Snow Flesher
Description: This unit studies methods for employing various definitions of trauma to interpret particular sets of biblical and extra-canonical texts, giving attention to the relationship between personal and communal dimensions of trauma, and to applying biblical interpretation in other theological disciplines.

Call for papers: The topics for 2019 are: (1) Session 1 is an OPEN session devoted to the intersection between masculinity studies and trauma theory. How, for instance, might authors of biblical stories be shaping their understandings of men/manliness in relation to trauma? How do biblical characters who read and/or present as men, even if briefly, react to trauma? We invite papers that analyze the construction of masculinities in biblical narratives that deal with trauma. (2) Session 2 is an invited roundtable that will take advantage of the annual meeting's presence in San Diego to bring together biblical scholars and clinicians from the Moral Injury/Moral Repair Group at Naval Medical Center San Diego to address the questions: What can the study of the Bible (both as a sacred text and as an academic venture) contribute to the study of and work with moral injury? And what can moral injury research contribute to biblical studies? "Moral injury" is the result of the violation of a person's core moral beliefs. Co-sponsored by the SBL's Biblical Literature and the Hermeneutics of Trauma program unit and the AAR's Comparative Approaches to Religion and Violence program unit, the session will feature two clinicians (Navy psychologists, psychiatrists, or chaplains), two Bible scholars (one addressing Hebrew Bible texts, one considering New Testament texts), and a respondent. (3) Session 3, entitled Performance Criticism of Texts of Trauma, is an OPEN session organized jointly with the Program Unit of Performance Criticism of Biblical and other Ancient Texts. Paper submissions are welcomed that inspire the imagination of time, place, and circumstance of traumatic issues such as exile, enslavement, imperial oppression, divine inaction and explore the movement from oral performance to written text to subsequent performance out of the written text. Papers that address the role of the audience or of audience engagement are encouraged.

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Book History and Biblical Literatures

Daniel Picus
Description: This unit investigates how insights from Book History illuminate scriptural literatures. We marshal scholars of various fields in a theoretical and historical conversation about the culturally contingent concepts of text, authorship, readership, publication, and materiality.

Call for papers: This unit investigates how insights from Book History illuminate scriptural literatures. We marshal scholars of Hebrew Bible/ANE, Judaism, Christianity, Nag Hammadi, Syriac studies, and modernity in a theoretical and historical conversation about the culturally contingent concepts of text, authorship, readership, publication, and materiality. In 2019, we will host two invited book review panels (one with the Papyrology group) and one open session. The theme of our open session will be the biographies of ancient books, real and imagined. Books existed in more than just libraries or private collections in the ancient Mediterranean. They sat in heavenly caverns, open in divine courtrooms, or atop sacred mountains. Their origins and ends were just as diverse: some, of course, were written by scribes, priests, and monks, while others were mysteriously transcribed on gold, or written from fire instead of ink. In this session, we invite short (10-12 minute) papers that focus either on one specific ancient text's real or imagined life, or an aspect of this textual discourse that illumines the relationship between books, real and imagined. Scholars from underrepresented countries outside of North America can apply for SBL International Travel Grants, to facilitate their participation in the meeting. More information is available at https://www.sbl-site.org/membership/AMtravelgrant.aspx.

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Book of Acts

Eric D. Barreto
Matthew L. Skinner
Description: This Section (1) explores new strategies for reading Acts; (2) proposes solutions to existing exegetical, literary, text critical and historical problems associated with Acts; (3) highlights new areas of inquiry regarding Acts; and (4) assesses the significance of the history of Acts scholarship.

Call for papers: The Book of Acts section invites submissions for an open session covering any aspect of research related to the Acts of the Apostles, including (e.g.) textual, theological, narratival, historical, reception-historical, exegetical, social-scientific, and postcolonial approaches. The section also plans to host multiple sessions at the 2019 annual meeting composed of invited papers, respondents, and open discussion. One of these, sponsored jointly with the Latino/a and Latin American Biblical Interpretation section, will involve panelists and discussion exploring "Migrants, Refugees, Metics, and Migratory Networks in Acts." Another session featuring panelists and discussion will examine the topic of "Acts and Apocalyptic Discourse." Finally, a session sponsored jointly with the Early Jewish Christian Relations section will consist of a panel discussion of Paula Fredriksen's new book "When Christians Were Jews: The First Generation."

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Book of Daniel

Donald C. Polaski
Description: The Book of Daniel consultation seeks to promote new and inter-disciplinary scholarship on Daniel and Daniel-related literature (both canonical and pseudepigraphical literature). It welcomes a range of analytical approaches to Daniel, but especially encourages ideological, theological, and literary treatments.

Call for papers: For the 2019 Annual Meeting in San Diego, California, the Book of Daniel Section invites proposals dealing with any topic or issue in the critical interpretation of Daniel, including the MT, the LXX, the Additions to Daniel, and pseudepigraphical materials related to Daniel. The best proposals will indicate a distinctive contribution to a current problem in the study of Daniel, or will bring a promising theoretical framework to a particular issue, or will raise new questions about an overlooked problem in the understanding of Daniel. All proposals must go through the SBL proposal submission link on the website. In addition to this open call, we will be hosted an invited panel of scholars currently working on commentaries on Daniel, in both MT and LXX.

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Book of Deuteronomy

Bill T. Arnold
Harald Samuel
Description: This unit provides a forum for the discussion of Deuteronomy as a book, its origins and growth, as well as its reception by different groups of readers in antiquity.

Call for papers: At the 2019 meeting we will be holding three sessions: The focus of our two invited sessions is on “The Politics of Deuteronomy”. The first of these will deal with historical-critical work on/related to the Constitutional passage Deut 16:18–18:22, whereas the second will critically engage with the rôle of this passage in political theory. Finally, we will host an open session. For this we welcome proposals on any aspect of Deuteronomy, particularly on its literary history and development. We especially encourage submissions which touch upon similar topics to those of the invited sessions.

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Book of Ezekiel

Michael A. Lyons
Stephen L. Cook
Description: This Section has two aims. First, it seeks to bring together scholars working on the book of Ezekiel to share research and conclusions about the book. Second, it encourages an expressly theological approach to the book.

Call for papers: The Theological Perspectives of the Book of Ezekiel will hold two sessions in San Diego in 2019. For the open session, we invite paper proposals on any aspect of the book of Ezekiel. Though the section has historically explored various theological perspectives of the book, the open session is intended as a platform to present on any element of the book. The second session will look at the function of gillulîm in the Book of Ezekiel and is closed.

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Book of Isaiah

Jacob Stromberg
Lena-Sofia Tiemeyer
Description: The Book of Isaiah unit provides an international forum for discussion of issues related to the formation, growth and unity of the Isaiah scroll as well as questions of poetic imagery, intertextuality, history of interpretation and reader response criticism.

Call for papers: The Formation of Isaiah group will offer three sessions in 2019.  Two sessions will consist of both invited and accepted papers; the other session is devoted to a book review by invited panelists. Session 1: We invite papers for a session devoted to the relationship between the book of Isaiah and psalmody. Scholars have long noted the affinity in terms of theology and expressions between Isaiah and the Psalter. We welcome papers that explore the following questions: Did select Isaianic texts play a cultic / liturgical role? How do the theologies of Isaiah shed light upon Israel’s worship in exile and in Judah? What can the shape and shaping of the Psalter as a book tell us about the shape and shaping of the Isaianic collection, if anything? Session 2: We invite papers for a session devoted to the book of Isaiah and Genesis – 2 Kings.  The book of Isaiah refers to situations, persons, institutions, and events that are also portrayed in Genesis – 2 Kings (e.g., Noah, Abraham, Jacob, David, creation, the flood, the exodus).  Some of these references are explicit, while others are implicit.  Such parallels raise a host of questions about the Isaianic corpus.  What, if anything, do references such as these suggest about the relationship between the book of Isaiah and Genesis – 2 Kings?  Are such parallels best understood in terms of ‘inter-textuality’ or in some other way?  How, if at all, were these apparent connections related to the formation of the canon?  Finally, how were these parallels received in antiquity?  We welcome papers that explore any one or any combination of these questions. Session 3: Reviews of Christopher B. Hays, The Josianic Origins of Isaiah 24-27 (Cambridge University Press, forthcoming).

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Book of Psalms

Christine Jones
Karl Jacobson
Description: It is the aim of the Book of Psalms unit to promote all aspects of and approaches to the study of the Psalms, with a major focus on the issue of how the Psalter as a collection has an integrity, history, and purpose of its own.

Call for papers: In addition to an open session (for which all kinds of papers on the Psalms are welcome), the Book of Psalms Group will have two sessions devoted to specific topics: Metonymy and Metaphor in the Poetry of the Book of Psalms -This session is a continuation of the 2017 session (Boston SBL) which explored metonymy and metaphor in the book of Psalms. We welcome all papers that deal with metaphor and/or metonymy in the poetry of the Psalms, but we are particularly interested in papers that address any of the following matters: (1) how metonymy and metaphor work in tandem and how they function differently, (2) how poetry is uniquely utilized in conjunction with metonymy and metaphor, (3) how the use of metonymy and metaphor in the Psalms may differ in its usage in other forms of biblical poetry, and (4) poetic analyses of metaphor and metonymy in specific psalms that bring fresh exegetical insights. This session will have respondents; therefore, presenters are required to submit drafts by August 31. Martin Luther and the Psalms – This session will commemorate the 500th anniversary of the publication of Luther’s first Psalms commentary. Papers will explore topics related to Luther’s contribution to the interpretation of Psalms. The session will consist of invited papers; however, related proposals will be considered.

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Book of Samuel: Narrative, Theology, and Interpretation

David G. Firth
Rachelle Gilmour
Description: Utilising critical and literary methods, this unit focuses on the literary and theological interpretation of the Book of Samuel. The consultation promotes the integration of multiple methodologies in interpretation, including dialogue between specialists in synchronic and diachronic approaches.

Call for papers: At the 2019 meeting we invite papers for two sessions: 1. An open session with papers on any aspect of narrative, theology or interpretation in the book of Samuel 2. An open session on the theme, "Readers of the Lost Ark: Stories of the Ark and the Book of Samuel". Recent research has shifted away from concern to identify and work with a distinct and separate ‘ark narrative’ and moved more toward understanding how stories of the ark work within and with reference to the Book of Samuel as we now have it. This session calls for papers interested in stories of the ark of the covenant as they relate to the Book of Samuel.

Tags: Former Prophets - 1-2 Samuel (Biblical Literature - Hebrew Bible/Old Testament/Greek OT (Septuagint))

Book of the Twelve Prophets

Jakob Wöhrle
Lena-Sofia Tiemeyer
Description: The Book of the Twelve Prophets Section provides a forum for research into textual, literary, historical, religious, and ideological aspects of the Book of the Twelve Prophets. The section is interested in understanding individual passages as well as all phases of the development of this book.

Call for papers: For the Annual Meeting in 2019, the Book of the Twelve Prophets Section will organize three sessions: an open session, an invited session about “The Book of the Twelve as a Historical and Redacted Literary Unity,” and an invited session on the theological / ideological presentations of God in the Book of the Twelve. For the open session we invite papers investigating issues related to any text or texts within the Minor Prophets, with preference given to papers that address the formation or interrelatedness of the Minor Prophets as a literary corpus.

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Children in the Biblical World

Reidar Aasgaard
Sharon Betsworth
Description: This section explores the child characters in the Bible, investigates the lives of children in the ancient world, and evaluates how biblical texts affect children in the post-biblical world. We invite traditional research in biblical studies, as well as interdisciplinary approaches to the topic.

Call for papers: The Children in the Biblical World section plans to host two sessions in 2019. The first will be an open session. We invite submissions on any topic related to children and the Bible, the ancient world, or how biblical texts affect children in the post-biblical world. Proposals from both Testaments and related literature are welcome, though we would especially appreciate proposals from parts of each testament which have not received much attention vis-à-vis children, such as the Writings and Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, and the General Epistles and Revelation in the New Testament. The second session will be a book review session on several volumes related to children in the biblical world scheduled to be published in 2019. The committee will invite the presenters for this session.

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Christian Apocrypha

Brent C. Landau
Description: The Section fosters ongoing study of extra-canonical texts, as subjects of literary and philological investigation; as evidence for the history of religion, theology, and cult practice; and as documents of the socio-symbolic construction of Christianity along lines of class and gender.

Call for papers: The Christian Apocrypha program unit invites paper proposals on any topic pertaining to the study of apocryphal texts. For the 2019 Annual Meeting, however, we are particularly interested in papers exploring: independently circulating episodes/excerpts of texts; and the use of the CA in material culture and artistic representation.

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Christian Theology and the Bible

Arthur Sutherland
Rebekah Eklund
Description: This unit invites a conversation between the disciplines of Christian Theology and Biblical Studies. We are interested in questions, categories, or hypotheses drawn from the broad tradition of Christian theology which inform readings of the biblical texts, and we aim to foster constructive theological work with biblical texts.

Call for papers: The Christian Theology and the Bible section invites papers for two open sessions. 1) We are continuing our series on biblical figures who appear in both Testaments and their significance for Christian theology. For this session, we welcome papers on Adam and/or Eve, on the biblical texts (OT and/or NT) where these figures appear, and on their role in past or present Christian theology. We would also welcome papers that compare the role of Adam and/or Eve in Jewish and Christian theology. 2) We are also continuing a series on biblical topography. In recognition that our host city of San Diego is literally at the center of current discussions on migration, we invite papers on aspects of borders and border-crossings in Scripture (e.g., Moses’ flight to Midian, the Deuteronomic prohibition against moving boundary markers, Jesus’ travel to Tyre and Sidon) and their relevance for Christian theology during any past period as well as today. The Christian Theology and the Bible section will also be hosting an invited book panel, co-sponsored by Baylor University Press, on the forthcoming English translation of Christoph Markschies’ book Gottes Körper (God’s Body).

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Chronicles-Ezra-Nehemiah

Matthew Lynch
Christopher Jones
Description: Our section provides a collegial forum for graduate students and scholars in which papers can be read, projects initiated, questions explored, new approaches attempted and broader discussions held relating to the research and scholarship of these biblical books.

Call for papers: The Chronicles-Ezra-Nehemiah Program Unit will have three sessions in 2018. 1) An invited panel on the form and status of ‘Torah’ in Chronicles and Ezra-Nehemiah. 2) A panel on the perception and reception of Persia in Chronicles and Ezra-Nehemiah. 3) An open session for which we invite proposals on any topic or approach related to Chronicles and/or Ezra-Nehemiah. We welcome paper proposals on any topic relevant to the program unit, and we are particularly interested in proposals that could fit into the panel on the perception and reception of Persia.

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Cognitive Linguistics in Biblical Interpretation

David Parris
Description: The field of cognitive science has reshaped longstanding philosophical assumptions about how people use and process language. This section applies cognitive linguistics to biblical studies, with a focus on the ways cognitive approaches help scholars understand and interact with ancient texts.

Call for papers: The Cognitive Linguistics in Biblical Interpretation section will hold one open sessions at the 2019 meeting. We will also be hosting a session with invited papers on Frame Semantics and a joint session with the Bible and Visual Arts. Proposals for the open sessions over the past several years provide evidence that many biblical scholars are using diverse cognitive tools to engage biblical and cognate texts in new ways. These open sessions are intended to highlight the diversity and creativity of scholarship using various aspects of cognitive linguistics. The abstracts for these sessions should state the paper's thesis and explicitly describe the cognitive linguistic approach that will be taken.

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Cognitive Science Approaches to the Biblical World

Istvan Czachesz
Jutta Jokiranta
Description: This program unit draws on scientific explanations of human thought and behavior to understand cognitive processes behind religious thought, experience, and practice, in order to explain religion in the biblical world and develop approaches integrating cultural and cognitive studies.

Call for papers: In 2019, the program unit organizes three sessions: (1) "Conceptualization of Divine Beings in the Ancient Near East." This joint session with Bible, Myth, and Myth Theory program unit aims at bringing together historical, cultural, and cognitive perspectives on how people in the ancient Near East thought about gods, conceptualized divine beings, and transmitted myths about heavenly agents. Cognitive science of religion has dwelled on the question why god-beliefs exist in the first place, how they persist, and which forms these conceptualizations most generally take (e.g., Guthrie, Faces in the Clouds; Boyer, Religion Explained; Barrett, Cognitive Science, Religion, and Theology; Slone, Theological Incorrectness). On the other hand, historians have spent a great deal of time tracing the origins of various god-concepts and their occurrence and influence on each other in the Ancient Levant (e.g., Smith, The Early History of God; The Origins of Biblical Monotheism; God in Translation). What do these branches of scholarship have to learn from each other? Can cognitive science of religion explain which god-concepts are more successful and why? Can historical evidence question or help us to refine some of the theories presented in the cognitive science of religion (e.g., anthropomorphism)? This session is partly invited and partly open; proposals are welcome both from cognitive and/or historical perspectives. Papers will be circulated beforehand, and Mark S. Smith is invited as respondent. (2) "Parables and Blending Theory.” Proposals are welcome that demonstrate how processes of blending are essential to the construction of meaning within parables and parabolic discourses. Proposals should identify the parable(s) to be examined and state clearly how blending theory is being utilized. (3) The third session is open for any proposal using explanations from cognitive science to understand religious thought, experience, and practice.

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Contextual Biblical Interpretation

James P. Grimshaw
Description: The goal of this consultation is to explore the interest in developing a SBL seminar or section on *Contextual Biblical Interpretation,* its different strategies (including “inculturation,” inter(con)textualization, and reading with “ordinary” readers) and its methodological justifications, and the extent to which all interpretations are contextual.

Call for papers: We welcome papers that examine biblical texts or methodology while making explicit a reader’s contemporary context. (1) A book review of Esa Autero’s Reading the Bible Across Contexts (Brill, 2016). (2) An open joint session exploring “unexamined contexts” - those contexts taken for granted even when readers try to make explicit their contexts. A focus on our own contexts, not those of other cultures. What are those contexts, e.g., academic settings, masculinity, the dominant race, material aspects of the Bible (divisions of chapters, translations, etc.), ableism, cisgenderism, “liberal” assumptions? Why is there resistance to contextualizing these contexts? Pitfalls in doing contextuality? How might our (lack of) response to hidden contexts expand or limit scholarship? A joint session with Ideological Criticism and AAR’s Sacred Texts, Theory, and Theological Construction. (3) An open joint session on the use of the Bible in an era of “Populist” Politicians, to explore how populist politicians use the Bible (Trump, Duterte, Zuma, Bolsonaro, etc.). Populism is increasingly identified globally as a specific form of political/contextual action and often involves the Bible. We will investigate how the Bible is invoked by populist politicians and their followers, and the hermeneutics involved, exploring the intersections between populism, contextuality and biblical interpretation. Topics might include the notion of populist hermeneutics, general populist interpretations, or specific issues (immigration, authoritarianism, white supremacy, anti-Semitism, etc.). Papers could include discussions of fake news, the question of objectivity, multiple truths, and one true interpretation. Do we critique objectivity when facts are disregarded? What is the role of biblical scholars in public/political contexts? Joint session with Bible and Popular Culture. (4) We join other program units on "Talk Back to the President.” See Islands, Islanders, and Scriptures.

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Contextualizing North African Christianity

David E. Wilhite
Edwina Murphy
Description: This consultation encourages interdisciplinary study of North African Christianity within its broader social, cultural, and historical contexts (ca. 180-650 CE). The goal is to explore how North African Christians cultivated religious identities and practices as inhabitants of an evolving society in late antiquity.

Call for papers: This year we have an open call for two sessions. Session 1 is entitled Constructing Gender in North African Christianity. We are interested in papers which consider how masculinity and femininity are constructed and portrayed in North African Christianity. This may be addressed in a number of ways: through the attributes assigned to the martyrs, through the use of biblical figures, or through directions in sermons and treatises, to name a few. Session 2 will be a professional seminar designed to better equip scholars in the use of material culture in their research and teaching, led by Dr. Susan Stevens, Randolph College, who will discuss her excavations at Bir Ftouha (Carthage), followed by discussion and two more invited presentations on North African material culture. In addition, we will host a joint session with the Early Exegesis of Genesis 1-3 seminar, focusing on the interpretation of Gen. 1-3 in the North African context in the fourth and fifth century. For this session, proposals that deal with Gen. 1-3 in Latin Manichaeism and in Augustine are welcome. Among others, the interpretation of light and darkness, the understanding of humans as created in God's image, and the idea and impact of original sin are topics that could be addressed.

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Corpus Hellenisticum Novi Testamenti

Troy W. Martin
Clare K. Rothschild
Description: This consultation will 1) read and discuss ancient Greek materials that provide insight into the literary and religious worlds of early Christianity and 2) read and discuss papers that analyze early Christian texts in dialogue with Hellenistic materials.

Call for papers: For the 2019 Annual Meeting, the Corpus Hellenisticum Novi Testamenti consultation is planning invited sessions on the following topics: (1) the art, philosophy and physiology of the Physiologus, in response to the new collection of essays edited by Zbynek Kindschi Garský and Rainer Hirsch-Luipold, Christus in Natura (De Gruyter, 2019); (2) Amulets as Texts and Religious Artifacts; and (3) Choice, Change and Conversion, a continuation of the celebration of the scholarship of A. D. Nock begun in Denver (2018). In addition, we will cosponsor a session with the Development of Early Christian Theology unit (see their call for papers).

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Cultic Personnel in the Biblical World

Madhavi Nevader
Sarah Shectman
Description: This section comprises a forum for the investigation of the social and historical roles of cultic personnel in the biblical world broadly conceived, including ancient Israel, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, and Asia Minor. Sessions will cover textual, iconographic, and archaeological evidence and may take a variety of methodological approaches.

Call for papers: Cultic Personnel in the Biblical World will host two sessions in 2019. The first will be on women cultic personnel in the biblical world. This session will include both invited papers and papers solicited from the open call; we welcome proposals on women as cultic personnel in the biblical world broadly conceived. The second session will be an open session; we welcome proposals on any topic related to the aim of the program unit, though we also encourage proposals that consider the intersection of biblical Israel and empire. Scholars from underrepresented countries outside of North America can apply for SBL International Travel Grants, to facilitate their participation in the meeting. More information is available at https://www.sbl-site.org/membership/AMtravelgrant.aspx.

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Deuterocanonical and Cognate Literature

Kristin De Troyer
Description: The unit provides a forum for the deuterocanonical writings. The goal is to foster academic research, stimulate discussions among scholars, and promote interest in these texts.

Call for papers: In Deuterocanonical and Cognate Literature the well known figures of Moses, Aaron, Eleazar, Hannah, Joschija, Ezra, albeit not always, and Nehemiah play an ever increasing role. But how are these figures used and interpreted? And, if these leaders are different from their elder examples, how do they differ? And who are the new emerging leaders? And for all of these figures: what kind of leadership do they exude? and how do they establish their authority? In deuterocanonical and cognate literature the well known figures of Moses, Aaron, Eleazar, Hannah, Joschija, Ezra, albeit not always, and Nehemiah play an ever increasing role. But how are these figures used and interpreted? And what impact does the political and cultural context has on the re-interpretation of traditional figures? Moreover, if these leaders are different from their elder examples, how do they differ? Also, who are the new emerging leaders? And, which political concepts do they follow? Do they differ from contemporary models? If so, how? And for all of these figures: what kind of leadership do they exude? and how do they establish their authority? Furthermore, with regard to authority: what are the models used? And, in what way are they presented and discussed either supportively or critically?

Tags: 1 Esdras (Biblical Literature - Deuterocanonical Works), 1 Maccabees (Biblical Literature - Deuterocanonical Works), 2 Esdras (4 Ezra) (Biblical Literature - Deuterocanonical Works), 2 Maccabees (Biblical Literature - Deuterocanonical Works), 3 Maccabees (Biblical Literature - Deuterocanonical Works), 4 Maccabees (Biblical Literature - Deuterocanonical Works), Additions to the Book of Esther (Biblical Literature - Deuterocanonical Works), Baruch (Biblical Literature - Deuterocanonical Works), Deuterocanonical Works (Biblical Literature - Deuterocanonical Works), Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) (Biblical Literature - Deuterocanonical Works), Judith (Biblical Literature - Deuterocanonical Works), Letter of Jeremiah (Biblical Literature - Deuterocanonical Works), Prayer of Manasseh (Biblical Literature - Deuterocanonical Works), Psalm 151 (Biblical Literature - Deuterocanonical Works), The Additions to the Book of Daniel (Biblical Literature - Deuterocanonical Works), The Additions to the Book of Daniel - Bel and the Dragon (Biblical Literature - Deuterocanonical Works), The Additions to the Book of Daniel - Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Young Men (Biblical Literature - Deuterocanonical Works), The Additions to the Book of Daniel - Susanna (Biblical Literature - Deuterocanonical Works), Tobit (Biblical Literature - Deuterocanonical Works), Wisdom and Philosophical Literature (Early Jewish Literature - Jewish Pseudepigrapha), Wisdom of Solomon (Biblical Literature - Deuterocanonical Works)

Deuteronomistic History

Mahri Leonard-Fleckman
Sara J. Milstein
Description: This unit is a forum for scholarship pertaining to the books of Deuteronomy and the Former Prophets (Joshua–Kings). Papers may treat material in one or more of these books or in the collection as a whole. Relevant foci include literary history and compositional techniques; theological trends exemplified in the texts; the social and historical milieu or milieus in which they were produced; as well as connections among one or more of these books, whether topical, chronological, or linguistic.

Call for papers: The Deuteronomistic History unit will hold one open session and one invited session in 2019. The open session invites contributions on the books of Deuteronomy and/or Joshua-Kings (the Former Prophets). Papers may treat material in one or more of these books or in the collection as a whole. Relevant foci include literary history and compositional techniques; theological trends exemplified in the texts; the social and historical milieu or milieus in which they were produced; as well as connections among one or more of these books, whether topical, chronological, or linguistic. Our invited session will be a panel discussion on "Jezebel Among the Prophets" (1 Kgs 17-2 Kgs 9) that highlights Steven McKenzie's recent commentary (Kohlhammer).

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Development of Early Christian Theology

Mark DelCogliano
Matthew R. Crawford
Description: This unit explores the close connections among the construction of the Christian scriptures, early Christian practices of biblical interpretation, and the theological and ecclesiastical debates that occurred from the apostolic period through the seventh century.

Call for papers: For 2019 we are accepting proposals for two programs:

1. Biblical Exegesis and the Development of Christological Doctrine. It is now recognized that exegetical disputes were one of the driving forces of the period’s theological debates and developments. The early Christological debates are primary sites for investigating the biblical dimension of early Christian doctrine, since in the controversies over the correct theological account of Christ opponents offered rival interpretations of key passages of scripture whose meaning was disputed. But recognition of the fact that rival interpretations were fundamental to Christological debates raises other interrelated questions. What criteria could be used to evaluate whether one interpretation was superior to another? Could opponents even agree on these criteria? Are we in a position today to assess whether competing readings were more or less in keeping with the Christologies present in the biblical texts themselves? Were there different assumptions about hermeneutics, epistemology, language, etc., that informed biblical exegesis and led to rival interpretations? And so, focusing on the biblical dimension of Christological doctrine clarifies early beliefs about Christ and sheds light on the forces that shaped Christological development, and analyzing the Christological application of biblical texts in early Christian argumentation increases our understanding of the details of early Christian exegetical theory and practice. We call for papers that explore such issues and questions in 4th century authors and texts.

2. We are co-sponsoring a session on Augustine and Paul with the AAR unit Augustine and Augustinianisms. We call for papers that examine all aspects of the relation between Augustine and the letters of Paul, particularly those that move beyond a narrow focus on Augustine's exegesis of Romans and other timeworn topics.See the AAR CFP for a fuller description.

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Digital Humanities in Biblical, Early Jewish, and Christian Studies

Garrick Allen
Dr. Paul Dilley
Description: This consultation explores the ongoing transformation of biblical studies, and early Jewish and Christian studies, within digital culture. Initiated in the 1940s, the "Digital Humanities" is now shaping all Humanities disciplines. Sessions will focus on its impact on manuscripts and editions; reading and exegesis; publishing and access; and innovative research methodologies more generally.

Call for papers: We welcome papers in sessions 1 and 2. 1) Open Call. This session welcomes proposals for papers on any subject related to the Digital Humanities as it related to biblical studies, early Judaism, and early Christianity. We are especially interested in reports of new projects of various scales, reflections on innovative methodologies and theoretical developments, solutions to new challenges that continue to face the humanities, and pedagogical explorations of the use of digital tools in the modern university. 2) Querying Linguistic Data in Biblical Languages. This joint session with Global Education and Research Technology seeks papers on all aspects of computational analysis as related to biblical languages (not only Greek and Hebrew, but also ancient and modern translations of them). We are interested in different strategies for text-markup, querying, and algorithmic analysis, as they pertain to both research and teaching. Those working on developing online resources, conducting digital research projects, and creating pedagogical tools are all welcome. 3) Panel Review of Claire Clivaz's Ecritures Digitales, which aims to demonstrate how digital writing contributes to the emergence of “a new relationship between the human body and the machines” as Jacques Derrida proposed when he considered the effects of new technologies. This new relationship influences the digital future of the Jewish-Christian textual corpus known as the Bible, also referred to as “the Scriptures.” The French title brings together this duality in one expression: Ecritures digitales. The English subtitle makes explicit the double meaning of the unique French word Ecritures: Digital writing, digital Scriptures.

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Disputed Paulines

Jerry L. Sumney
Lisa Marie Belz
Description: The Disputed Paulines Consultation seeks to explore historical, literary (including rhetorical), and theological matters which bear upon the interpretation of the letters of the Pauline Corpus that many argue are not genuinely or immediately authored by Paul. It is hoped that careful study of these letters will help us better understand both these documents and early Christianity more broadly.

Call for papers: The Disputed Paulines section will offer two sections in 2019. We invite papers exploring any sociological, literary (including rhetorical), and/or theological matters that bear upon the ininterpretation of one or more of the Disputed Pauline Epistles, or a discreet section thereof. For 2019, we especially invite papers that explore the theme of Migration, Exclusion, and Social Distinction as reflected in these letters.

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Early Christianity and the Ancient Economy

David Hollander
Thomas R. Blanton IV
Description: The Early Christianity and the Ancient Economy Consultation is the foundational component of an international, interdisciplinary project that seeks to delineate the relationship between early Christianity and the ancient economy in the period from Jesus to Justinian, demonstrating both similarities and differences in attitudes, approaches to problems, and attempted solutions.

Call for papers: The Early Christianity and Ancient Economy program examines three broad areas of interest: The first area involves a study of all the major aspects of the economy in the ancient world, especially the Roman Empire. The second examines first-century early Christianity both in relationship to the ancient economy and in regard to its own economic aspects. The third area does the same for Christianity in the second to the fifth centuries. Both synchronic and diachronic studies are encouraged, as are contributions focused on specific issues (such as money, texts, authors, themes, and events). The unit welcomes papers addressing the economy in its broadest sense, including both mercantile and extramercantile transactions. Paper proposals for all three areas of interest are welcomed, especially those that make use of papyri, inscriptions, and other realia. For the 2019 annual meeting, papers that focus on credit, debt, loans, and loan forgiveness are also particularly welcome.

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Early Exegesis of Genesis 1–3

Christoph Markschies
Volker Henning Drecoll
Description: The Impact of the Exegesis of Genesis 1–3 for the development of Christian and Jewish Theology is at the center of the program unit. Important issues are the integration of philosophical concepts(especially for cosmology and anthropology), the methods of exegesis, and the different literary strategies (commentaries, sermons, theological works, catenae) in various contexts from the 1st to the 6th century.

Call for papers: In 2019, we will have three sessions: 1. joined session with the seminar "Contextualizing North African Theology" that focuses upon the interpretation of Gen. 1-3 in the North African context in the fourth and fifth century. Proposals that deal with Gen. 1-3 in Latin Manichaeism and in Augustine are welcome. Among others, the interpretation of light and darkness, the understanding of humans as created in God's image, and the idea and impact of original sin are topics that could be addressed. 2. a session about Gen. 1-3 in Greek catenae and (dogmatic, ascetic etc.) collections from the 4th century onwards. Contributions to individual manuscripts, the problems of types of catenae or the history of collections can be addressed. The intentions of collectors and catenists and their context should be taken into consideration. 3. a joined session with the "Nag Hammadi and Gnosticism" seminar that will address the topic of ancient exegesis of Genesis 1-3. Papers e.g. on the importance of Gen. 1-3 for the development of Gnosticism or the method of (counter)exegesis for Gnostic of Gen. 1-3 texts are welcome. Although this session will feature invited speakers, scholars (junior scholars in particular) are invited to submit abstract proposals to be included in the session.

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Early Jewish Christian Relations

Eric Smith
Shira L. Lander
Description: The Early Jewish Christian Relations Group deals with the relationships of Christians and Jews as Christians emerged as groups distinct from Jews, and how these groups continued to affect one another in the following centuries. It considers approximately the first four centuries.

Call for papers: For the 2019 annual meeting, Early Jewish Christian Relations plans three sessions. The first session is an invited review session, co-sponsored with the Book of Acts program unit. Paula Fredriksen’s book When Christians were Jews rereads the letters of Paul, the Gospels, Acts, and Josephus to reconstruct the development of the apostolic church as a messianic temple-centered movement through its fragmentation when the Romans destroyed the temple. For this session, a panel of invited scholars from a variety of disciplines will review Fredriksen’s book, and Fredriksen will provide a response. The second session will be titled "Racialized Discourse in Early Jewish-Christian Relations." This session invites papers that explore ancient and modern constructions of race for thinking about early Jewish-Christian relations, including how Roman-period Jews, Christians, and anyone in between employed constructions of race and racial identity for thinking about difference. We are particularly interested in ancient writings that classify people, objects, practices, and places into racial categories marked as inherently dangerous and Other. A third session will be titled “The Weaponization and Deployment of Difficult Jewish-Christian Relations Texts by Contemporary Nationalist Movements: John 8:44 et al.” This session invites 10 minute-long short papers on the contemporary use of New Testament texts considered problematic in the history of Jewish-Christian relations by nationalist, white-supremacist, Ku Klux Klan, neo-Confederate, neo-Nazi, racist skinhead, or Christian Identity movements. Examples of such texts are Matthew 27:25, Luke 11:47, John 8:44, Acts 2:23, 3:15, 5:30, 1 Thessalonians 2:14–16. Usage of these texts can include, but is not limited to, rhetorical, symbolic, marking, and signifying.

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Ecological Hermeneutics

Peter Trudinger
Description: This Section will focus on hermeneutical principles and models for ecological readings of the biblical text and tradition. Attention would be paid to the anthropocentric bias of texts and readers as well as to discerning alternative traditions sympathetic to ecology, Earth and the Earth community. The aim is to explore the art of reading the text with empathy for the natural world.

Call for papers: In 2019, there will be a three thematic sessions and an open session. One theme to be explored is that of “Ecology, Oceans and the Bible.” San Diego is a renowned center of Oceanographic research, so this theme is an appropriate localization. The term “oceans” is indicative, not prescriptive. Proposals addressing, for instance, large bodies of water, the ocean denizens, plastics pollution or the water cycle will be considered. A second theme will be a joint session with Animal Studies and the Bible section, on “Wildlife depletion, then and now,” which will contain presentations on issues associated with species extinction and destruction of habitat in the Biblical period and their relevance for modern times. A third session will explore "Paul's Epistle to the Romans in the context of Ecology and Empire," including reviews of two new books: Sylvia Keesmaat & Brian Walsh, "Romans Disarmed: Resisting Empire, Demanding Justice" (Brazos) and Sigve Tonstad's, "Letter to the Romans: Paul Among the Ecologists" (Earth Bible Commentary). Panelists will be invited. Proposals are also welcome. Proposals on any biblical text are also invited for inclusion in an open session. All proposals are encouraged to engage with the principles of ecological hermeneutics - e.g., suspicion, identification, retrieval (Habel and Trudinger, Exploring Ecological Hermeneutics, SBL 2008) or the methodology of the Exeter project (Horrell, Hunt and Southgate, Greening Paul, Baylor 2010).

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Economics in the Biblical World

Richard A. Horsley
Roger S. Nam
Description: This program unit explores economics in the biblical world from a variety of approaches, including textual analysis, archaeological study, economic history, and much-needed theoretical engagement. We examine both larger economic structures and more local patterns (i.e., household and village).

Call for papers: For the 2019 SBL, we will sponsor three session. First: For an open session we invite proposals on "the reasons for peasant/villager indebtedness in early Roman Palestine." Proposals should focus especially on textual evidence, such as from Josephus' histories and the Gospels, and on memories of late second temple times adapted in rabbinic texts, and on such archaeological evidence as may be applicable. We hope to generate cooperative learning among presenters and respondent(s) in the critical framing of issues and evaluation of textual evidence. For further information contact Richard Horsley (richard.horsley@umb.edu). Second : We are also planning the first of some several sessions on key aspects of the Judean temple-state, beginning with the foundation and consolidation of the temple-state in the Persian period. We are inviting some of the key scholars who have contributed to the recent expansion of work on the Persian period to bring together analysis of issues such as the overall political-economic structure and dynamics, the struggle among priestly and other factions, the relation between the people who remained on the land and the descendants of previously deported Judeans who returned to participated in the temple-state, the importance of Persian sponsorship and governors, and how archaeological evidence may affect evaluation of limited texts from this period. Third: We are planning a joint session with another program unit on the generation of "social-economic communes" rooted in the deep Israelite tradition of the common good and collective responsibility. This session will include invited presentations on the sharing of goods indicated in key texts from Qumran, the sharing of goods recounted it the Acts narrative of the Jerusalem koinon and the mutual aid and sharing of goods indicated in the Didache.

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Egyptology and Ancient Israel

Bernd U. Schipper
John Huddlestun
Description: The principal goal of the Egyptology and Ancient Israel Section is to promote collaboration between biblical scholars and Egyptologists in their comparative examination and analysis of historical and literary connections between ancient Israel, the Hebrew Bible, and the history and literature of ancient Egypt. Where appropriate, the section joins with other related program units to foster interdisciplinary conversation across the wider ancient Near East.

Call for papers: The Egyptology and Ancient Israel section invites papers for two sessions of the 2019 Annual Meetings in San Diego, CA. The first session is OPEN, accepting papers dealing with any topic relating to ancient Egypt, Israel, and/or the Hebrew Bible. The second will consist of INVITED PAPERS in a joint session with Prophetic Texts and their Ancient Contexts.

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Ethics and Biblical Interpretation

Lisa Bowens
Amy C. Merrill Willis
Description: The aim of the Ethics and Biblical Interpretation section is to study the way the various projects of biblical interpretation and hermeneutics intersect with the concerns of ethics. This consultation will engage ethicists, theologians, and biblical scholars in interdisciplinary conversations.

Call for papers: The Ethics and Biblical Interpretation Group is an interdisciplinary partnership between biblical scholars, theologians, and ethicists. The work of our group focuses on the methods, texts, and principles for interpreting the Bible and engaging in ethical deliberation. For the 2019 Annual Meeting, we invite proposals on the theme of Environmental Ethics, the Bible, and Eschatology. While environmental ethics has been recognized as a pressing need in the face of climate change and global warming, this session invites proposals focusing on how environmental ethics might root itself in biblical texts pertaining to eschatology and new creation. Author and naturalist Craig Childs has argued that humanity is in the process of creating an *Apocalyptic Planet* (2013). In their recent book, *Bible and Ethics in the Christian Life* (2018), Birch et al argue that the dawning anthropocene makes new ethical demands on people of faith. They ask, “What dialogue shapes the contours of moral imagination and human responsibility when no terrain goes untouched by both human goodness and human molestation?” (xv). In response to this question, we seek proposals that explore how the Bible’s eschatological texts (and their mediation through various religious traditions) might contribute to a robust environmental ethic.

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Ethiopic Bible and Literature

Curt Niccum
Ralph Lee
Description: This unit studies the sacred texts and literature of the ancient and rich Ethiopic tradition. It seeks, through critical study, to understand the ideology, sociology and the process of literary formation, of the Ethiopic tradition, in particular the Bible, and also discusses its manuscript tradition.

Call for papers: We plan three sessions: The THEOT (Textual History of the Ethiopic Old Testament) project has analysed large sets of 14th-20th century Ethiopic manuscripts for books, including Deuteronomy, Judges, Ruth, 1-4 Kings, Esther, Psalms, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Hosea, Joel, Obadiah, Jonah, Malachi, and the Biblical Canticles. A picture of textual families and distinctive readings has developed, and now the project seeks to examine the interaction between the Ethiopic tradition and its predominantly Greek vorlage. We welcome proposals particularly those exploring connections with the LXX tradition, for a joint session with the Greek Bible Program Unit. A second session on ‘Canon and Canonicity’, is in partnership with the Biblical Exegesis from Eastern Orthodox Perspectives consultation. Research on the canon has frequently focused on the origins of the canon and the causes that drove its creation, as well as the relative importance of canonical lists, actual codices, and the citations/ascription practices of interpreters. This session seeks to broaden and deepen this research by examining both the contents of canons and the meaning of canonicity in the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches. We invite papers that examine issues of the canon outside of the Christian West. We are interested in papers that assess how local political, theological and cultural factors may have shaped the delineation and reception of a canon, as well as the meaning of “canonical” status. Finally, an open session will cover ideology, sociology and literary formation in the Ethiopic Tradition, which bears marks of originality and external influence. Influences come from Christian traditions, such as Greek, Syriac, and Armenian, but also from Jews and Muslims in the Horn of Africa, Egypt and the Arabian Peninsula. Ethiopian theologians and community leaders developed their own sense of identity and expressed these in their form of literature. Proposals on any aspect are welcomed.

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Ethnic Chinese Biblical Colloquium

Chloe Sun
Mary F. Foskett
Yii-Jan Lin
Description: The Ethnic Chinese Biblical Colloquium (ECBC) emerged with the rise of the awareness of contextualization and cross-cultural awareness in biblical interpretation. A group of scholars who are of ethnic Chinese origin created ECBC as a forum to address issues relevant to this concern within SBL in the 1990s. Prominent founding members of this group are Dr. Seow Choon-Leong, Dr. Wan Sze-Kar, Dr. Gale Yee, Dr. Mary Foskett, Dr. Jeffrey Kuan, and Dr. John Yieh. The group invites scholars to participate in the forum held annually within the SBL Annual Meeting.

Call for papers:

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Exile (Forced Migrations) in Biblical Literature

Dr. Katherine Southwood
Martien A. Halvorson-Taylor
Description: This section examines exile, displacement, and migration (forced or involuntary) in biblical literature—its history, associated literature, and conceptualization from a wide range of methodological perspectives.

Call for papers: We will offer two sessions and co-sponsor a third. (1) The first session is an invited panel that investigates the emerging field of memory studies as a promising methodological framework for the analysis of biblical exile. In the main, this panel is interested in how events and stories about an exilic past are used in biblical literature to shape identity. First, in how memory studies might be a useful intervention for problems related to and emanating from exilic literature. Equally, this panel is interested in ways biblical literature on, about, or resulting from the exilic period(s) may challenge, reframe, and underscore the value of memory studies for the analysis of biblical texts. (2) The second session is an invited panel on “Late Antique reception histories of biblical flight: Part 1, pre-Constantinian period.” This is the first of two invitational sessions (the second to be held at the 2020 Annual Meeting) on the reception histories of biblical exile in the long late-antiquity. Many early Christian and non-Christian thinkers looked to biblical text(s) for types and models of flight. Invitees will the topic of biblical exile and its reception in the late ancient period. The year’s session will engage the pre-Constantinian period and next year’s session on the same topic will engage the post-Constantinian period. Speakers will explore the various methodological approaches to studying exile such as discourse analysis, space/place theory, digital humanities, material culture, etc. (3) In addition, we are issuing an open call for papers for a third session dealing with any aspect of migration in the Eastern Mediterranean from the late Second Temple period to late Antiquity. This session will be co-sponsored with the SBL Consultation "Jewish, Christian, and Graeco-Roman Travel in in the Hellenistic, Roman, and Early Byzantine Periods (300 BCE–600 CE).”

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Feminist Hermeneutics of the Bible

Carolyn J. Sharp
Dr. Margaret Aymer
Description: The aim of this unit is to provide a forum for research in issues and questions relating to feminist methods of interpretation. While specifically focused on methodological concerns, we are also concerned to ground that reflection in the reality of engagement with specific texts.

Call for papers:

The Feminist Hermeneutics of the Bible (FHB) section will offer the following sessions at the 2019 meeting.

Open Call

FHB issues an open call for papers using feminist, womanist, mujerista or other cognate ideological frames to read biblical texts, broadly defined. Special consideration will be given to papers that apply feminist hermeneutical methodologies to the examination of public discourse and the use of biblical texts in political speech.

Invited Panels

FHB will present an invited panel of seven biblical scholars to discuss the intersection(s) of White Supremacy and Feminist Biblical Hermeneutics.

Cosponsored Panels

FHB co-sponsor with Gender, Sexuality and the Bible an invited panel that will review the collection of essays by Susanne Scholz, The Bible as Political Artifact: On the Feminist Study of the Hebrew Bible (Fortress, 2017).

FHB will co-sponsor with the Journal of Feminist Studies of Religion an invited panel on Womanist and Feminist Dialogical Interpretation.

FHB will co-sponsor with Asian and Asian American Biblical Hermeneutics, and Minoritized Criticisms and Biblical Interpretation an invited panel celebrating the contributions of Dr. Gale Yee to biblical studies, with particular focus on her contributions to Asian and Asian American and Feminist Hermeneutics of the Bible.



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Gender, Sexuality, and the Bible

Gwynn Kessler
Rhiannon Graybill
Description: This group engages in critical discussion with research on sexuality and gender in disciplines such as critical theory, philosophy, literature, cultural studies and the social sciences. It explores the implications of this research for biblical and postbiblical studies.

Call for papers: For our FIRST SESSION,"Sex without the Song, Violence without Judges," we seek papers that apply theoretical approaches to gender and/or sexuality to biblical texts that are not typically read using these approaches. While much excellent work has been, and continues to be, done on topics such as gender in Genesis, sexual violence in Judges, the Song of Songs, eunuchs in the both the Hebrew Bible and New Testament, Paul's treatment of the body, and sex and Revelation, other texts have not received the same level of attention. For this panel, we seek papers that treat less familiar texts or topics, using the lenses of gender and/or sexuality. Our SECOND SESSION is an open session. Our THIRD SESSION is a session on Susanne Scholz's "The Bible as Political Artifact," cosponsored with Feminist Hermeneutics of the Bible. Panelists will be invited for this session.

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Genesis

Bill T. Arnold
Naomi A. Steinberg
Description: The Genesis unit promotes sustained and continued dialogue and scholarship on the book of Genesis from a variety of methodological perspectives, especially (yet not limited to) those approaching and treating the text as a canonical whole. It creates space for those working on Genesis to share their work in a focused place.

Call for papers: The Genesis Program Unit will have three sessions in 2019, two open and one closed, as follows. (1) The first is a joint session with the Assyriology and the Bible program unit entitled “Genesis in the Mesopotamian Context.” We invite papers comparing and contrasting texts from the various cuneiform traditions and Genesis. In addition, we welcome papers for this special joint session on the contextual (comparative) method generally, including the history of the relationship between the disciplines from pan-Babylonianism to the present. (2) Second, the Genesis Program Unit will have an open session and we welcome proposals on any topic related to the interpretation of Genesis for this open session. (3) The third event is a closed, joint session with the Pentateuch Program Unit on recent interpretations of Genesis 6:1-4.

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Global Education and Research Technology

Nicolai Winther-Nielsen
Randall K.J. Tan
Description: The Global Education and Research Technology (GERT) section fosters and evaluates open technology and data for biblical scholarship and teaching worldwide. GERT focuses on information and communication technology for biblical studies, including corpus linguistics, language acquisition, interpretation, translation, and instruction.

Call for papers: The Global Education and Research Technology (GERT) section is planning 3 sessions for the Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting in San Diego, California. Together with Digital Humanities in Biblical, Early Jewish, and Christian Studies, we are sponsoring a session on Querying Linguistic Data in Biblical Languages. This joint session seeks papers on all aspects of computational analysis as related to biblical languages (not only Greek and Hebrew, but also ancient and modern translations of them). We are interested in different strategies for text-markup, querying, and algorithmic analysis, as they pertain to both research and teaching. Those working on developing online resources, conducting digital research projects, and creating pedagogical tools are all welcome. GERT is also organizing a session to evaluate potential applications of cutting-edge Bible Translation tools to advance research and teaching in biblical studies. In addition, to coincide with its upcoming official launch to the general public, we are planning a session with invited speakers to evaluate the Tiberias Project (A Web Application for the Stylistic Analysis and Categorization of the Hebrew Scriptures) by Joshua Berman (Hebrew Bible) & Moshe Koppel (Computer Science) of Bar-Ilan University.

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Gospel of Luke

Brittany E. Wilson
Michal Beth Dinkler
Description: The Gospel of Luke garners continued interest because of its distinctive narrative construction and its rhetorical, theological, and ethical emphases. The unit is interested in exploring Luke’s literary features and theology, and in encouraging new research on the gospel.

Call for papers: The Gospel of Luke Section plans to offer three sessions in 2019. The first session, “Luke, Eschatology, and History,” will feature invited panelists discussing a constellation of topics (e.g., eschatology, apocalyptic literature, history and historiography, divine/human agency), using Kylie Crabbe’s forthcoming book, Luke/Acts and the End of History (de Gruyter), as a shared launching point. The second session, “Luke and Genre: New Questions, New Directions,” will be an invited panel of scholars whose work in contemporary genre research provides fresh perspectives on longstanding debates about the Gospel genre. For the third session, we welcome paper proposals regarding the rhetorical, theological, literary, and ethical aspects of the Gospel of Luke.

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Gospel of Mark

Kelli S. O'Brien
Vicki Cass Phillips
Description: The Gospel of Mark Section is a venue for research on the text and themes of the Gospel of Mark and its various contexts.

Call for papers: The Gospel of Mark section invites papers on sociological interpretations of the gospel, especially on the dynamic of honor and shame as it illuminates interactions between Jesus and his adversaries, petitioners, and disciples. The section also extends an open call for papers on any topic advancing scholarship on the Gospel of Mark. First time SBL presenters are asked to provide their paper in full along with their proposal. Proposals are submitted through the SBL website at http://www.sbl-site.org/. Applicants will receive a response within a week or so of close.

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Greco-Roman Religions

Gerhard van den Heever
Description: This unit is highly interdisciplinary and comparative, a forum regularly bringing together historians of religion, specialists in Christian origins, classicists, archaeologists, and social scientists from across the world to pursue questions that foster new cooperative research initiatives.

Call for papers: The Greco-Roman Religions Section posts an open call for papers on the focus area, “Interpreting Greek and Roman ‘Religions’ in Context in the Mediterranean World.” Papers are invited that investigate, and/or theorize the contribution from material evidence, artefactual remains, and material contexts for our understanding of religions in the Greek and Roman worlds; papers that investigate religions and/or cults as social and cultural formations (including the history of interpretation of these), especially focusing on contextual practices as they relate to wider encompassing social, cultural and religious discourses, encouraging a “thick” description and analysis of specific cults (inter alia, in terms of spatial orientation, architecture, cult economics, polis-connections, organization, practice, ritual paraphernalia, myth) as comparanda in a comparative exploration of the continuities and discontinuities between and across cultic institutions. Younger scholars, PhD candidates, and post-doctoral researchers, female and minority scholars are particularly encouraged to submit proposals.

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Greek Bible

Dirk Büchner
Description: The Greek Bible section focuses on the use of the Greek versions (the Septuagint or other Greek versions) in biblical exegesis by Hellenistic Jewish authors, the New Testament writers, the Church Fathers, Greek historians or philosophers, and medieval Jewish scholiasts, as well as on the methodologies they employ.

Call for papers: A. Joint Session With the Ethiopic Bible and Literature Program Unit The THEOT (Textual History of the Ethiopic Old Testament) project has analysed large sets of 14th-20th century Ethiopic manuscripts for books, including Deuteronomy, Judges, Ruth, 1-4 Kings, Esther, Psalms, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Hosea, Joel, Obadiah, Jonah, Malachi, and the Biblical Canticles. A picture of textual families and distinctive readings has developed, and now the project seeks to examine the interaction between the Ethiopic tradition and its predominantly Greek Vorlage. We welcome proposals particularly those exploring connections the LXX and Ethiopic traditions. B. Patristics and Text Criticism Session We invite proposals that investigate the patristic use of the Greek Bible, with a focus on how early Christians dealt with text critical issues in their Scripture. C. Joint Session with IOSCS: An invited session on John Lee's new book, The Greek of the Pentateuch (Oxford, 2018). Panelists will consider the implications of his findings for developments in the field of the Septuagint and Hellenistic Judaism. D. Open Session We invite proposals that deal with the Greek versions (the Septuagint or other Greek versions) in biblical exegesis by Hellenistic Jewish authors, the New Testament writers, Greek historians or philosophers, and medieval Jewish scholiasts.

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Healthcare and Disability in the Ancient World

Chris de Wet
Meghan Henning
Description: This unit, titled Disability Studies and Healthcare in the Bible and the Ancient World, seeks to foster scholarship related to disability, illness, medicine, and healthcare in the biblical world and text. Major areas of interest include: the religious, legal, and cultural status of persons with disabilities or illness in the biblical and formative Jewish and Christian periods; the representation of disability and illness in biblical and cognate texts; the theology of such texts; the history and archeology of medicine and healthcare in the ancient Near East and Greco-Roman worlds; and the subjects of disability, illness, medicine and healthcare in the history of biblical interpretation.

Call for papers: The unit plans to have at least three open sessions (all accepting papers) at the 2019 meeting. Please indicate the session of interest in your abstract. 1) At least one open session, welcoming paper proposals on any aspect of health and disability related to the Bible. 2)The Experience of Pain: Body, Sense, and Violence - This session explores intersections between the sensory experience of pain in antiquity, how pain writes itself on the body, and how the threat and experience of pain relates to violence. We invite papers exploring: a) whether pain is construed as a separate sense, or as part of touch, what role tactility (the capacity of touching or being touched) plays in the experience of pain, but also how pain relates to and/or affects, other senses; b) how the experience of pain shapes the body and the self, either in relation to the making of an individual pain narrative, changing the body physically (scarring, illness, disability), or the way in which pain is distinct from questions of identity around illness and disability c) how the experience or threat of pain effects social interaction between self and other, especially the fact that pain is often accompanied by discourses or practices of violence. This session is co-sponsored by: Senses and Culture, Violence and Representations of Violence, and Healthcare and Disability in the Ancient World. 3) Project in Progress Workshop: The Healthcare and Disability in the Ancient World Section, in collaboration with the working group ReMedHe (Religion, Medicine, Disability, and Health in Late Antiquity) invite submissions of article or book length projects (proposals) for a workshop that will offer individualized and group responses to the idea and offer suggestions for its development and implementation. The proposals for this workshop will be pre-circulated to formal respondents in June, and then will be briefly summarized (12min) at the annual meeting before they are workshopped in small groups.

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Hebrew Bible, History, and Archaeology

Jacqueline Vayntrub
Description: This program unit exists to foster discussion of the relationship between archaeology in all its aspects (including survey, excavation, and epigraphic data) and the history of the ancient Israelite kingdoms and/or the Hebrew Bible.

Call for papers: The Hebrew Bible, History, and Archaeology program unit invites papers for open sessions. Papers should fit broadly with the mission of the program unit, reflect critically upon the relationship between the biblical literary materials, history of ancient Israel and Judah, and material culture, and to develop and model theoretical positions on the relationship between these corpora and disciplines. In addition, we have two invited sessions planned. FIRST SESSION: "Beyond Iconography: Reconsidering the Relationship between Text and Image in Ancient Israel." SECOND SESSION: A joint session with Philology in Hebrew Studies and Biblical Lexicography is planned with both submitted and invited papers that will consider the role of material culture in the study of biblical language.

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Hebrew Scriptures and Cognate Literature

Martti Nissinen
Description: The Hebrew Scriptures and Cognate Literature Section provides a major forum for research on specific points of contact between the Bible and the literatures of Israel's neighbors, to better elucidate the Bible as a collection of ancient Israelite writings.

Call for papers: The Hebrew Scriptures and Cognate Literature Section offers a wide-ranging forum for new research on specific points of contact between the Bible and ancient Near Eastern literatures, with the goal of understanding biblical texts as they relate to the broader production of ancient scribes. We welcome submissions on all relevant topics, emphasizing that papers must incorporate both biblical and non-biblical material. There will be either one or two open sessions, depending on the decision of the committee regarding paper submissions. In addition, there will be one session in 2019 with invited panelists on the topic of divination.

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Hebrews

David M. Moffitt
Madison N. Pierce
Description: The famous and almost proverbial saying that Hebrews appears to its viewer as a “melchisedekitisches Wesen ohne Stammbaum” was uttered by Franz Overbeck in the year 1880, during the high noon of historicism. The missing genealogy that Overbeck lamented meant peculiarly to him a lack of historical context. This perceived “lack” was the consequence of flawed presuppositions originating in ideological frameworks, and consequently led New Testament scholarship to view Hebrews as the “enigmatic,” the “other” one, and furthermore led to the neglect of its historical context by Hebrews scholarship. Consequently, the context was judged as “irrelevant” for Hebrews interpretation. Recent scholarship on the contrary has developed a particular interest in Hebrews’ context. Therefore, while maintaining the distinctiveness of Hebrews it is the aim of this Group to explore extensively and facilitate scholarly research on Hebrews’ relations to other early traditions and texts (Jewish, Hellenistic and Roman), so that Hebrews’ historical, cultural, and religious identity may be mapped in greater detail.

Call for papers: The Hebrews Section is planning two joint sessions in collaboration with the Intertextuality in the New Testament Section for the 2019 annual meeting. The joint sessions are closed, but a third general session is planned that will be open to proposals. 1) The first joint session features invited papers on Intertextuality in the Letter to the Hebrews and Old Testament/Jewish Literature. 2) The second joint session features invited papers on Intertextuality in Hebrews and the Classical Tradition/Greco-Roman Literature. 3) The third session is open and invites paper proposals relating to any aspect of interpreting Hebrews.

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Hellenistic Judaism

Lutz Doering
Sandra Gambetti
Description: This section is devoted to the history of (a) Judaism of the Hellenistic period (that is, "Hellenistic" understood chronologically from Alexander the Great to Augustus), (b) Greek-speaking Judaism in antiquity (that is, "Hellenistic" understood linguistically), and (c) the interaction between Judaism and its host cultures in antiquity ("Hellenistic understood culturally and socially).

Call for papers: The Hellenistic Judaism Unit will organize three sessions at the 2019 San Diego meeting. Paper proposals are accepted for two sessions. The first is an open session: we invite submissions on any topic in the field of Hellenistic Judaism. The second is a session dedicated to “Jews and the military in the Hellenistic and Roman periods”: we invite paper proposals on topics which may include, among others, the Jews in the armies of the Diadochi and Hellenistic kingdoms, ‘Jews of Onias’ and the garrisons in Ptolemaic Egypt, the armies of the Maccabees and the Hasmoneans, the soldiers of the Judaean revolts, Jews and the Roman army, etc. Paper proposers are asked to indicate for which of the two sessions their papers are intended. In addition, a third session will be by invitation only and deal with fixtures and appurtenances of ancient synagogues, that is, the role and function of architectural elements such as niches, water installations, side rooms, tables, seats, light fixtures, etc. in the synagogues of antiquity.

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Historical Jesus

Cecilia Wassén
Description: Historical Jesus research is one of the oldest and most debated areas in Biblical Studies. We encourage critical analyses of historical methods, recent trends and contemporary reception, and we give scholars and students opportunities to present their latest Jesus research.

Call for papers: The Historical Jesus section organizes four sessions for the 2019 meeting. 1) 100 years of form criticism. A joint session with the Synoptic Gospel highlights the centenary of the publication of the three form-critical 'classics' by Dibelius (Die Formgeschichte des Evangeliums, in 1919), Schmidt (Der Rahmen der Geschichte Jesu, in 1919), and Bultmann (Die Geschichte der synoptischen Tradition in 1921). The papers by invited speakers will discuss and assess the impact of form criticism on the historical Jesus research. 2) A book review session on Joel Marcus’s book John the Baptist in History and Theology (University of South Carolina Press, 2018) with invited speakers. 3) New trends in research on Jewish apocalyptic thought. This session focuses on new development within the study of apocalyptic ideas in early Judaism and the implications for understanding Jesus’ apocalyptic message. The session will include invited speakers but we also invite proposals on this topic. 4) An open session for which we welcome proposals on topics related to the research on the historical Jesus. Thus, we invite scholars to submit proposals for two of the sessions.

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Historiography and the Hebrew Bible

Ian D. Wilson
Mahri Leonard-Fleckman
Description: This unit (formerly Current Historiography and Ancient Israel and Judah) explores how historians use the Hebrew Bible for purposes of historical research and writing.

Call for papers: The Historiography and the Hebrew Bible program unit is accepting paper proposals for three sessions in San Diego: two sessions that will be general in focus, and one that will focus more specifically on history and gender. For the general sessions, we invite proposals that examine particular historical questions or topics as these pertain to the writings of the Hebrew Bible. Papers that engage contemporary debates surrounding the theories and methods of history-writing within their research are especially welcome. For the session on history and gender, we invite proposals that consider gender within the context of historical method and theory, as a focus of historical study in relation to specific Hebrew Bible texts, or as a concept that interrelates to other socio-cultural foci in the study of history and the Hebrew Bible (e.g., economy, politics, ethnicity, etc.).

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History and Literature of Early Rabbinic Judaism

Hayim Lapin
Michael Rosenberg
Description: This section is devoted to both historical and literary study of the Rabbis of Late Antiquity (ca. 70 CE - 640 CE). We encourage studies that are interdisciplinary and comparative, and that take into account the wider social and cultural environments in which the Rabbis worked.

Call for papers: The HLERJ unit will be running up to four sessions at the 2019 annual meeting. 1) We are calling for papers submitted by _pairs of scholars_ addressing some aspect of the theme “saints and sages.” Each pair should be composed of a scholar working in rabbinic literature and another working in some other aspect of late antiquity (e.g. early Christianity, Roman culture, early Islam, etc.). 2) We invite proposals for papers on forms of leadership in Jewish and Christian communities that emerged in the centuries following the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE. We are especially interested in papers that discuss competition surrounding forms and conceptions of leadership and how the dynamics of competition are reflected and refracted in the sources from the era, including early rabbinic literature, writings of early Christian authors, and material culture (co-sponsored with Religious Competition in Antiquity). 3) We are issuing an open call for papers on all topics in rabbinic history and literature, but especially for papers dealing with performance, theatricality, and playfulness in rabbinic literature. 4) Finally, we will be co-sponsoring with the Mysticism, Esotericism, and Gnosticism in Antiquity, and Religion and Philosophy in Late Antiquity units, an invited session inspired by and responding to Michael Swartz's newly published book The Mechanics of Providence: The Workings of Ancient Jewish Magic and Mysticism (Mohr Siebeck, 2018).

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History of Interpretation

Mark W. Elliott
Michael C. Legaspi
Description: The purpose of the section is: (1) To encourage the investigation of the history of biblical interpretation, especially with respect to the socio-historical context of the interpreters; (2) To support scholars by providing a forum for presentation and critical discussion of their works at the annual meeting; and (3) To encourage conversation among scholars investigating different time periods and geographical areas for their mutual benefit.

Call for papers: The History of Interpretation section is convening three sessions. (1) The Role of Philosophy in Greek and Byzantine Exegesis (joint, open session with Biblical Exegesis in Eastern Orthodox Perspectives) In this session, we examine the relation between “philosophy,” an enterprise construed in various ways by Christian theologians, and the exegetical works of Greek and Byzantine interpreters. Though scholars often recognize the significance of philosophical traditions both for allegorical interpretation and for commentaries, they have paid less attention to the role of moral philosophy, for instance, in patristic moral exhortation. We, therefore, welcome proposals that examine the role of philosophical traditions in Eastern patristic exegesis. (2) The History of Interpretation as Source and/or Norm for Contemporary Theology." This session asks how the history of biblical interpretation might renew the practice of contemporary theology in particular. It will focus on the question whether historical exegesis may constitute a source and/or a norm for that practice. First, is the history of exegesis a source for theology, alongside creeds, conciliar documents, liturgy and philosophical reflections? Can it be seen as an underutilized source over against the more readily doctrinal, philosophical and polemical documents theologians have preferred? Second, a stronger claim may be made that premodern modes of exegesis or exegetical claims are normative in some way for contemporary theology. For instance, is any one period in the history of exegesis normative for the ongoing practice of theology? Paper proposals are especially encouraged to deal with substantive content and particular doctrines rather than remaining at the methodological level. (3) INVITED SESSION: Jewish and Christian Biblical Interpretation in the Enlightenment. (4)) The Role of Philosophy in Greek and Byzantine Exegesis (2nd session NOT JOINT with Biblical Exegesis in Eastern Orthodox Perspectives) In th

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Homiletics and Biblical Studies

Charles Lynn Aaron
Description: The Homiletics and Biblical Studies Section encourages dialogue among scholars in both fields who share an interest in critical exegesis, its various methods, and the unique hermeneutical and theological problems inherent to the relationship between biblical interpretation and proclamation.

Call for papers: The Homiletics and Biblical Studies Program Unit invites papers in our open call session for the 2019 meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature in San Diego, California. The papers can address any topic related to the intersection between homiletics and biblical studies. We encourage papers from a variety of traditions and welcome inter-religious dialogue.

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Ideological Criticism

Elaine James
Christopher B. Zeichmann
Description: This Section approaches the Bible through critical philosophical perspectives and explores how power shapes and is shaped by the Bible and its reception. We embrace various definitions of ideology and approaches to uncovering the political stakes of the Bible and of its uses and influences.

Call for papers: OUR FIRST SESSION is an open session. We welcome proposals on any dimension related to critical philosophical approaches to texts and the political implications of texts in their contexts, reception and influences. OUR SECOND SESSION is an open session discussing the 25th anniversary of the Postmodern Bible (Yale University Press, 1995). We welcome proposals related to the status, impact, and legacy of this volume, and of “postmodern” approaches to biblical interpretation more broadly. OUR THIRD SESSION is an open session on the “hidden contexts” of biblical interpretation. We welcome proposals related to the critical assessment of contexts that continue to be taken for granted in biblical interpretation even while readers attempt to make their contexts and assumptions explicit. Potential examples include the West, the academy, masculinity, material aspects of the Bible (medium, divisions of chapters and verses, printed headings, translations), ableism, cisgenderism, educational background, “liberal” assumptions, etc. How do we interrogate uncontextualized contexts? This session is co-sponsored with the Contextual Biblical Interpretation Program Unit. If you have any questions, please email Elaine James (etjames@stkate.edu) or Christopher Zeichmann (christopher.zeichman@mail.utoronto.ca).

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Institute for Biblical Research

S. Aaron Son
Carmen Joy Imes
Lissa M. Wray Beal
Description: The historical goals of the Institute for Biblical Research include fostering the study of Scripture within an evangelical context, establishing facilities for the furtherance of biblical studies, and encouraging university and college students toward a vocation of biblical scholarship. Website: www.ibr-bbr.org

Call for papers: Please visit our website for instructions about how to propose a paper for the 2019 meeting (https://www.ibr-bbr.org/research-groups-2019). Do not submit papers through the SBL portal.

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International Organization for Septuagint and Cognate Studies

Leonard J. Greenspoon
Reinhart Ceulemans
Description: The IOSCS is an Affiliate of the SBL. For further information on the IOSCS, please contact the program unit chair.

Call for papers: 2020 Annual Meeting The International Organization for Septuagint and Cognate Studies (IOSCS) is soliciting papers for its annual meeting in Boston, to be held in conjunction with SBL. We invite papers on any aspect of LXX and cognate literature. Proposals for the Boston meeting should be submitted through the SBL Annual Meetings website. All presenters and panelists must be members in good standing of IOSCS. Please direct any queries to or Reinhart Ceulemans at reinhart.ceulemans@kuleuven.be.

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International Qur’anic Studies Association (IQSA)

Marianna Klar
Description: The International Qur’anic Studies Association fosters scholarship on the Qur’an, its context, its relationship to other scriptural traditions, and its influence upon literature and culture. IQSA facilitates the broad and open discussion of the Qur’an from a variety of academic perspectives.

Call for papers:

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International Syriac Language Project

Richard A. Taylor
Description: All papers are presented as contributions to the International Syriac Language Project (ISLP), the aim of which is to redefine ancient-language lexicography for the 21st century, and to lay the foundations for a new comprehensive Syriac-English lexicon. The group and its invited contributors is interdisciplinary and collaborative, and therefore includes specialists in related fields.

Call for papers: All papers are presented as contributions to the International Syriac Language Project (ISLP), the aim of which is to redefine ancient-language lexicography for the 21st century, and to lay the foundations for a new comprehensive Syriac-English lexicon. The group and its invited contributors is interdisciplinary and collaborative, and therefore includes specialists in related fields.

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Intertextuality and the Hebrew Bible

Hyun Chul Paul Kim
Shelley L. Birdsong
Description: The purpose of this unit is to provide a forum for presentation and discussion on the study of intertextuality in the Hebrew Bible. This unit explores various issues related to methodology as well as interpretation, considering not only the Hebrew Bible but also its connection to ancient Near Eastern literature, Second Temple texts, the New Testament, interreligious sources, art, and film.

Call for papers: We are planning to have three sessions for 2020. There will be TWO joint-sessions (invited papers) with the “Intertextuality in the New Testament” section. Our theme this year is “Human Violence in the Hebrew Bible, Early Jewish Writings, and the New Testament." Papers should ideally cross testamental or canonical boundaries: e.g., (a) examine intertextual connections in theological themes, rhetoric or rationales that sanction or prohibit human violence across the literary corpora; (b) look at intertextual connections in the depiction of the Other as the object of human violence; and/or (c) use contemporary or new methods of intertextuality to interpret texts across bodies of literature on the issue of violence. The THIRD session is an OPEN session (we are accepting paper proposals) on “Intertextuality and the Hebrew Bible” with preference given to proposals related to this year’s theme stated above.

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Intertextuality in the New Testament

Alice Yafeh-Deigh
Max J. Lee
Description: The purpose of this unit is to provide a forum for presentation and discussion on intertexual interpretations of New Testament passages. This unit focuses on ways in which the language of texts are recited, echoed, reconfigured, or recontextualized by other texts from the LXX, Greco-Roman philosophers, orators, decrees, Second Temple sources, Hebrew Scriptures, or another ancient source.

Call for papers: The Intertextuality in the New Testament Section has two joint sessions in collaboration with the Hebrews Section planned for the 2019 annual meeting. The joint sessions are closed, but there is a third general session that is open. 1) The first joint session features invited papers on Intertextuality in the Letter to the Hebrews and the Old Testament/Jewish Literature. 2) The second joint session features invited papers on Intertextuality in Hebrews and the Classical Tradition/Greco-Roman Literature. 3) The third session is open and invites papers on all elements of intertextuality and New Testament interpretation.

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Inventing Christianity: Apostolic Fathers, Apologists, and Martyrs

Paul Middleton
Taylor G. Petrey
Description: This unit focuses on the writings of the Apostolic Fathers, the apologists, and the authors of martyrdom accounts (AFAM) in the second and third centuries. The goal is to explore their role in the invention of “Christianity” and early Christian identities.

Call for papers: In 2019, Inventing Christianity invites papers for two sessions. First, we invite proposals relating to any aspect of the 'afterlives' of the disciples/apostles (understood flexibly), individually or collectively, in the second and third centuries CE. For our second session, we are open to receiving papers on any other aspect of the themes of the Unit, including Apostolic Fathers, martyr literature, or apologists in the second and third centuries CE. We will also be holding a joint session with Nag Hammadi and Gnosticism with invited papers celebrating the contributions of Karen L. King to the scholarship of Early Christianity.

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Islands, Islanders, and Scriptures

Fiona C Black
Nasili Vaka’uta
Description: This section is a platform for island and islander views, languages, peoples, swaggers, rhythms and more. It engages interests and realities of islanders from and between the Caribbean and Oceania, and how those condition the reception, translation and interpretation of scriptures.

Call for papers: We will have three sessions this year. The first is an open panel, "Testing the Waters." Some 6 years into the Island/Islander section, and with several books under our belt, we take this opportunity to talk through questions of island methods. What is island reading? How do we see it connecting with other aspects of the field? We invite those who are interested in minoritized or contextual readings particularly to come and join us. The second session will be a panel of invited papers and open call on Pasifika Pedagogies. Pasifika Islanders will be invited to discuss island ways of learning and of sharing wisdom between generations and communities, and how those ways could enlighten theological and biblical teachers and learners outside of Pasifika. Special attention will be given to the oceanic, oral and reciprocal (in both hospitality and resistance) cultures of Pasifika. Scholars from other island roots will also be invited to respond and to encourage conversation. The third session is an invited panel, held in collaboration with Minoritized criticism, Contextual Biblical Interpretation and Postcolonial Criticism and Biblical Studies, called "Talk With the President.” In response to the SBL tradition of not allowing questions and comments after an SBL President delivers her/his address, and by what are often lengthy pauses before the society substantially and formally engages with these important lectures, this session invites 2018 SBL President Brian Blount, along with a panel of biblical scholars and theologians, to reflect on and respond to his presidential address. The panel will explore both helpful and challenging moments in Blount’s address by offering this forum for critical reflection and engagement. For reference, the text of the lecture can be found in the first issue of JBL (2019).

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Israelite Prophetic Literature

Steed Vernyl Davidson
Description: This section aims to provide an open forum for scholars to present papers on a variety of topics germane to the study of ancient Israelite prophecy and prophetic literature.

Call for papers: The Israelite Prophetic Literature section will sponsor three sessions in 2019 and now invites proposal for two of these sessions: (1) The Ideal Messianic Age Papers are invited that explore the depiction of the ideal messianic age in prophetic literature with particular focus upon materialist economic imagery. Proposals can cover a broad range of economic concerns for instance wealth distribution, economic flourishing, luxurious living such as images of feasting with description of specific foods. What indications these images offer regarding the material transformations of that age and whether or not these changes effect utopian visions of inclusion and amelioration? Do these images deal with global/contextual redistribution of wealth or not? What are the implications upon communities and the environment for the type of feasting, drunkenness, food diets and lifestyles envisaged in these depictions? Other foci that raise materialist implications of messianic visions such as food related actions - procurement/provision; feeding/being fed - are also encouraged. (2) An open session with papers on a broad range of topics dealing with prophetic literature. Papers that fall within the scope of the other thematic session on the ideal messianic age may also be presented here. (3) A joint session with other prophetic studies units with invited speakers.

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Israelite Religion in its Ancient Context

Isabel Cranz
Description: A forum for the study of religion in Israel and Judea within their larger Southwest Asian and East Mediterranean contexts. Aims to bring together a wide variety of questions, perspectives, periods, disciplines, theories, methods, and kinds of data, e.g., verbal text (literary and pragmatic), visual art, artifacts and architecture; philology (broadly), art-history, sociology and anthropology, and history; theology, ritual, gender, and ethnicity. Above all, the forum seeks to facilitate the systematic framing of questions and analysis of religion in theoretical terms, with theoretical scholarship.

Call for papers: The “Religions of Israel and Judah in their West Asian Environment” Section welcomes a wide variety of questions, perspectives, periods, disciplines, methods, and kinds of data: textual, epigraphic, archaeological, iconographic, art-historical, sociological, gender-focused, comparative, and more. Proposals are easier to accept when they indicate how the presentation will interact with and differ from prior scholarship. This year, we are also hosting a prearranged panel on religion and the future of the comparative method. For this panel scholars will reflect on the method they apply to comparative research and how the improved understanding of primary sources might impact their reconstruction of ancient Israelite religion and its place within the broader culture of the ancient Near East.

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Jesus Traditions, Gospels, and Negotiating the Roman Imperial World

Arthur Wright
Catherine M. Murphy
Description: The section aims to encourage the exploration of the diverse ways (accommodation; cooption, ambivalence; self-protective protest; challenge; alternative communities and contestive practices; exposure of imperial strategies etc.) in which Jesus traditions and gospels negotiate the Roman imperial world.

Call for papers: This year we will have two sessions combining invited papers and an open call. For one of these sessions, we welcome papers that explore the development of Jesus traditions in light of diverse borderlands communities in the early Roman Empire. Recent studies, such as Laurens E. Tacoma, Moving Romans: Migration to Rome in the Principate (Oxford, 2016), and Katherine Shaner, Enslaved Leadership in Early Christianity (Oxford, 2018), illuminate the formation or function of “borderlands” communities in the Roman Empire, as urban centers such as Rome and Ephesus became magnets for migrants and sites for new experiments in social mobility and community identity formation. The visual rhetoric of Roman monumental architecture and coinage reveals imperial efforts to shape a Roman identity in this context, while early Christian rhetorics of redemption, servant leadership, fictive families, table fellowship, and reworkings of the Exodus narrative signal the boundary-crossings and community formations that Christians were negotiating from below. For this session, we particularly welcome papers on the Gospel of Luke and related traditions, as well as papers that consider the implications of research on the past for contemporary migration and borderlands issues. For the second session, we invite papers on any topic related to Jesus traditions, the gospels, and the Roman imperial world.

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Jewish Christianity / Christian Judaism

Annette Yoshiko Reed
Jae Hee Han
Description: The broad aim of this research unit is to clarify the religion, history, and sociology of the ancient groups traditionally called, collectively, “Jewish Christianity,” but increasingly “Christian” or “Jesus-believing Judaism.” The group also seeks to clarify the issues involved in conceptualizing such groups as a distinct category of religion in antiquity.

Call for papers: For the 2019 SBL Annual Meeting, the "Jewish-Christianity/Christian Judaism" section invites proposals on Nazarenes/Nazoraeans outside of Patristic sources, especially but not only in relation to Mandaeism. In addition, we welcome proposals for an open session on "Jewish-Christianity" and "Christian Judaism," encompassing any ancient, medieval, or modern materials related to our section's theme. The section's programming for 2018 also includes invited sessions, such as a book-review panel on Annette Yoshiko Reed, Jewish-Christianity and the History of Judaism (Tubingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2018).

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Jewish, Christian, and Graeco-Roman Travel in the Hellenistic, Roman, and Early Byzantine Periods (300 BCE–600 CE)

Elisa Uusimäki
Pieter B. (Bärry) Hartog
Description: This unit explores Jewish, Christian, and Graeco-Roman travel and movement between 300 BCE and 600 CE. Developing an interdisciplinary approach to the theme, this unit aims to integrate the study of Jewish and Christian travel with the study of the ancient Mediterranean more broadly.

Call for papers: This consultation explores Jewish, Christian, and Graeco-Roman travel and movement between 300 BCE and 600 CE. In its second year, we will organize three sessions. (1) Views of the Mediterranean. In this invited session we will explore the intricate relations between travel and movement, visual experiences, and identity in travel accounts and travel narratives from the Hellenistic and Roman periods. (2) Migration in the Eastern Mediterranean. In this open session, co-sponsored with the program unit “Exile (Forced Migrations) in Biblical Literature,” we look forward to accepting papers dealing with any aspect of migration in the Eastern Mediterranean from the late Second Temple period to late Antiquity. (3) Travel in Antiquity. This third session is a fully open session, in which we will accept papers dealing with any aspect of travel or movement in the Hellenistic, Roman, and Early Byzantine periods. We particularly encourage the development of interdisciplinary approaches and the integration of Jewish and Christian travel into the broader study of the ancient Mediterranean.

Tags: Comparative Approaches (Interpretive Approaches), Religio-Historical Approaches (Interpretive Approaches), Roman Empire (History & Culture)

Johannine Literature

Alicia D. Myers
Lindsey Jodrey (Trozzo)
Description: Our mission is to address issues and concerns having to do with the analysis and interpretation of the Johannine literature--a major component of the Christian Scriptures, encompassing for our purposes the Gospel of John and the three Johannine letters. The section has historically been committed to highlighting new voices and issues in the field.

Call for papers: For the 2019 meeting, the Johannine Literature Section will have four sessions. We invite paper proposals on any topic related to the Gospel and Letters of John for an open session, as well as proposals for a special session devoted to the Letters of John. We are sponsoring two invited panels: the first will honor Gail R. O’Day, to whom those who interpret the Gospel of John, both in writing and in spoken word, owe much; and the second will focus on the relationship of the Gospel of John to the Synoptics. This final panel is co-sponsored with the Synoptic Gospels Section.

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John's Apocalypse and Cultural Contexts Ancient and Modern

Leslie Baynes
Michelle Fletcher
Description: This section provides an interdisciplinary forum for nontraditional and traditional methods to interact in the exploration of the meaning and significance of the Apocalypse of John and related literature in both their ancient and modern cultural contexts.

Call for papers: We invite submissions for an open session on John's Apocalypse and Cultural Contexts, Ancient and Modern. While we welcome proposals on all aspects of the Book of Revelation, we especially invite papers that offer new perspectives on the text, including papers that approach the text from specific hermeneutical contexts, employ innovative approaches to the Apocalypse, and/or offer new perspectives on enduring questions. We will also host a joint session of invited papers with the New Testament Textual Criticism Section on textual criticism of Revelation.

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Josephus

Chris Seeman
James S. McLaren
Description: The Josephus Group will support the Brill Josephus Project, which is publishing all of his works with translation and commentary. We shall reach out collaboratively to the SBL community with a wide variety of topics related to the study of Josephus.

Call for papers: We invite submissions for an open session on Josephus. While we welcome proposals on all aspects of Josephus’ works, we especially invite papers that explore how his writings help us to understand Jewish/Judean law or ancient concepts of “religion.” We will also host an invited session focusing on the Brill Josephus Project.

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Joshua-Judges

J. Cornelis de Vos
Zev Farber
Description: The Joshua-Judges Section will seek to reach a synthesis of all genuinely pertinent information and insight needed to interpret Joshua and Judges responsibly and competently. Specialists will contribute to understanding contents, background, text, structure, and interpretation of these books.

Call for papers: At the 2019 Annual Meeting, we will have three sessions. (1) JOSHUA 1 – The first chapter of Joshua introduces the figure of Joshua in relation to Moses and sets the stage for Israel's living in the land with the Torah. The chapter is a hinge between the Pentateuch and the former Prophets as well as being the bridge between the Pentateuch and the Hexateuch. This session will be dedicated to a discussion of how this chapter functions in these larger contexts. Proposals dealing with any aspect of this topic are welcome. (There will be a mix of invited and proposed papers). (2) BENJAMIN – The setting of many of the stories narrated in the book of Joshua (Jericho, Ai, Gibeon) is the small territory of Benjamin, even though the protagonist himself, Joshua, is an Ephraimite. Benjamin also features prominently in the stories of Ehud and the concubine of Gibeah in the book of Judges. What is the role of Benjamin in these two books? How does this connect to the history of Benjamin and to the place of Benjamin between the territories of Israel and Judah? What relationship does this have to the story of Saul as first king, or later stories about Benjaminites? Proposals dealing with such and other items relating to the tribe of Benjamin are welcome. (3) OPEN SESSION on Joshua and Judges. (Proposals on any topic relevant to Joshua or Judges are welcome.)

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Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion

Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza
Melanie Johnson-DeBaufre
Description: The JFSR is the oldest interdisciplinary, interreligious feminist academic journal in religious studies. Founded in 1985, it is published twice annually, in the spring and fall. Located at the intersection of feminist theory and studies in religion, it welcomes contributions that explore a diversity of feminist theories, practices, cultures, and religions. Its editors are committed to rigorous thinking and analysis in the service of the transformation of religious studies as a discipline and the feminist transformation of religious and cultural institutions. Website: http://www.fsrinc.org/jfsr/

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Korean Biblical Colloquium

John Ahn
Description: The purpose of this organization is to promote Korean scholarship in biblical studies and related fields and to facilitate fellowship and networking among Korean scholars in those fields. Members of KBC include Koreans and others who are engaged in biblical studies and related fields and who are interested in developing Korean perspectives in those fields and sharing their scholarly experiences with fellow Korean scholars.

Call for papers: In 2019 (San Diego), KBC will review its inaugural edited volume, John Ahn, ed.,"Landscapes of Korean and Korean American Biblical Interpretation" (SBL, 2019). Six contributors from the volume presenting at the meeting are: Koog P. Hong, Sun-Ah Kang, SungAe Ha, Paul Kim, Kang-Yup Na, and Eunyoung Lim. Our reviewers are: Mary Foskett, Marvin Sweeney, Fernando Segovia, and Mizti Smith.

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La Comunidad of Hispanic Scholars of Religion

Loida I. Martell
Description: Our organization was founded in 1989 at the American Academy of Religion/Society of Biblical Literature to advance the interests and scholarship of Latinas and Latinos in biblical, theological, and religious studies. Although originally created to bring together Latino/a Catholic and Protestant scholars, today we are interdenominational and interreligious in nature and welcome scholars from across all disciplines who share our vision and mission, and who are interested in scholarly work on Latino/a religions. We regularly sponsor panels, host annual events, engage in advocacy for Latino/a scholars, and seek to provide networking and mentoring opportunities. For more on our mission and goals, please review our "Mission" and "Objectives" pages.

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Latino/a/e and Latin American Biblical Interpretation

Ahida Calderon Pilarski
Efrain Agosto
Description: The issue of contextualization at the level of reception or interpretation, involving not only location but also perspective, has become paramount in Biblical Studies in recent years. For some time now, a good and growing number of Latino/a American and Latin American biblical scholars have been addressing the problematic of reading the Bible explicitly from their particular placements and optics in society and culture. This proposed Consultation seeks to pursue such work in sustained and systematic fashion by bringing together scholars—Latino/a and Latin American as well as others with an interest in such discussions—from across the spectrum of biblical criticism. Its scope is conceived as broad: first, the biblical texts as such, both testaments; second, readings and readers of these texts in modern and postmodern biblical criticism; lastly, traditions of reading the Bible outside academic criticism. Its approach is also envisioned as wide-ranging: open to a variety of methodological approaches and theoretical perspectives, from the more traditional to the more recent.

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Latter-day Saints and the Bible

Jill Kirby
Description: This unit examines the interpretation and use of the Bible by Latter-day Saints beginning with Joseph Smith down to the present. Papers draw on tools used in biblical studies and address topics of broad interest to the academy of biblical scholars.

Call for papers: The Latter-day Saints and the Bible section invites presentation proposals for two sessions. One session will be an open forum in which presenters may engage any aspect of the Bible or its reception within the wider LDS tradition. Among the timely topics that might be considered are responses to books, articles or papers published or presented in the last two or three years that involve any element of LDS biblical scholarship or reception of the Bible. The other session will focus on biblical translation within or for an LDS context. Engagement with the King James Version or any aspect of Thomas A. Wayment’s book, The New Testament: A New Translation for Latter-day Saints, is particularly welcome.

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Letters of James, Peter, and Jude

Dr. Darian Lockett
Mariam Kamell Kovalishyn
Description: The Letters of James, Peter, and Jude Section considers research on these letters that contribute to understanding them and their social contexts. It encourages the use of rhetorical, social-scientific, sociorhetorical, ideological, and hermeneutical methods, as well as other cross-disciplinary approaches in addition to the historical-critical method.

Call for papers: The Letters of James, Peter, and Jude section invites paper proposals considering interpretive methodologies, perspectives, and/or reception-historical insights into these letters from a global/majority world perspective for the San Diego meetings in 2019. One session will be devoted to global/majority world perspectives and a second session will be open to paper proposals that consider any aspect of research into these largely neglected letters.

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LGBTI/Queer Hermeneutics

Joseph A. Marchal
Description: Sexual orientation and kinship continues to be contested in public, ecclesial and academic communities across the globe and Biblical interpretation underpins much that is oppressive in these efforts. This section provides a forum for interrogating issues related to these interpretations and for formulating interpretive methods that emerge from the diversity of LGBTI/Q experience and thought.

Call for papers: The LGBTI/Queer Hermeneutics Section invites papers to be organized in the three following sessions: The FIRST SESSION welcomes papers on trans readings of biblical texts (in the broadest sense of both of the terms "trans" and "readings"). We are, for instance, interested in proposals that discuss how trans studies informs an approach to these texts, or a particular pericope, AND/OR those that stage an encounter, exchange, or engagement between ideas and experiences of trans and of biblical, demonstrating what these do to, with, or for contemporary understandings of biblical texts (or a particular pericope). We welcome proposals from individuals across the gender spectrum, including transgender, gender nonconforming, cisgender, and other gender identities. The SECOND SESSION is a collaboration with the Archaeology of Religion in the Roman World section on the theme of What’s the “Matter” with Gender and Sexuality in the Roman World? While not as prominent as Roman “family values," diverse sexualities and genders were traced on and through objects (e.g. graffiti and terracotta erotica). In this session, inspired by the work of Sarah Levin-Richardson, we invite papers that explore how ancient sexualities and genders, especially those we might identify as “queer,” are represented in and created by the ancient material world and how these shed light on our understanding of biblical texts, traditions, and interpretations. Authors might consider ancient spaces (e.g. brothels, villas), things (e.g. tintinnabulum, amulets), and/or representations of things and acts (e.g. painting, statuary). Papers that engage theoretical discussions of the material world and queer theory are especially welcome. The THIRD session is an open session, welcoming papers on any topics related to LGBTI/Queer biblical hermeneutics. Questions or further inquiries about these sessions can be directed to the chair, Joseph Marchal, at josephamarchal@gmail.com.

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Linguistic, Literary, and Thematic Perspectives on the Qur’anic Corpus (IQSA)

Anne-Sylvie Boisliveau
Mohsen Goudarzi
Description: This unit provides a forum for the study of the Qur’an from a literary standpoint. We welcome papers that examine the structure of passages or entire surahs; analyze the plot, characterization, themes, and voice in Qur’anic narrative; study the interplay between sound and meaning; explore literary motifs specific to each type of Qur’anic discourse; compare and contrast recurrent narratives and other repeated elements or passages; and investigate the Qur’an’s use of literary devices such as imagery, metaphor, foreshadowing, flashback, irony, chiasmus, caesura, alliteration, assonance, and so forth.

Call for papers: The Linguistic, Literary, and Thematic Perspectives on the Qur’anic Corpus unit invites proposals for papers that engage with the techniques utilized in the Qur’an for crafting imagery, characters, and narratives. Proposals may attend to artistic and literary strategies as well as to the broader social, religious, and political ends towards which these strategies are deployed.

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Linguistics and Biblical Hebrew

Jacobus A. Naude
Tania Notarius
Description: The goals of the unit: to provide a forum where scholars can share the results of their research on different aspects of Biblical Hebrew; advocate the advantages of linguistic methods for biblical studies; build a platform for interdisciplinary partnership with other disciplines and units.

Call for papers: Papers for four sessions are solicited: The FIRST SESSION (co-sponsored with NAPH) is open and entitled “Linguistics and Biblical Hebrew.” Papers that address the study of Biblical Hebrew using a well-articulated linguistic theory and/or apply linguistics to particular Biblical Hebrew constructions or corpuses are welcome. The SECOND SESSION is a thematic session entitled “The grammar of gender in Biblical Hebrew and its sociolinguistic representation.” Feminist biblical scholars explore extensively the construction of gender in ancient Israel but less attention has been paid to gender from a linguistic point of view as a grammatical “agreement feature” which has sociolinguistic implications. Papers are welcome that address agreement features of gender, poetic/semantic dimensions of gender as realized in parallelism and other stylistic devices, grammatically unmarked/mismatched gender of nouns, gender of deixis and/or abstract ideas, and their translation. The THIRD SESSION, co-sponsored with Biblical Hebrew Poetry, is entitled “Conceptions of parallelism and other formal features of Biblical Hebrew poetry.” While parallelism has remained the central organizing feature of biblical poetry since its identification by Lowth, recent research reflects two trajectories: (1) modification of the concept of parallelism; and (2) proposals for other formal structuring features such as line length, rhythm, meter, and syllable counts. Papers that explore either of these trajectories from a linguistic viewpoint are welcome. The FOURTH SESSION, co-sponsored with Ugaritic Studies and Northwest Semitic Epigraphy, is entitled “Sentence Syntax and Discourse in Ugaritic and Northwest Semitic (including Biblical Hebrew).” This session explores sentence syntax and discourse features in Ugaritic and Northwest Semitic languages. Papers addressing these issues from a linguistic viewpoint are welcome. All papers will be read and discussed. Everyone is welcome.

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Literature and History of the Persian Period

Deirdre N. Fulton
Kenneth A. Ristau
Description: The Literature and History of the Persian Period Group emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach to biblical texts and related literature of the 6th-4th centuries BCE by bringing together archaeologists, Assyriologists, classicists, Egyptologists, and sociologists, to name but a few, with biblical scholars specializing in various facets and texts pertinent to this era.

Call for papers: The Literature and History of the Persian Period is accepting papers for an open session on any topic related to its mandate. We are also holding two additional sessions with invited panelists: one on the archaeology of Jerusalem and another in memory and honor of Gary Knoppers (jointly with Chronicles-Ezra-Nehemiah).

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Lived Religiousness in Antiquity

David A. Creech
Julia Snyder
Description: This unit focuses on the lived experiences of individuals in antiquity who participated in activities or social networks they might have perceived as being “Jewish,” “Christian,” or an analogous affiliation. We discuss textual and archaeological evidence and explore embodied and cognitive experiences. Our goal is to develop best practices for scholarly writing about these phenomena, breaking with traditional scholarly categories and capturing the complexity of human experience in the early centuries, in which “religiousness” was only one of many factors shaping everyday life, and the boundaries between “Christianness,” “Jewishness,” “Romanness,” etc. were not always clear or meaningful.

Call for papers: One session in 2019 will focus on "Lived Religiousness and Salience." How salient were concepts like “being Christian” or “being Jewish” in the daily lives of actual people in the early centuries CE? Presenters will write first-person narratives from the perspective of an ancient person living in a context that features in their research, e.g., “a week in the life of a female domestic slave in first-century Corinth who (sometimes) participates in assembly gatherings.” In addition to the first-person narrative, presenters should formulate methodological theses relating to the larger theme of lived religiousness and salience in daily life. Proposals are invited for this session, and should include a clear description of the first-person subject of your narrative (cf. example above), as well as an indication of the sorts of sources on which your account might be based. Creativity is encouraged.

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Mark Passion Narrative

Jocelyn McWhirter
Thomas R. Shepherd
Description: The Mark Passion Narrative Seminar approaches Mark 14-16 from a variety of methodological approaches in dialogue. The goal is twofold – to gain new insights into the Mark PN within the context of the entire Gospel of Mark and to illustrate how methods in dialogue can produce meaningful understandings of texts.

Call for papers: The Mark Passion Narrative Seminar approaches Mark 14-16 from a variety of methodological approaches in dialogue. The goal is twofold – to gain new insights into the Mark PN within the context of the entire Gospel of Mark and to illustrate how methods in dialogue can produce meaningful understandings of texts.

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Masoretic Studies

Elvira Martin-Contreras
Description: The purpose for this section is to discuss, research and promote the field of Masoretic Studies among Hebrew Bible Scholars. Masoretic Studies seeks to clarify the translation and interpretation of the Hebrew Bible text through the use of the Masorah, to further our understanding of the history of the Masorah, and to explore related fields (e.g. grammar, Rabbinic Studies).

Call for papers: Masoretic Studies will hold at least two sessions at the 2019 Annual Meeting. The first session is a closed one on “General Introduction to the use of the Masorah in Five Different Editions”. The second session will be an open one, and in this session we extend and invitation for all papers pertaining to Masoretic Studies or related fields (e.g. grammar, linguistic Studies, Rabbinic Studies). Papers that utilize the Masorah for biblical exegesis in its widest sense including clarification, translation, and interpretation of the Hebrew text are especially welcome. Anyone interested in presenting in any of the these sessions should contact Elvira Martín-Contreras at elvira.martin@cchs.csic.es

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Matthew

Anders Runesson
Catherine Sider Hamilton
Description: The Matthew Section sponsors invited and submitted papers, panels, reviews and welcomes submission on any topic related to Matthean scholarship.

Call for papers: The Matthew Section is seeking proposals on Matthean topics for the 2019 Annual Meeting in San Diego. We will hold three sessions at this meeting. Two of these will be invited sessions. The first is dedicated to feminist and gender studies, both as applied to the narrative world of Matthew’s Gospel, and, comparatively, against the background of Pauline writings. The second is co-hosted with Bible in Ancient and Modern Media (BAMM). This session will focus on the work of Marcel Jousse and its implications for gospel studies, especially the issue of orality and memory against the background of form criticism. The third session is open to any topic in Matthean studies. Submissions will be evaluated based on the originality and clarity of the thesis proposed, control of current and classic scholarship (author: year), quality and clarity of supporting evidence, and the overall contribution that it makes to the field of scholarship and to the vision of SBL Matthew to present the best in Matthean scholarship. Please note that proposals lacking a clear thesis and explicit references to the scholarly context of the proposed paper will not be considered. (Ideally, abstracts should be less than 300 words).

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Meals in the Greco-Roman World

Jan Heilmann
Susan Marks
Description: The Greco-Roman banquet, which was a complex and highly influential Hellenistic institution, will be explored as a lens into Greco-Roman social bonding and boundaries and as a pivotal consideration in reconstructing the history of early Christianity and Judaism.

Call for papers: We have planned three sessions: 1) Reading and Interpretive Activity during Ancient Meals (open call): The Greco-Roman meal is one potential context for reading and interpreting texts. However, while research into meals more or less presupposes that people have read during ancient meals, broader investigations of this topic and detailed analyzes of the sources concerning reading practices during ancient meals are lacking. The aim of this session is to initiate a scholarly discourse about reading and interpretive activities during “pagan,” Jewish and Christian meals in the ancient and late antique Greco-Roman world. Therefore, we would like to address the following questions: What is the relation of the Roman institution of the recitatio, which was bound to the presence of the author, and ancient meals? Can we determine the role of meals for the ancient literary culture? Do we find evidence in Jewish and Christian sources for equivalent practices during their meals? Are there special values or conventions of ancient reading and interpretation practices during ancient meals, e.g., concerning the length, the function, the social participation? 2) Drinking and Intoxication in Ancient and Late Antique Meals (open call): We invite scholars to propose papers on any aspect of drinking, beverages and intoxication in the meals of the Hellenist and Roman or Late Antiquity. We look forward to perspectives from a variety of different communities. Were there specific beverages favored and why? Specific beverages rejected? And what does a focus on drinking reveal about the social relations within the group? These investigations can include arguments against intoxication as well as explorations of whether intoxication furthers access to the deity invoked or induces religious experiences, and how meals contribute to these questions. 3) Two New Handbooks: Meals and Ritual (co-sponsored, invited speakers only).

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Meals in the HB/OT and Its World

Cynthia Shafer-Elliott
Dorothea Erbele-Kuester
Description: The unit explores the cultural-anthropological centrality of meals, utilizing the considerable data about food and feasting from the OT/HB and ANE (textual, iconographic, archaeological), to address questions of gender, social formation/identity, intercultural dynamics, ecology, ideology & theology.

Call for papers: The Meals in the HB/OT and its World unit will host two sessions in 2019. One session will be co-hosted with the Ancient Near Eastern Iconography and the Bible unit and welcomes papers devoted to the topic of feasting in iconographical (particularly Levantine) perspective, especially "Feasting with the Dead." This session will be a combination of invited papers and selected papers that are submitted for consideration on this theme. The second session will be open to any topic related to meals in Hebrew Bible and their context.

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Megilloth

Bradley J. Embry
Description: This unit seeks to offer an outlet for scholarship on the collection known as the Megilloth. The Program will provide a venue for discussion of both the individual books (scrolls) that constitute the collection (Ruth, Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes, Lamentations, and Esther) as well as to the relationship between the individual books themselves, thereby seeking to foster conversation about the Megilloth as a distinct corpus within Hebrew Bible and the value of this designation to the academic community. The Program unit is interested in readings of these books and the corpus that explore matters of gender, ethnicity, and identity, as well as those that explore the different canonical locations of the books and the varied readings that may emerge from these differences.

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Metacriticism of Biblical Scholarship

Edward Silver
Jill Hicks-Keeton
Description: This unit interrogates the contours and boundaries of the discipline of biblical studies, including analysis of the guild's historic and current preoccupations, methods, and participant composition, while providing a forum for constructive recommendations for future directions in the field.

Call for papers: The Metacriticism of Biblical Scholarship section will hold four sessions at the 2019 Annual Meeting in San Diego. Two of these will be open sessions and will actively solicit essays from scholars regardless of rank or disciplinary background. A third will be an invited panel addressing the topic of race, racism, and the reproduction of inequality within the guild. Panelists will be invited to discuss how intellectual work within biblical studies sustains white supremacy, and will be asked to consider how scholarly and professional labor can disrupt and disclose the operation of racial categories and racial injustice. A fourth panel, jointly co-sponsored with the Philology in Hebrew Studies unit will address the place of philology within the discipline of biblical studies, addressing the relationship between methodology and subject position. Our first open session will treat the topic of migration and refugees, both as a topos within the Bible and as a topic of contemporary political and ethical concern. We invite papers that explore how biblical scholars use the Bible to support or reject contemporary refugee policies. We also invite metacritical perspectives on contemporary actors' use of the Bible, and their use or omission of biblical scholarship in justifying or polemicizing against those various policies. Finally, we invite essays for a session on the topic of donors, funding, and the scholarly agenda of the guild. Essays may address the impact of activist institutions like the Templeton Foundation, the Nida Institute, or the Museum of the Bible on the operations of the Society. Or they may reflect critically on the relationship between institutional sponsorship and the training of biblical scholars. We invite theoretically informed studies of how resources and power work to shape fields of inquiry and knowledge production, as well as more practical essays on the influence of particular institutions over the direction of our guild.

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Metaphor Theory and the Hebrew Bible

Ryan Bonfiglio
Description: This section aims to advance the understanding of how metaphor operates in the Hebrew Bible, with a focus on how applied metaphor theory can enhance our work as Bible scholars; it also aims to deepen our knowledge of the diverse metaphorical language used in the Hebrew Bible.

Call for papers: The Metaphor Theory and the Hebrew Bible section invites proposals for three sessions in San Diego. Our first session consists of an open call for papers that address any issue pertaining to the study of biblical metaphors. Papers should engage some aspect of metaphor theory and may focus on themes from the Hebrew Bible, ancient Near Eastern literature, and/or the New Testament. The second session is a workshop for graduate students working on dissertations on metaphors in the Hebrew Bible, ANE literature, or New Testament. The session aims to provide an opportunity for students to showcase their work and receive feedback from more senior scholars in the field as well as from their fellow students. The third session consists of a panel discussion on three recent monographs that address metaphors in the book of Job. All proposals for our sessions should state the author's main thesis, the methodological approach followed, and the specific examples studied.

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Midrash

W. David Nelson
Description: The Midrash Section is a scholarly forum for the comprehensive, interdisciplinary study and analysis of the particular mode of interpreting the Bible developed and utilized by the rabbis of late antiquity.

Call for papers: The Midrash Section invites paper proposals for two sessions it will sponsor at the 2019 Annual Meeting of the SBL: 1) An open session devoted to any aspect of the study of Midrash and related literature; and, 2) A session devoted to the theme "Midrash, Qur'an, and Hadith" which aims to encourage scholarship on Hadith (oral traditions about the words and deeds of the prophet Muhammad) or Tafsir (the exegesis and interpretation of the Qur'anic text) as it relates to the historical, religious, literary context and contents of Midrash.

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Minoritized Criticism and Biblical Interpretation

Gregory Cuéllar
Jin Young Choi
Description: The issue of contextualization at the level of reception and interpretation, involving not only social-cultural location but also ideological perspective, has become paramount in Biblical Studies in recent years. For some time now, a substantial and ever-growing number of African American, Asian American, and Latino/a American biblical scholars have been addressing the problematic of reading the biblical texts explicitly from their respective placements and optics in society and culture. This proposed Consultation seeks to expand such work by bringing together scholars from these and other population groups, both national and international, that have traditionally been classified as “minority” groups but who today classify themselves as “minoritized” groups. A word about the term “minoritized” is in order. Such groups have undergone what in Racial-Ethnic Studies is known as a process of racialization or ethnicization, grounded in real or perceived biological or cultural features, respectively. The process itself is dialectical as well as differential. It is dialectical insofar as it entails a construction of a racial or ethnic Other by a Self, which in the process constructs itself as separate. It is differential insofar as such a construction involves an unequal relation of power between Self and Other, one of domination and subordination, respectively. When such a process takes place at the level of a political unit or state, then one can speak of such groups as “minoritized” by a “dominantized” group formation. The proposed Consultation thus seeks to bring together critics from such groups not only within the United States but also globally, in order to work together as critics on the problematic of minoritization-dominantization at all levels of the discipline as conceived and practiced today. Its scope is thus quite broad: (1) the ancient texts as such, canonical as well as extracanonical; (2) readings and readers of these texts in modern and postmodern

Call for papers: (1) Along with the MCBI section’s continued focus on a collective movement of minoritized biblical critics, our first session explores the use of critical race theory in biblical criticism. While some biblical scholars employ race as a critical category of analysis in investigating the biblical text and its ancient context, this session invites papers that utilize critical race theory to examine the issues of racialization in disciplinary discourses of biblical studies and the professionalization of biblical scholars. The scope of discussion is broad, but the section welcomes proposals engaging issues of critical white studies, anti-black racism, the black/white paradigm, and intersectional/assemblage identities. (2) In celebration of the 40th anniversary of its publication of Edward Said's Orientalism, our second session, as an invited panel, reflects on its reception and use within biblical scholarship. This session has in view the ways in which Said’s critique of orientalism’s racial/imperialist logic have challenged the study of the Bible, particularly in Western contexts, as well as fostered new interpretive approaches within biblical studies, such as postcolonial criticism and poststructuralist biblical criticism. In the end this session seeks to renew ethical commitments to Said’s provocative claim that the initial study of the Orient began with Western scientific-based biblical criticism. There will be joint sessions: (a) a panel interrogating Brian Blount's 2018 SBL presidential address with the Islands, Islanders, and Scripture and other groups; (b) a session in honor of Gale Yee’s 2019 presidential address with Asian and Asian-American Hermeneutics and Feminist Hermeneutics of the Bible; and (c) a session titled "Introductory Bible courses as entry to interrogate/address disciplinary and pedagogical whiteness" with the Racism, Pedagogy and Biblical Studies unit. These joint sessions will be invited panels.

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Mysticism, Esotericism, and Gnosticism in Antiquity

April D. DeConick
Grant Adamson
Description: This unit is dedicated to the critical investigation of religious currents of secrecy (esotericism), knowledge (gnosticism), and/or their revelation through religious praxis (mysticism) as they developed during the formative periods of Judaism and Christianity (500 BCE-500 CE). This unit is committed to the examination of texts and artifacts created and used in early Jewish, Christian, Greco-Roman, Egyptian, Persian, and Babylonian contexts. We are open to the application of a wide range of historical, comparative, and critical methodologies, including reception history for those who wish to study the effects of these texts and artifacts in later historical periods.

Call for papers: We have an open call for papers for an open session on topics related to mysticism, esotericism, and gnosticism in antiquity. We also have planned three special sessions. One special session will be devoted to Jewish esoteric groups in antiquity. Featured in this session will be reviews of Michael Stone, Secret Groups in Ancient Judaism (Oxford), and Charles Häberl and James McGrath, The Mandaean Book of John (De Gruyter). Paper submissions for this session are open. The second special session will be a joint session with the AAR group on Western Esotericism. The theme for this session will be the "Modern Use of Ancient Texts and Artifacts." This session will explore the reuse of ancient texts and artifacts in the western reception history of mysticism, esotericism, and gnosticism from the Greco-Roman world. It will emphasize adaptation, not just transmission, including both the medieval and modern periods. Paper submissions for this session are open. Another special session will be on Jewish magic and mysticism. This session is organized around the work of Michael Swartz's book, The Mechanics of Providence: The Workings of Ancient Jewish Magic and Mysticism (Mohr Siebeck).

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Nag Hammadi and Gnosticism

Nicola Denzey Lewis
Description: The Nag Hammadi and Gnosticism Section provides a forum for current international research on the Coptic codices discovered at Nag Hammadi, Egypt, in 1945. Research areas include issues of text, interpretation, social and religio-historical contexts, codicology, and translation.

Call for papers: The Nag Hammadi and Gnosticism Section will hold three sessions at the Annual Meeting in San Diego. There is an open call for the first session for papers on any topic related to the interests of the Section. Advanced graduate students and women scholars are especially invited to submit abstracts for consideration. The second session will address the topic of ancient exegesis of Genesis 1-3; although this session will feature invited speakers, scholars (junior scholars in particular) are invited to submit abstract proposals to be included in the session. A third session, co-sponsored with the Inventing Christianity: Apostolic Fathers, Apologists, and Martyrs Section, invites paper proposals that consider the work and academic impact of Prof. Karen L. King.

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National Association of Professors of Hebrew

Zev Garber
Description: The NAPH is an Affiliate of the SBL. For additional information on the NAPH, please contact the program unit chair.

Call for papers: NAPH is sponsoring four sessions and two co-sponsored sessions. I. Annual Meeting of Officers and Members. II. Theme, “The Pittsburgh Shabbat Massacre.” Papers are invited to explicate ethical, theoretical, and theological questions related to the “Parshat VaYera’ (Gen 18-22) and Haftarah (II Kings 4:1-37) read in synagogues on that ill-fated Sabbath morn/mourn. III. Theme: How Old Is the Hebrew Bible? This section invites research focusing on specific topics addressed in the recently published How Old is the Hebrew Bible? by Ronald Hendel and Jan Joosten (Yale University Press, 2018). Among the topics that How Old discusses are linguistic change, linguistic variation, textual change, and the significance of inscriptions. IV. The SBL Theology of the Hebrew Scriptures Section and the Biblical and Rabbinic Literature session of NAPH are inviting papers for a session entitled: “Sacred Spaces the Theology and Literature of the Hebrew Bible.” Contact Soo J. Kim (sjkim@aeu.edu).V.The Methodology Session intends to focus on how teachers of Biblical Hebrew at an introductory level can teach grammar in ways that maximize student involvement in an interactive class environment, whether face to face or online. The aim of such instruction in grammar should be authentic facility with the language. Contact: Robert Stallman (bob.stallman@northwesu.edu. VI. NAPH and Linguistics and Biblical Hebrew Session. Papers are invited for a joint non-thematic/open session with the Linguistics and Biblical Hebrew Seminar of SBL entitled “Linguistics and Biblical Hebrew.” Papers are invited that address the study of Biblical Hebrew using a well-articulated linguistic method are welcome, and those that apply linguistics to particular Biblical Hebrew constructions or corpuses are especially encouraged. Contact: Jacobus Naude (naudej@ufs.ac.za) and Tania Notarius (tnotarius@gmail.com).

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Nature Imagery and Conceptions of Nature in the Bible

Dalit Rom-Shiloni
Mark J. Boda
Description: The section focuses on the plethora of nature references in the Bible, discussed multi-disciplinarily by scholars of Bible, archaeology, iconography, life & natural sciences, and more. Our goals are to enable better exegesis of biblical nature imagery and to address biblical conceptions of nature.

Call for papers: For San Diego, we plan two sessions, one thematic and one methodological. While part of the program is already invited we call scholars who work on the proposed fields to contact us and send their suggestion. (1) The thematic session is devoted to “Crossing Borders between the Wild and the Domestic: Space, Fauna and Flora”; (2) The methodological study session: “Conceptions of Nature in Literature and Iconography: Methodological Considerations”

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New Testament Textual Criticism

Juan Hernandez Jr.
Stephen C. Carlson
Description: The New Testament Textual Criticism Section seeks to foster the study and criticism of the text of the New Testament—including examination of manuscripts and other sources, evaluation of their textual variation, restorations of texts, and the investigation of the history of its transmission—in its cultural and historical contexts. SBL has had a group dedicated to this topic as far back as 1946.

Call for papers: The NTTC Section welcomes papers on all aspects relating to the textual criticism of the New Testament for its two open panels, especially those which feature the exegesis of textual variants or the role of exegesis in textual criticism. The Section is also sponsoring an invited panel on a “post mortem” of the announcement of a “first-century” fragment of Mark and its publication as a second- to third-century papyrus in the Oxyrhynchus collection. The Section is also co-sponsoring two joint sessions in 2019: (1) with the Synoptic Gospels section for an invited review panel for Matthew D. C. Larsen’s new book The Gospels Before the Book; and (2) with the John’s Apocalypse Section for an invited session that will focus on text critical issues relating to John’s Apocalypse.

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Nida Institute

Kent Harold Richards
Description: For information please contact: Kent Richards at kent.richards@strategypoints.org.

Call for papers: For information please contact: Kent Richards at kent.richards@strategypoints.org.

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North American Association for the Study of Religion

William E. Arnal
Description: The North American Association for the Study of Religion (NAASR) was initially formed in 1985 by E. Thomas Lawson, Luther H. Martin, and Donald Wiebe, to encourage the historical, comparative, structural, theoretical, and cognitive approaches to the study of religion among North American scholars; to represent North American scholars of religion at the international level; and to sustain communication between North American scholars and their international colleagues engaged in the study of religion.

Call for papers: The North American Association for the Study of Religion (NAASR) was initially formed in 1985 by E. Thomas Lawson, Luther H. Martin, and Donald Wiebe, to encourage the historical, comparative, structural, theoretical, and cognitive approaches to the study of religion among North American scholars; to represent North American scholars of religion at the international level; and to sustain communication between North American scholars and their international colleagues engaged in the study of religion.

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Novum Testamentum Graecum: Editio Critica Maior

Holger Strutwolf
Tommy Wasserman
Description: The unit presents the on-going work on the Editio Critica Maior (ECM), a comprehensive text-critical edition of the Greek New Testament that exhibits the history of the Greek text through its first millennium as documented in manuscripts from the second century until the invention of letterpress printing. It provides scholars engaged in the tasks of exegesis and textual criticism with all the relevant materials found in Greek manuscripts, patristic citations, and early translations. The selection of Greek manuscripts rests on an evaluation of all known primary witnesses, and each of the manuscripts selected is cited completely with all its variants. This opens the way for a new understanding of the history of the text, the more so because all relevant evidence is stored on databases. The primary line of the ECM presents a text based on a careful application of internal and external criteria, streamlined by the Coherence-Based Genealogical Method.

Call for papers: Call For Papers: The unit presents the on-going work on the Editio Critica Maior (ECM), a comprehensive text-critical edition of the Greek New Testament that exhibits the history of the Greek text through its first millennium as documented in manuscripts from the second century until the invention of letterpress printing. It provides scholars engaged in the tasks of exegesis and textual criticism with all the relevant materials found in Greek manuscripts, patristic citations, and early translations. The selection of Greek manuscripts rests on an evaluation of all known primary witnesses, and each of the manuscripts selected is cited completely with all its variants. This opens the way for a new understanding of the history of the text, the more so because all relevant evidence is stored on databases. The primary line of the ECM presents a text based on a careful application of internal and external criteria, streamlined by the Coherence-Based Genealogical Method. The unit also welcomes proposals that interact with the ECM edition.

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Papyrology and Early Christian Backgrounds

AnneMarie Luijendijk
Lincoln Blumell
Description: The Papyrology and Early Christian Backgrounds Group explores how the ancient papyri illumine the world of early Christianity and will appeal to scholars interested in paleographic, linguistic, and textual questions, as well as those who specialize in the social and cultural history of early Christianity.

Call for papers: The Papyrology and Early Christian Backgrounds Section invites proposals for papers for two sessions: 1. The first session centers on “autographs.” We hope to address such questions as: what is an autograph? Can we speak of “autographs” in light of recent scholarship on the fluidity of texts? How does it relate to issues of scribality? And what are the theological implications of using this term? 2. The second is an open session, papers for which can address any of the group’s themes, including paleography, linguistics and textual criticism, as well as larger questions relating to the social and cultural history of early Christianity. A third session will be a book panel with invited speakers on Brent Nongbri’s book God’s Library. The Archaeology of the Earliest Christian Manuscripts (Yale 2018), co-sponsored with the Book History and Biblical Literatures Section. For questions contact AnneMarie Luijendijk (aluijend@princeton.edu)

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Paul and Politics

Angela Parker
Katherine A. Shaner
Description: The purposes of the Paul and Politics Group are to bring together several currently separate but often overlapping lines of investigation and interpretation of the apostle Paul, his mission, his letters, and his longer-range impact. Those lines of investigation include "Paul and the politics of the churches," "Paul and the politics of Israel," "Paul and the politics of the Roman Empire" and "Paul and politics of Interpretation."

Call for papers: The Paul and Politics Section proposes four sessions at the 2019 Annual Meeting in San Diego. All four sessions are open for paper proposals. The FIRST SESSION invites papers that interrogate the Pauline texts, surrogacy, sexuality, and reproductive justice in ancient and contemporary politics, recognizing that reproductive justice is an issue in today’s society. We welcome proposals for papers that engage Pauline exploration of the biblical mothering figures and the inherent ideas of survival and defiance that may (or may not) have resided in the Pauline communities while imaging theological constructions for contemporary communities. The SECOND SESSION, co-sponsored with the Archaeology of Religion in the Roman World Section, will present a session on “Religion, Slavery, and Material Culture.” We seek papers that address religion, slavery, manumission, and material culture in the Roman world with a special interest in the material culture of enslaved and freed persons in the contexts of early Jewish and Christian communities. Michael Flexsenhar, author of Christians in Caesar’s Household (forthcoming, 2019), will respond to the panel. The THIRD SESSION will be an open call session on the theme of Paul and Diaspora. This session welcomes papers that explore the ways in which Paul, Paul’s letters, and/or Paul’s communities were ‘diasporic.’ How did the experience of migrating or of being dispersed from an established homeland shape Paul’s rhetoric, theology, and his teaching? Additionally, papers might also examine how the Pauline material could speak to current issues of transnational identity, migration/ border crossing, and ethnic enclaves. The FOURTH SESSION is an open session inviting proposals for papers on any element of research related to the relationship(s) between "Paul" and "politics" (in the broadest sense of both of these terms).

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Paul within Judaism

Karin Hedner Zetterholm
Kathy Ehrensperger
Description: While the opposition between Paul and Judaism has been the undisputed point of departure in much previous Pauline scholarship, the aim of this program unit is to develop Pauline studies from the hypothesis that Paul remained within and practiced Judaism.

Call for papers: There will be two sessions with invited papers 1) "What were Jewish expectations of non-Jews’ behavior in the Jesus movement of Paul’s time?”; 2) Paul’s erga nomou versus pistis trope in 2nd Temple Jewish (sub)group terms

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Pauline Epistles

Paula Fredriksen
Matthew V. Novenson
Description: The Pauline Epistles section aims to stimulate critical analysis of the letters of Paul by offering a platform for new research. The section maintains a historical orientation and typically focuses on situating the undisputed Pauline letters in their immediate social, political, religious, and intellectual contexts.

Call for papers: For the 2019 Annual Meeting in San Diego, the Pauline Epistles Section is planning two invited sessions and two open-call sessions. The first invited session, co-sponsored with the Historical Paul Consultation, will be a panel discussion on exegesis as religious practice (e.g., textual divination and related phenomena). The second invited session will be a panel retrospective on Stanley Stowers’s A Rereading of Romans (Yale, 1994) in the twenty-five years since its publication. For the two open-call sessions, as usual, we invite paper proposals on any and all topics pertinent to the Section description above.

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Pauline Theology

Alexandra R. Brown
Douglas Harink
Description: The unit has been set up in order to explore central issues in Pauline theology. No single understanding of "Pauline theology," or of how it is to be delimited from other aspects of Pauline discourse, is assumed at the outset. A complementary goal is the introduction of Pauline textual and theological insights into conversations with other fields, for example, with brain research, ecology, and race.

Call for papers: Pauline Pneumatology and the Body: For our open session we invite proposals for papers discussing the nature (and work) of pneuma in Paul. Recent publications on Paul’s pneumatology have seen an increase of interpretations of the work of the Spirit based on a material concept of pneuma (e.g. with regard to the way in which Abraham’s blessing is passed on to the Gentiles, Gal. 3:14). The arguments for the physical nature of the Spirit in Paul are usually based on 1 Cor. 15:44. We are looking for papers that critically engage these pneumatological proposals and, if accepted, how they relate to other aspects in Paul’s letters, particularly his anthropology, asking questions such as: Does Paul envisage the person to be physical all the way through, having a material soul within a “porous” body? Does a material concept of pneuma affect notions of gender and race in Paul (e.g. in 1 Cor. 12:13)? How does pneuma, understood materially, activate human/bodily agency? We also encourage reflection on potential implications for current thinking in pneumatology, ethics, and theological anthropology (including, for example, disability and sexuality).

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Pentateuch

Angela Roskop Erisman
Nathan MacDonald
Description: The Pentateuch Section provides a forum within the SBL for presentation and discussion of research on the Pentateuch, with a particular focus on transmission-historical issues and linkage of that area of inquiry with other more synchronic methodologies.

Call for papers: The Pentateuch Section provides a forum within the SBL for presentation and discussion of research on the Pentateuch, with a particular focus on transmission-historical issues and linkage of that area of inquiry with other more synchronic methodologies. For the 2019 San Diego meeting, we especially welcome proposals that consider how literary, linguistic, sociological, anthropological, gender, postcolonial, or other theory drawn from the humanities and social sciences, broadly speaking, might help identify and interpret signs of composition history and editorial work in the Pentateuch. Proposals on should be clear about the theory used, the anticipated yield, and its significance in the context of the current state of Pentateuchal studies. Scholars from underrepresented countries outside of North America can apply for SBL International Travel Grants, to facilitate their participation in the meeting. More information is available at https://www.sbl-site.org/membership/AMtravelgrant.aspx

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Performance Criticism of the Bible and Other Ancient Texts

Bernhard Oestreich
Lee A. Johnson
Description: This interdisciplinary unit is intended to foster discussion about how the creation and interpretation of biblical and other ancient texts has been shaped by their oral transmission and aural reception by ancient communities, using the methods associated with performance criticism.

Call for papers: The Performance Criticism of the Bible and Other Ancient Texts section will hold three sessions at the 2019 meeting. The FIRST SESSION is an OPEN session, with a call for papers that focus on the formative influence of performance on the production of texts, the performance of such texts in ancient contexts, the representation of oral performance in written texts, and performance-related features embedded in biblical and other ancient texts. THE SECOND SESSION—Performance Criticism of Texts of Trauma—is an OPEN session, organized jointly with the Program Unit of Biblical Literature and the Hermeneutics of Trauma. Paper submissions are welcomed that use performance critical techniques to inspire the imagination of time, place, and circumstance of traumatic issues such as exile, enslavement, imperial oppression, divine inaction and explore the movement from performance to text to performance. Papers that address the role of the audience or of audience engagement are encouraged. The THIRD SESSION is organized jointly with the Program Unit of the Bible in Ancient (and Modern) Media with the theme of the Hermeneutics of Sound and Biblical Texts. This session will address such issues as sound mapping, linguistic studies, and auditory analysis. The papers for this session are INVITED and will feature discussion on literature from both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament.

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Philo of Alexandria

Justin Rogers
Ronald Cox
Description: Philo’s works are invaluable sources about not only his own thought and exegesis but also such related fields as Judaica, philosophy, history, Classics, New Testament, and early Christianity. This Seminar focuses on these topics and on commentaries-in-preparation on Philonic treatises.

Call for papers: For 2019, the Philo Seminar is planning two sessions. We will devote a session, with invited speakers, to Philo’s Legatio ad Gaium treatise to be featured in the Philo of Alexandria Commentary Series. We will also host a panel of invited speakers on the topic of “Editions of Philo.”

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Philology in Hebrew Studies

David Lambert
Jacqueline Vayntrub
Description: This program unit aims to take up the dual challenge of reflecting self-critically on the nature of philology as a discipline and developing rigorous methodologies of philological study, particularly as may pertain to the Hebrew Bible and related literature.

Call for papers: For the 2019 Annual Meeting, we invite proposals for an open session, and will be especially interested this year in papers that consider the intersection between lexicography and material culture. This program unit seeks to address matters of intellectual history (how operative categories of language and its products were generated and shaped over time), and critically engage methods of the major aspects of philology, such as but not limited to poetics, translation theory, lexicography, and textual criticism. This program unit is especially interested in the examination of these methods and their underlying conceptual frameworks, with an eye towards determining how contemporary scholars might better understand ancient texts. In addition to considering submitted proposals, Philology in Hebrew Studies will sponsor three invited panels: FIRST SESSION: "Theorizing Lament," encouraging papers that move beyond form critical studies of lament, and towards both close readings of rhetorical structure of biblical laments using pragmatics, semantics, and other approaches that generate productive new readings. SECOND SESSION: "The Theory and Practice of Philology in Biblical Studies," co-sponsored by the Metacriticism program unit, encourages presentations that reflect critically upon gender, race, class, religious identity, and other subject positions embedded in the intellectual frameworks we bring to bear when we do philological work. THIRD SESSION: A review panel of Ronald Hendel and Jan Joosten, How Old Is the Hebrew Bible? A Linguistic, Textual, and Historical Study (Yale University Press, 2018). WE ENCOURAGE SUBMISSIONS FOR A FOURTH SESSION: "Biblical Lexicography and Material Culture," co-sponsored by Biblical Lexicography and Hebrew Bible, History, and Archaeology program units, including both invited and proposed papers that consider the role of material culture in the study of biblical language.

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Polis and Ekklesia: Investigations of Urban Christianity

Prof Alan H. Cadwallader
Prof. Dr. Angela Standhartinger
Description: This new Consultation of SBL investigates the expansion of early Christianity as an urban phenomenon from Jerusalem to Rome, from the perspective of Paul’s letters and the book of Acts against the backdrop of the local documentary and archaeological evidence. It seeks to bring together New Testament and classical scholars in the study of the New Testament writings as primary evidence for the understanding of civic and religious life in the first-century Mediterranean world. The wide range of methodologies and disciplines employed in this investigation ensures a more holistic approach than has been the case in the past.

Call for papers: This unit of the SBL investigates the expansion of early Christianity as an urban phenomenon from Jerusalem to Rome, from the perspective of Paul's letters, the book of Acts and other early Christian writings, in the context of the local documentary and archaeological evidence. The section seeks to bring together scholars of early Christianity and Greco-Roman antiquity in the study of early Christian texts as primary evidence for the understanding of civic and religious life in the first and second century Mediterranean world. The wide range of methodologies and disciplines employed in this investigation aims at a more holistic approach than has been the case in the past. The focus of the final session of the consultation in 2019 is threefold: firstly, Paul and Jerusalem; secondly, the transformation of Jerusalem in the first two centuries of the common era; thirdly, the links between Jerusalem and Caesarea Maritima. We invite papers in each of these three sessions.

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Postcolonial Studies and Biblical Studies

Hemchand Gossai
Description: This section offers a forum for papers exploring any aspect of the relation between postcolonial studies and biblical studies, including both the use of the Bible in the modern colonial enterprise and the application of postcolonial models to the ancient world.

Call for papers: Postcolonial Studies and Biblical Studies section will host four sessions for the 2019 Annual Meeting. We invite paper proposals for the first two sessions. The first session focuses on New Testament themes/texts that examine with lenses that reflect broadly construed postcolonial perspectives. The second session explores ideas that would shape a curriculum in biblical studies that is shaped by a postcolonial hermeneutic. The third session will be an invited panel titled "Talk back to the President" Troubled by the "SBL tradition" of not allowing questions and comments after an SBL President delivers her/his address, and by the tendency to wait for 15-30 years later to "look back" over the impacts of an SBL President's address, a panel of biblical scholars and theologians will respond and interrogate Brian Blount's 2018 presidential address (forthcoming in JBL, another SBL tradition) at the 2019 AAR & SBL annual meeting. The panel will highlight points that were helpful and encouraging in Blount's address, as well as points that were irritating and need further reflection and ongoing struggle. Blount will be invited to respond to the panel, and to reflect on how he might address some of his concerns differently one year later. The fourth session will be an invited panel in celebration of the 40th anniversary of its publication of Edward Said's Orientalism.

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Poverty in the Biblical World

Matthew J.M. Coomber
Kelly Murphy
Description: This unit will examine poverty, servitude, and related issues in the Hebrew Bible, Early Judaism, and Early Christianity. While non-canonical texts and related materials will be included, primary focus will be on biblical texts. Innovative interdisciplinary methods as well as traditional exegesis are welcome.

Call for papers: This year’s focus is on migration and on how capitalist biblical-interpretation affects religious practice and social policy. SESSION 1 (Open Call): “Migration and Reaction: Biblical Approaches to a Modern Issue.” Immigration and refugees relief has become increasingly politicized and polarized in the US. In response, cities and churches have declared themselves as sanctuaries and people protest the separation of families at the border. We invite critical presentations on biblical narratives and laws concerned with migration that connect/compare to related contemporary issues. Proposals should focus on key texts concerned with migration (e.g. treatment of gerim, flights out of/into Egypt, etc.). Presenters will connect prior to SBL 2019 to exchange ideas. SESSION 2 (Open Call): "Chasing the Ba’als: Apostasy and the Unholy Markets of Neoliberalism." Warnings against placing wealth accumulation before allegiance to God—as found in biblical laws, prophecies, parables, and apocalyptic texts—seem pertinent in an age when corporate profits break records, but income disparity reaches new heights. Some ancient religious and political leaders altered their faith in their quests for wealth and power; the same is found today. Focusing on impacts on impoverished peoples and possible responses, papers will explore how neoliberal capitalism has shaped biblical interpretations to support wealth extraction for the benefit of the few, and at the cost of the most vulnerable. Topics might include Cold War suppressions of people’s movements, ecological destruction, anti-poor sentiment, and the rise of prosperity theology. SESSION 3: (Off-Site Tour): Poverty, Ecology, and Immigration.” Every day 70,000 people cross the San Diego/Tijuana border. With local community organizers, sociologists, and historians, we will explore immigration through an ecological lens to highlight the complexities immigrants/refugees face and uncover connections between biblical studies and justice movements

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Prayer in Antiquity

Angela Kim Harkins
Daniel K. Falk
Description: The Prayer in Antiquity Section examines prayer in Israelite, Jewish, Christian and pagan contexts. Moving beyond historical- and form-critical methodologies, and approaches that reduce prayer simply to text, presentations will examine prayer within its cultural context and give priority to understanding prayer as embodied practice.

Call for papers: For the 2019 meeting in San Diego, the Prayer in Antiquity program unit will be hosting three sessions. The first session is jointly hosted with the Senses, Cultures, and Biblical Worlds program unit on how sensory perception is described and experienced in early Jewish and early Christian prayers, and on the impact of the material environment on the senses during prayer. Papers are invited to engage one or more of the following questions: How do prayers use language about the senses to express how ancient communities thought about or ascribed meaning to the senses, and what can this tell us about their social and cultural practices pertaining to the senses? Also what does this convey about their theologies and beliefs concerning the divine? What impact did material objects and space have on the sensory experiences accompanying prayer? Priority will be given to papers that examine prayer as embodied practice, moving beyond traditional historical and form-critical methodologies to consider philological, anthropological, psychological, and phenomenological ways of understanding how prayers refer to or engage the body's sensory perceptions. The second session is a review of Judith Newman's new book, Before the Bible (OUP, 2018). Reviewers have been invited for this session. The third session is a completely open session on any topic related to the study of Prayer in Antiquity that fits our program description. Please highlight the methodology that will be used in the proposal.

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Prophetic Texts and Their Ancient Contexts

Christopher B. Hays
Hanna Tervanotko
Description: The objectives of this group are: (1) to foster as much discussion as possible among participants in the sessions without limiting the number of participants; (2) to involve a wide variety of viewpoints from the international academy interested in "prophetic texts and their ancient contexts"; and (3) to encourage creativity and diversity among those interested in this field by inviting proposals for papers within the described parameters.

Call for papers:

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Pseudepigrapha

Jacques van Ruiten
Kelley Coblentz Bautch
Description: The goals of this section include: to provide a forum for scholarly discussion of Jewish and Christian pseudepigrapha; to encourage the broader study of pseudepigrapha for its relevance in understanding early Judaism and Christianity; to facilitate both cross-disciplinary interaction and further integration of the study of pseudepigrapha within biblical studies.

Call for papers: The Pseudepigrapha section is accepting proposals and especially encourages papers which take up the theme of pilgrimage, travelogue or movement. In 2019, we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Pseudepigrapha Section with a panel discussion on past, present, and future developments in the field. The Section hosts also a review of J. C. VanderKam, Jubilees: A Commentary in Two Volumes (Hermeneia; Fortress, 2018). Finally, along with the Enoch Seminar, the Pseudepigrapha Section hosts a discussion about the specific ways the study of Second Temple Judaism can be carried forward on the basis of the forthcoming T&T Clark Encyclopedia of Second Temple Judaism (edited by D. Gurtner and L. Stuckenbruck).

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Psychology and Biblical Studies

prof. Flavia Soldano Deheza
Heather A. McKay
Description: The objectives of the Psychology and Biblical Studies Seminar are (i) to provide a forum for developing the future agenda of "psychological criticism" within Biblical Studies; (ii) to assess the significance of these approaches for ongoing Biblical research, exegesis, and interpretation, and (iii) from time to time to to present an historical-critical overview of "psychological" approaches to scripture. As always, we request that reference to the biblical languages be included where relevant.

Call for papers: Our current long-term theme is Facing Life's Crises: Reading Biblical Texts from a Psychological Perspective, and this year's particular focus is on issues around Maturity, Marriage and Adulthood as depicted in the Bible. As always, we require that a named psychologist or psychological theory or approach be included in the paper and the abstract and request that reference to the biblical languages be included where relevant. Anyone on our emailing list (Friends of PsyBibs) will be circulated with the accepted papers in advance of the Meeting, where they will be briefly summarised and then discussed in earnest by all present. Anyone else wishing to receive the papers should email the Chair in order to join the emailing list.

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Q

Giovanni Battista Bazzana
Sarah E. Rollens
Description: The Q Section offers a forum for research on the “Sayings Gospel” Q. Since Q provides access to earliest Jesus tradition and to the theology and social history of Jewish Christianity, the Q Section integrates a broad variety of issues and methods. The Q Section website is http://neues-testament.uni-graz.at/de/forschen/internationales-q-projekt/sbl-q-section.

Call for papers: The Q unit is pleased to feature three sessions at the 2019 meeting:

1. One panel will offer a book review discussion of two recent books on Q: Sara Parks’ Women in Q: Gender in the Rhetoric of Jesus (Fortress Press, 2019) and Markus Tiwald’s Kommentar zur Logienquelle (Kohlhammer, 2019); reviewers for the panel will be invited (both books will be reviewed in English).

2. A second panel will be devoted to the provocative topic of Gender Demographics in Q Studies; participants will also be invited, but we warmly invite audience members to partake in the discussion with us after the panelists give their initial remarks.

3. Finally, as always, we will reserve a third session as an Open Session, for which we invite proposals on any aspect of research on Q.

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Qumran

Daniel Machiela
Alison Schofield
Description: The Qumran Section of the SBL provides an equal-opportunity forum for presentation and discussion of views relating to the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Qumran settlement, and the people of that place and of those documents. The Qumran Section has three goals: (1) It provides a forum for scholarly discussion of any aspect of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the material culture of Qumran, and the history, literature, and worldviews of the people associated with them. (2) It encourages new discussions and new approaches in the field of Dead Sea Scrolls studies. (3) It strives for integrating the study of the Dead Sea Scrolls with other fields of biblical and related studies.

Call for papers: The Qumran Section has three goals. (1) It provides a forum for scholarly discussion of any aspect of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the material culture of Qumran, and the history, literature, and worldviews of the people associated with them. (2) It encourages new discussions and new approaches in the field of Dead Sea Scrolls studies. (3) It strives for integrating the study of the Dead Sea Scrolls with other fields of biblical and related studies. In 2019 the Section will host one invited session on topics related to the History and Future of Scholarship on the Dead Sea Scrolls. Invited papers will be devoted to the ways in which scholarly approaches and areas of interest have shaped discourse on the Scrolls in the past, influence where we are at present, and suggest future paths of research. A joint session of the Qumran and Biblical Law Sections will present invited papers on how the Qumran authors interpreted laws dealing with the temple and cult. Of particular interest, the panel will explore similarities and differences in halakha related to the cult vis-a-vis other systems of legal interpretation in ancient Judaism. In addition, we welcome proposals for two additional open call sessions. We commit ourselves to balance senior and junior voices. In order to maximize opportunities for presenters, scholars should not present more than two years in succession. This restriction does not apply to invited papers.

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Qur'an and Biblical Literature

Walid Saleh
Description: Recent scholarship recognizes the need for dialogue and cooperation in understanding the relationship of the Bible and biblical literature to the Qur'an and Muslim exegesis. The aim of this unit is to encourage scholars to consider the importance of the Qur'an and Muslim exegesis for understanding the Bible and its interpretation, and vice-versa.

Call for papers: Recent scholarship recognizes the need for dialogue and cooperation in understanding the relationship of the Bible and biblical literature to the Qur'an and Muslim exegesis. The aim of this unit is to encourage scholars to consider the importance of the Qur'an and Muslim exegesis for understanding the Bible and its interpretation, and vice-versa.

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Qur’anic Studies: Methodology and Hermeneutics (IQSA)

Feras Hamza
Karen Bauer
Description: This unit aims to understand and contextualise the methods and hermeneutics applied to the Qur’anic text, both historical and contemporary. The Methodology and Hermeneutics unit addresses questions that might implicitly govern other units, such as: what is Qur’anic Studies, and how does the study of the Qur’an differ from the study of its interpretation? What are the methodological differences between descriptive and normative approaches to the text? How does context (intellectual, social, ethical, historical) affect hermeneutical approaches to the text? The unit welcomes papers addressed to the hermeneutics and methods of particular schools of interpretation or thought, and also on hermeneutics as applied to specific subjects or concepts such as social justice and gender.

Call for papers: This unit aims to understand and contextualise the methods and hermeneutics applied to the Qur’anic text, both historical and contemporary. The Methodology and Hermeneutics unit addresses questions that might implicitly govern other units, such as: What is Qur’anic Studies, and how does the study of the Qur’an differ from the study of its interpretation? What are the methodological differences between descriptive and normative approaches to the text? How does context (intellectual, social, ethical, historical) affect hermeneutical approaches to the text? The unit welcomes papers addressed to the hermeneutics and methods of particular schools of interpretation or thought, and also on hermeneutics as applied to specific subjects or concepts such as social justice and gender. This year the Methodology and Hermeneutics unit additionally invites submissions with a special focus on European hermeneutics and the Qur’an. The predominantly European tradition of 20th century hermeneutics that is exemplified by such seminal figures as Dilthey, Heidegger, Bultmann, Gadamer, Tillich, and Ricoeur has produced a rich and sustained inquiry into the possibilities of an epistemology of, and an interpretive methodology for, “the text.” Interrogating the very relationship between the reader and the text, this hermeneutical tradition has offered insights into the nature of language, readership, reception, discourse as event, interpretive predispositions, and “worlds” opened up by the text. To what extent do these insights have implications for our understanding of the Qur’an? What insights from the European tradition have had resonance with scholars of the Qur’an, and have prior attempts to incorporate such insights been successful?

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Racism, Pedagogy, and Biblical Studies

Tat-siong Benny Liew
Shelly Matthews
Description: This consultation will focus on strategies for addressing racism in the process of teaching and learning biblical studies. Presentations and discussions will deal with racist assumptions and practices at curricular, institutional, disciplinary, and meta-theoretical levels, as well as with respect to reading or use of specific biblical texts.

Call for papers:

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Reading, Theory, and the Bible

Jay Twomey
Robert Paul Seesengood
Description: The Reading, Theory, and the Bible Section provides a forum to encourage innovative and experimental approaches to biblical studies, to facilitate critical reflection on the role of theory in reading, and to support biblical scholarship informed by cross-disciplinary conversation.

Call for papers: Reading, Theory, and the Bible is hosting two panels at the 2019 Annual Meeting. The first will explore the possibilities afforded biblical studies by the constellation of concepts and approaches known variously as: the new materialism, speculative realism, and object-oriented ontology. We welcome papers that engage theorists such as Karen Barad, Jane Bennett, Ian Bogost, Graham Harman and others (including those, like Judith Butler, William Connolly, and Brian Massumi, whose recent works reflect similar interests) in the study of biblical texts. For our second panel we invite papers exploring any other innovative and experimental approaches to biblical studies, especially those involving recent trends in theory.

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Recovering Female Interpreters of the Bible

Joy Schroeder
Description: This unit focuses on the recovery of work by female biblical interpreters before the twentieth century who wrote from various faith and ideological standpoints. These female interpreters will be considered in their cultural and historical contexts, with the intention of analyzing their neglected contributions to the study of biblical literature.

Call for papers: 1) Open session: “Women Biblical Interpreters in a Man’s World.” In 1894, Anna Ely Rhoads (1862-1943) was the first woman invited to become a member of the Society of Biblical Literature and Exegesis (SBL’s original name). She was joined in 1897 by Emilie Grace Briggs, uncredited author of entries in the magisterial Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon co-edited by her father. Other women SBL members followed, such as Mary Emma Woolley (joined 1898) and Louise Pettibone Smith, the first woman to publish an article in the Journal of Biblical Literature (1917). For this open session, which commemorates the 125th anniversary of the first woman to join SBL, we invite papers on the struggles and achievements of historical female interpreters through the ages (late antiquity through the opening decades of the 20th century), including, but not limited to, early members of SBL and other scholarly societies. 2) Our second session will be a special session commemorating the 125th anniversary, with invited panelists telling the stories of women’s contributions to biblical studies. 3) The third session will be a review of Amanda Benckhuysen’s The Gospel According to Eve: A History of Women’s Interpretation (InterVarsity Press), with invited panelists.

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Redescribing Christian Origins

Matthew C. Baldwin
Robyn Faith Walsh
Description: The Seminar contributes to the study of Christian origins by problematizing current consensus views, unexamined assumptions, and categories. It recontextualizes and redescribes key data through comparative analysis. It accounts for (i.e., explains) the production and continued function of cultural artefacts (mainly texts but not entirely) in terms of social theory.

Call for papers: Redescription in Retrospect and Prospect. Continuing the conversation started last year (“Redescribing Christian Origins 30 Years after A Myth of Innocence”), in 2019 we seek papers engaging the spectrum of work on the “Redescribing” project over the past 24 years. We will host two sessions: one focused on theory and method, the other on specific examples from early Christianity. Session One: The Redescribing Project in Retrospect and Prospect. Papers will: • Critically engage the contributions of past scholars from the “Redescribing” project: e.g. Burton Mack, Ron Cameron, Merrill P. Miller, Barry Crawford, Jonathan Z. Smith, etc.—see the three volumes of collected Redescribing seminar papers (SBL Symposium Series #8 & SBL Early Christianity and its Literature #s 5 & 22). • Examine the ongoing “Redescribing” project in light of the recent work of Stanley K. Stowers on the study of religion. Session Two: Myth, Memory, and Community in Earliest Christianity. The study of early Christianity— and the texts that have come to represent it— continues to be steeped in frameworks inherited from Romanticism, an influence evident in the often idiosyncratic use of concepts such as “memory,” “orality,” “experience,” “community,” “diversity” and others. We seek papers which: • Critique scholarly conceptions of “community” and “diversity” among the earliest “Christianities.” • Critique work on “cultural memory” and historical representation in scholarship on Jesus and early Christianity. • Rethink chronology and the canonical Gospels: early or late dating, and the difference it makes. • Redescribe mechanisms of social formation and mythmaking in earliest Christianity. For a printable version of this CFP: see HERE

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Religion and Philosophy in Late Antiquity

Roshan Abraham
Todd Krulak
Description: This unit seeks to investigate how Christian, Jewish, and “pagan” intellectuals engaged with the concepts, questions, and writings of ancient philosophy in order to understand better the interconnections of “religion” and “philosophy” in late antiquity and to reassess the usefulness of those categories.

Call for papers: For our second year, we will be hosting our seminar and co-sponsoring two additional sessions. For the seminar, we will have invited papers, which will be made available prior to the 2019 meeting. For more information about the seminar, contact relphil.lateantique@gmail.com. (2). Astrology, Philosophy, Religion. In antiquity, astrology elicited strong and diverse opinions. To some it was a philosophical praxis allowing the soul to imitate the divine order; to others, it was the work of demons, designed to keep human beings from God. We invite proposals that address astrology as a locus of philosophical or religious competition in late antiquity. Co-sponsored with "Religious Competition in Late Antiquity." (3) An invited session on Michael Swartz's The Mechanics of Providence: The Workings of Ancient Jewish Magic and Mysticism (Mohr Siebeck, 2018). This session is co-sponsored by Gnosticism, Esotericism, and Mysticism in Antiquity, and History and Literature of Early Rabbinic Judaism.”

Tags: Church History and Ecclesiology (Other), Greece and Hellenism (History & Culture), Religio-Historical Approaches (Interpretive Approaches)

Religious Competition in Late Antiquity

Gregg E. Gardner
Rebecca Stephens Falcasantos
Description: This unit analyzes the competition between diverse socioreligious and philosophical groups of the ancient Mediterranean basin through the development of broadly comparative approaches and methodologies. It delineates the ways in which competitive interaction reshaped cultural and religious landscapes.

Call for papers: The Religious Competition in Late Antiquity Program Unit will host four sessions: (1) Post-70 CE forms of leadership: In conjunction with the History and Literature of Early Rabbinic Judaism program unit, we invite proposals for papers on forms of leadership in Jewish and Christian communities that emerged in the centuries following the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE. We are especially interested in papers that discuss competition surrounding forms and conceptions of leadership and how the dynamics of competition are reflected in and refracted by the sources from the era, including early rabbinic literature, writings of early Christian authors, and material culture. (2) Astrology, Philosophy, and Religion: The second session is organized jointly with the Seminar on Philosophy and Religion in Late Antiquity. In antiquity, astrology elicited strong and diverse opinions. To some it was a philosophical praxis allowing the soul to imitate the divine order; to others, it was the work of demons, designed to keep human beings from God. We invite proposals that address astrology as a locus of philosophical or religious competition in late antiquity. (3) Competition, Conflict, Violence: What distinguishes competition from conflict? Under what conditions does competition shade into conflict, and what role does violence or the threat of violence play in negotiating distinctions between competition and conflict? For this session, we invite proposals examining instances of religious conflict from the ancient near east through late antiquity that engage these questions, particularly those that focus on the ownership of bodies, texts, and space. (4) Open call: For our fourth session, we invite paper proposals on all aspects of religious competition in late antiquity. We invite proposals on competitive interactions between different social and religious groups in the ancient Mediterranean basin, and/or how this competition reshaped cultural and religious landscapes.

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Religious Experience in Antiquity

Catherine Playoust
Frederick S. Tappenden
Description: This section investigates the experiential elements of religions from the ancient near east to late antiquity, with a particular interest in examining (1) the relationship between texts and experience, (2) religious practices in the context of ritual, prayer, ecstasy, dreams and visions, 3) the role of embodied experiences (cognitive, neurological, and sensory) in the generation of religious ideas and commitment.

Call for papers: The Religious Experience in Antiquity unit invites paper proposals for one of its three sessions at the 2019 SBL meeting. Our first session is an open call on the theme: “The Performance of Religious Experiences.” We especially welcome proposals that focus on the performative aspects of religious experience, or on the ways that performances both reflect and/or idealise religious experiences. Other proposals within the scope of our program unit will also be considered. All proposals should specify the texts or other material artifacts under discussion and include a clear methodological perspective. Innovative approaches are most welcome. The second session will consist of invited papers to review Meredith Warren’s monograph, “Food and Transformation in Ancient Mediterranean Literature” (WGRWSup; SBL Press, 2019). The third session will consist of invited papers on the theme, “Experiencing Demonic Beings”.

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Religious World of Late Antiquity

Moulie Vidas
Todd Berzon
Description: A forum for scholars working comparatively and thematically in the period and regions in which Christianity, Judaism, Manichaeism, and Islam formed within a rich environment of other religious traditions, where norms of authority, belief, practice, and identity were contested and settled.

Call for papers: This year the Religious World of Late Antiquity will host three sessions. The first, co-sponsored with the Social History of Formative Judaism and Christianity, is an open call for graduate students who are currently writing dissertations about any dimension of late antiquity that uses a comparative methodology. We are specifically interested in papers that discuss how students are thinking with and about comparison in their research. How do you discuss comparison in your work? What sorts of evidence are you comparing? What makes for a useful comparison? Are there theories of comparison from which you draw? The session will function as a forum in which graduate students can discuss not only “what” they are comparing, but also “how” they are doing so. Presenters will be given 15 minutes and be paired with a respondent. The second, a pre-invited panel called “Experimentation in late Antiquity,” will ask what kinds of things we can describe and classify as late ancient experiments. The final session is a completely OPEN CALL for papers about any aspect of the religious world of late antiquity.

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Rhetoric and Early Christianity

Lillian I. Larsen
Davina C. Lopez
Description: This section has historically explored the continuously-evolving field of rhetorical criticism of the New Testament in all its diversity. Marking a slight shift in focus, 'Rhetoric and Early Christianity' will extend RNT's refined critical lens to address a broader spectrum of source material.

Call for papers: The Rhetoric and New Testament Section acknowledges that, given our current socio-political climate and discursive landscape, the study of rhetoric and biblical literature is as highly relevant as ever. To this end, we call for proposals centering on several themes at the 2019 annual meeting. All approaches to the study of rhetoric and the New Testament will be considered. Proposals that focus on the question of why the study of rhetoric and the New Testament matters now will be particularly welcome. FIRST: We seek proposals concerning “rhetorics of history and historiography,” broadly conceived. For this session, papers that consider the interplay of ancient and modern discourses, contexts, and deployments will be especially welcome. SECOND: We will co-sponsor a session with the Ancient Fiction section for which we invite proposals on “ancient fictional letters,” specifically addressing the way these letters incorporate the principles of rhetoric. THIRD: We will host a review session of M. Parsons and M. Martin, Ancient Rhetoric and the New Testament (Baylor, 2018); participants for this session have been invited. FINALLY, as usual we invite proposals dealing with various aspects of the intersection of the study of rhetoric and the New Testament.

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Rhetoric of Religious Antiquity

Bart B. Bruehler
Robert H. von Thaden, Jr.
Description: The Rhetoric of Religious Antiquity Seminar provides a forum for collegial work on the Rhetoric of Religious Antiquity Commentary Series, and for the public exploration of facets of sociorhetorical interpretation that promise to contribute to the work of biblical scholars not directly associated with the project.

Call for papers: The Rhetoric of Religious Antiquity Seminar provides a forum for collegial work exploring religious texts of the ancient Mediterranean using sociorhetorical interpretation as an analytical framework. We value input from those familiar with sociorehtorical interpretation and active engagement with scholars from a variety of content areas and interpretive approaches. In 2019, we will be holding three sessions. In Track 1: New Horizons in Sociorhetorical Interpretation, we will continue our look at the sublime as part of ancient rhetoric by considering the experience of terror more specifically. In Track 2: Refining Sociorhetorical Interpretation, a panel of presenters from different disciplines will address the role of mental images and embodied experience in dialogue with the analysis of rhetography in sociorhetorical interpretation. This session is co-sponsored with our colleagues in Senses, Cultures, and Biblical Worlds. Track 3 is the Sociorhetorical Analytical Seminar, which demonstrates in-depth commentary work using the sociorhetorical analytic, especially for those who are unfamiliar with the approach. Duane Watson will lead an exploration of 1 Peter for this session.

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Ritual in the Biblical World

Daniel Belnap
Jason T. Lamoreaux
Description: The Ritual in the Biblical World Section focuses on the nature, meaning and function of ritual found in textual sources (HB, NT, non-canonical) in the larger context of the material culture of the ancient world, employing insights and methods of the field of ritual theory and enthnography.

Call for papers: The Ritual in the Biblical World section will offer three sessions in the upcoming 2019 annual meeting. 1) The first session is open for proposals on the topic of "Ritual and Epistemology", which will explore the relationship between ritual and knowledge (ritual as knowledge acquisition, how does one "know" in a ritual, ritual as didactic tool, etc.). 2) The second session will be an open session. We encourage those of you working on rituals in texts and iconography to consider proposing to this session which will offer a forum for discussing theory and methods in the field of ritual studies in the world of the Bible, i.e. OT/NT/DSS/ Christianity and Judaism in Late Antiquity. 3) The third session will be a book review with the Meals in the Greco-Roman world section. The books are: T & T Clark Handbook to Early Christian Meals (eds. Soham Al-Suadi, Peter-Ben Smith). The other is the Oxford Handbook of Early Christian Ritual (eds. Risto Uro et.al.). In particular, the review will note the similarities and differences between how a ritual lens shapes what one sees in meals and what one sees in rituals.

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Scripture and Paul

A. Andrew Das
Dr. Linda L. Belleville
Description: The intent of this seminar is to provide a forum for a group of Jewish Scripture and Pauline scholars to examine Paul’s use of Scripture in light of text-critical and scholarly advances regarding second temple literary use of Scripture. It is the intent of this seminar to work toward the resolution of scholarly gridlock concerning the way the apostle Paul interpreted and applied the Jewish Scriptures.

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Second Corinthians: Pauline Theology in the Making

Dominika A. Kurek-Chomycz
Steven Kraftchick
Description: Existing Pauline Theologies are either based on the ripe fruit of Paul’s theologizing in Romans (e.g., J. Dunn) or give a synthesis of theological themes across the board of Paul’s letters. The focus of this Seminar is how Paul develops his theology in his second letter to the Corinthians. We shall trace aspects of his theology on a trajectory from their very beginning in concrete historical situations and compare them to their reuse in more abstract contexts. Attention will also be given to their potential pre-Christian or early Christian pre-history and their post-history in what has been called the Pauline school. The main focus will be on the way concrete historical circumstances shaped the genesis of certain theological themes and how they changed when new circumstances arose or when the link to concrete circumstances got lost. Each theological theme will therefore primarily be studied in its epistolary context of 2 Corinthians and in light of the historical situation in which it was developed. The comparison with other letters is not intended to create one unified Pauline theology, but rather, in the contrast with other instances, to understand better the specifics of the theme under study.

Call for papers: For the 2019 Annual Meeting, the Second Corinthians: Pauline Theology in the Making Seminar is planning two sessions. (1) A panel on any section, theological idea or argument in 2 Corinthians, along the lines of the goals of the seminar. We encourage especially papers on passages which have not been treated in any of the papers presented in this seminar thus far, but contributions re-visiting themes or passages already discussed are also welcome. (2) A panel of invited speakers who will approach the question of Paul’s theology/theologising, and what we consider to be Paul’s voice, from different perspectives. These will include interpreting 2 Corinthians as a unity, presupposing that theological themes developed in the letter attest to Paul’s “historical” voice; as a compilation – where the “voice” of the compilers prevails, resulting in a divergence between Paul’s “literary” and “historical” voice; and finally, discussing the status of 2 Corinthians as the source of contemporary theological efforts, thus Paul’s “voice” heard in the present, including the legitimacy and hermeneutical issues involved in using Paul’s text as an impetus to pursue the Pauline argument to a deeper level, well beyond that of the historical Paul.

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Senses, Cultures, and Biblical Worlds

Dr. Rabbi Barat Ellman
Dominika A. Kurek-Chomycz
Description: This interdisciplinary unit investigates all aspects of sensory perception in the Bible and early Judaism and Christianity, including how various cultures thought about, used, and ascribed meaning to the senses. The unit embraces diverse approaches to the study of the senses, including philological, anthropological, psychological, linguistic, cognitive, literary, and phenomenological methods.

Call for papers: We will hold THREE jointly sponsored sessions in 2019. FIRST: With Healthcare and Disability in the Ancient World & Violence and Representations of Violence, we plan a session on The Experience of Pain: Body, Sense, and Violence. This session especially invites papers exploring the following: a) whether pain is construed as a separate sense, or as part of touch, what role tactility (the capacity of touching or being touched) plays in the experience of pain, but also how pain relates to and/or affects, other senses; b) how the experience of pain shapes the body and the self, either in relation to the making of an individual pain narrative, changing the body physically (scarring, illness, disability), or the way in which pain is distinct from questions of identity around illness and disability c) how the experience or threat of pain effects social interaction between self and other, especially the fact that pain is often accompanied by discourses or practices of violence. SECOND: With Prayer in Antiquity, we invite proposals for a session on how sensory perception is described and experienced in early Jewish and early Christian prayers, and on the impact of the material environment on the senses during prayer. Papers are invited to engage one or more of the following questions: How do prayers use language about the senses to express how ancient communities thought about or ascribed meaning to the senses, and what can this tell us about their social and cultural practices pertaining to the senses? Also what does this convey about their theologies and beliefs concerning the divine? What impact did material objects and space have on the sensory experiences accompanying prayer? THIRD: With Rhetoric of Religious Antiquity, we will host a panel on Refining Sociorhetorical Interpretation, in which presenters from different disciplines will address the role of mental images and embodied experience in dialogue with the analysis of rhetography in sociorhetorical interpretation.

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Slavery, Resistance, and Freedom

Bernadette Brooten
Emerson B. Powery
Description: This unit will investigate the intersections between Ancient Near Eastern and Mediterranean slavery and biblical and early rabbinic texts, the diverse forms of resistance to it, and the meaning of freedom in slave-holding societies. Presenters will also examine how Jews and Christians—free, freed, and enslaved—have interpreted biblical texts on slavery and freedom and will propose how to “read for freedom.”

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Social History of Formative Christianity and Judaism

Chris de Wet
Philippa Townsend
Description: This section is dedicated to a study of formative Christianity and formative Judaism utilizing a broad methodological perspective that places an emphasis on interpreting the data within specific social, cultural, and linguistic contexts. We function as a clearinghouse for developments in social historical methodology and perspectives for our period. (previously Social History of Early Christianity)

Call for papers: The unit plans to have two open call sessions accepting papers at the 2019 meeting, accompanied by two book review panels. 1) The first open session builds on the 2018 Annual Meeting session on incarceration in late antiquity. This session is interested in papers looking at “Aftermaths of Incarceration”; papers exploring issues such as theoretical and definitional aspects of ancient incarceration, ancient policing and the control and management of incarceration, and the social, cultural, political, psychological, and religious effects/implications of incarceration in antiquity. 2) A session co-sponsored with the Religious World of Late Antiquity unit, which is an open call for graduate students who are currently writing dissertations about any dimension of late antiquity that uses a comparative methodology. The session will function as a forum in which graduate students can discuss not only “what” they are comparing, but also “how” they are doing so. Presenters will be given 15 minutes and be paired with a respondent. 3) A book review panel with invited participants, asking: What can the study of graffiti offer scholars of religion and social history? In this panel discussion, we foreground the potential rewards of incorporating ancient graffiti into our research through a discussion of Karen Stern’s Writing on the Wall: Graffiti and the Forgotten Jews of Antiquity. Scholars of Judaism, Christianity, and Mediterranean religion, culture, and archaeology will benefit from attention to this neglected source of evidence and the methodologies necessary to make use of it. 4) A book review panel on the Dublin Kephalaia, “The Chapters of the Wisdom of My Lord Mani, Part III: Pages 343-442 (Chapters 321-347)”, Iain Gardner, Jason BeDuhn, and Paul Dilley (eds.), Brill, 2018. The scholars invited to review this volume will focus on the new historical, social, and philological perspectives brought by the recovery, edition, and translation of the Dublin Kephalaia.

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Social Sciences and the Interpretation of the Hebrew Scriptures

Jon L. Berquist
Dr. Katherine Southwood
Description: This quintessentially interdisciplinary unit combines the skills that are unique to classic biblical scholarship with exciting and vibrant conversations and developments from disciplines in the social sciences, including anthropology, sociology, psychology, and political science.

Call for papers: How can Medical Anthropology and Sociology be used in Biblical Studies? Since the publication of John Pilch’s Healing in the New Testament : insights from medical and Mediterranean anthropology, nearly twenty years ago, little scholarly attention has been devoted to the ways that the disciplines of medical anthropology and sociology can assist biblical exegesis. This panel encourages participants to engage with Pilch’s work but also to go beyond the parameters within which he worked. How might new scholarship in these disciplines be utilised, going beyond Pilch’s main interlocutors Kleinman (The Illness Narratives: Suffering, Healing, And The Human Condition) and Good (Medicine, Rationality and Experience: An Anthropological Perspective)? How do new methods in these areas contribute to Hebrew Bible/ Old Testament scholarship and scholarship in outside of the biblical material? This panel will have some invited senior scholars but the call for papers will remain open with a view to attracting some interesting new ideas from several less senior academics. The panel welcomes papers from the overlapping area of disability studies but the focus should primarily be on Medical Anthropology and Sociology. We also welcome proposals for papers in an open session: the section is a dynamic program segment of the SBL that provides a welcoming forum for investigation of the social world of ancient Israel. The section particularly encourages papers utilizing methods and theories from the social sciences for the interpretation of the Hebrew Scriptures.

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Social Scientific Criticism of the New Testament

Dr. Erin K. Vearncombe
Sarah E. Rollens
Description: The Social Scientific Criticism of the New Testament Section program encourages the self-conscious employment of recognized models, methods, or theories of the social sciences in order to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the texts and social world of the New Testament.

Call for papers: The Social Scientific Criticism of the New Testament Unit is happy to offer three sessions in 2019:

1. One of our sessions will be modeled on the format of the Context Group meetings, in which pre-circulated papers are discussed in a seminar format, with a formal response, followed by discussion with the audience. Some papers will be invited, but we are also accepting proposals for this session related to any aspect of the social-scientific study of the New Testament. Participants must agree to have their paper prepared for pre-circulation to discussants by November 1, 2019.

2. We will also feature a second session, thematically focused on Pain, Suffering, and Disability. We invite proposals that relate to this theme, and preference will be given to those that explicitly engage with social-scientific theories or frameworks.

3. And finally, as always, we will feature an Open Session, for which we enthusiastically invite any proposals related to any aspect of the social-scientific study of the New Testament.

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Society for Ancient Mediterranean Religions

Nancy A. Evans
Description: This new group is devoted to the study of the religions of the ancient Mediterranean basin broadly conceived. The Society for Ancient Mediterranean Religions aims to focus particular attention on the polytheistic religious traditions of Greece, Rome and the Near East, their interaction with each other, and with the monotheistic religious traditions of the region. Please visit out website (www.samreligions.org) for further information.

Call for papers: SAMR invites abstracts for 2 sessions. 1. MAGIC The term “religion” has come under close scrutiny recently (Nongbri, Barton/Boyarin). Brill’s forthcoming Guide to the Study of Ancient Magic, ed. David Frankfurter, similarly challenges the term magic. Is the term/category of magic useful in the study of ancient ritual practices? Can it be “re-claimed” or re-defined so that it more adequately describes ancient practice? Or, is it simply too normative, too biased? SAMR seeks papers that: explore other terms for supposedly ambiguous or illegitimate ritual, or that propose additional definitions of “magic” that uncouple the magic-religion dichotomy, or that argue that such attempts are impossible; challenge the premise that the rituals and specialists that scholars have labelled ‘magic’ were indeed those imagined as ambiguous or illegitimate in their historical/cultural worlds; investigate the validity of the category of “magic” through an analysis of the modern corpora of so-called “magical” texts. 2. DEDICATIONS (votives) can be seen in contexts that stretch from antiquity to today, inviting generations of scholars to consider how these offerings reflected relationships between the human and the divine and shaped the experiences of visitors in sacred spaces. SAMR invites papers that investigate ancient dedicatory practices. What new methodological approaches benefit our treatments of votives? What does it mean to consider an object a dedication/votive? Are there boundaries to what we consider a dedication, and if so how are these boundaries constructed in different times and places? How do the placement and organization of dedications at cult sites transform their meaning? Does the proper manufacture of dedication ensure their efficacy? How do dedications exert agency? In what ways do dedications offer insight into "lived religion" in antiquity? How can tracing a dedication’s cultural biography offer insights for the study of dedications more generally?

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Society for Comparative Research on Iconic and Performative Texts

James W. Watts
Description: The Society for Comparative Research on Iconic and Performative Texts (SCRIPT) was founded in 2010 to encourage new scholarship on iconic and performative texts. Our goal is to foster academic discourse about the social functions of books and texts that exceed their semantic meaning and interpretation, such as their display as cultural artifacts, their ritual use in religious and political ceremonies, their performance by recitation and theater, and their depiction in art. SCRIPT sponsors programming at existing regional and international scholarly meetings and at colleges and universities. We welcome new members and ideas for programs and venues to host them. For further information, see http://script-site.net/.

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Society for the Arts in Religious and Theological Studies (SARTS)

Cindi Beth Johnson
Jennifer Awes Freeman
Description: The Society was organized to provide a forum for scholars and artists interested in the intersections between theology, religion, and the arts, to share thoughts, challenge ideas, strategize approaches in the classroom, and to advance the discipline in theological and religious studies curricula. The goal of the Society is to attract consistent participation of a core group of artists and scholars of theology and religion in order to have dialogue about the theological and religious meaning of the arts, and the artistic/aesthetic dimension of theological and religious inquiry.

Call for papers: The Society was organized to provide a forum for scholars and artists interested in the intersections between theology, religion, and the arts, to share thoughts, challenge ideas, strategize approaches in the classroom, and to advance the discipline in theological and religious studies curricula. The goal of the Society is to attract consistent participation of a core group of artists and scholars of theology and religion in order to have dialogue about the theological and religious meaning of the arts, and the artistic/aesthetic dimension of theological and religious inquiry.

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Søren Kierkegaard Society

Kyle Roberts
Description: The purpose of Søren Kierkegaard Society (SKS) is to encourage study and discussion of the thought of Søren Kierkegaard in all its dimensions and ramifications, including its sources and influences. Affiliated with the American Academy of Religion (AAR), Society of Biblical Literature (SBL), and the American Philosophical Association (APA), the Society alternates its annual business meeting between AAR/SBL and APA conventions. The Society encourages scholarship on Kierkegaard at the national and regional meetings of the AAR/SBL and APA through an Executive Committee which includes members of both organizations.

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Space, Place, and Lived Experience in Antiquity

Eric Smith
Jaime L. Waters
Description: This unit seeks to engage diverse methodological and theoretical perspectives on social practices in antiquity as mediated through place or larger spatial frameworks. Presentations exploring the creation, use, or understanding of space or place through material remains and/or texts are welcome.

Call for papers: For the 2019 annual meeting in San Diego, the Space, Place, and Lived Experience in Antiquity program unit invites proposals for one open session. To coincide with the host city and its proximity to the Pacific Ocean, we welcome proposals on the roles of oceans or seas as real, literary, or imagined spaces in ancient texts. We encourage engagement with critical spatial theory to analyze these spaces. Papers on any aspect of space, place, or lived experience in antiquity will also be considered. We will also host three invited panels: 1) a panel on theological perspectives on sacred spaces in the Hebrew Bible, co-sponsored with the Theology of the Hebrew Scriptures unit, 2) a panel on modern replicas of ancient spaces, 3) a book review on Jill Hicks-Keeton and Cavan Concannon, eds. The Museum of the Bible: A Critical Introduction (Lexington 2019).

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Student Advisory Board

Joshua M. Matson
Sarah F. Porter
Description: SAB functions as a Board within the Society’s governance structure, and as such is composed of appointed individuals, both student members of the Society and a faculty liaison, who work to advise the SBL Council regarding issues and opportunities relating to student membership and participation in the Society as a whole. SAB also has as its core mandate the coordination of student participation across all Society activities, committees, and programs in an effort to foster opportunities for student participation and leadership development. In order to achieve this mandate, SAB works to encourage student attendance and active participation at regional, national, and international congresses, with a focus on paper presentations and professional skills development; to link SBL student membership to effective, working resources for skills advancement, facilitated through the development and maintenance of communication tools such as a webpage and newsletter and to provide support in the development, review and evaluation of SBL policies and procedures as relating to student membership and participation and to make recommendations, where appropriate, to SBL Council on these matters. See more at https://www.sbl-site.org/SBLcommittees_SAB.aspx.

Call for papers: SAB functions as a Board within the Society’s governance structure, and as such is composed of appointed individuals, both student members of the Society and a faculty liaison, who work to advise the SBL Council regarding issues and opportunities relating to student membership and participation in the Society as a whole. SAB also has as its core mandate the coordination of student participation across all Society activities, committees, and programs in an effort to foster opportunities for student participation and leadership development. In order to achieve this mandate, SAB works to encourage student attendance and active participation at regional, national, and international congresses, with a focus on paper presentations and professional skills development; to link SBL student membership to effective, working resources for skills advancement, facilitated through the development and maintenance of communication tools such as a webpage and newsletter and to provide support in the development, review and evaluation of SBL policies and procedures as relating to student membership and participation and to make recommendations, where appropriate, to SBL Council on these matters. See more at https://www.sbl-site.org/SBLcommittees_SAB.aspx.

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Study of Religion Across Civilizations

Younus Mirza
Description: The Study of Religions Across Civilizations was created in order to foster the exchange of cultural and religious learning between the English and Arabic speaking worlds. Based out of the Department of Theology at Georgetown University, we have helped scholars of religion and theology travel between the United States and Morocco in order to help build intercultural understanding regarding various religious groups. In the past, before we were incorporated, we were funded by various other private and governmental organizations. At this time, we arranged two trips to bring young American and European scholars to the Islamic world, and also on one occasion brought young Arab scholars to the United States. Frank and open discussions of our various religious traditions were given in both English and Arabic, in hopes of encouraging understanding and friendship, if not always agreement. Right now, we are starting to work to find funding for future trips. In the foreseeable future, these will be trips between Western students of religion and theology with application open to students from both American and European universities” - and their counterparts at Muhammad V University in Rabat, Morocco. As these programs have thus far been quite successful, in the less immediate future we will be looking for opportunities to conduct similar programs with other cultural and religious scholars from other universities. For more information on our present and future plans, please visit our website at religionsacrosscivilizations.org.

Call for papers: The Study of Religions Across Civilizations was created in order to foster the exchange of cultural and religious learning between the English and Arabic speaking worlds. Based out of the Department of Theology at Georgetown University, we have helped scholars of religion and theology travel between the United States and Morocco in order to help build intercultural understanding regarding various religious groups. In the past, before we were incorporated, we were funded by various other private and governmental organizations. At this time, we arranged two trips to bring young American and European scholars to the Islamic world, and also on one occasion brought young Arab scholars to the United States. Frank and open discussions of our various religious traditions were given in both English and Arabic, in hopes of encouraging understanding and friendship, if not always agreement. Right now, we are starting to work to find funding for future trips. In the foreseeable future, these will be trips between Western students of religion and theology with application open to students from both American and European universities” - and their counterparts at Muhammad V University in Rabat, Morocco. As these programs have thus far been quite successful, in the less immediate future we will be looking for opportunities to conduct similar programs with other cultural and religious scholars from other universities. For more information on our present and future plans, please visit our website at religionsacrosscivilizations.org.

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Synoptic Gospels

Elizabeth Shively
Stephen C. Carlson
Description: The Synoptic Gospels as a unit plays an important role in modern scholarship, including, but not limited to, generating debate about the relationships among the gospels. This section provides a forum for the discussion of papers from a variety of theoretical perspectives and critical methods on the content and formation of the Synoptic Gospels and what they reveal about the contexts of their composition.

Call for papers: The Synoptic Gospels section invites proposals for its open sessions on the content or formation of any of the Synoptic Gospels. We are interested especially in papers that address the relationship between two or more of the Gospels or that deal with themes touching on multiple Gospels. We also invite proposals for an open session on neglected solutions to the Synoptic Problem. In addition, we will co-sponsor three invited sessions: John's potential use of the Synoptic Gospels; a Review of Matthew D.C. Larsen's Gospels Before the Book (OUP, 2018); and a celebration of the 100th anniversary of Form Criticism.

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Teaching Biblical Studies in an Undergraduate Liberal Arts Context

Jocelyn McWhirter
Dr. Sylvie Raquel
Description: This unit addresses the unique opportunities and challenges of teaching biblical studies in undergraduate liberal arts institutions. Sessions promote the sharing and evaluation of pedagogical objectives, strategies, and assessment tools, cultivate professional networks, and lead to published results.

Call for papers: In 2019, the Teaching Biblical Studies in an Undergraduate Liberal Arts Context Unit will offer three sessions. Session 1: 10-minute Teaching Tips for Teaching Biblical Studies. What tricks and techniques for the Biblical Studies classroom do you have? Propose a 10-minute presentation that models teaching and learning practices based on research and experience, engages the attendees in learning, and shows promise of helping learners develop desirable biblical literature study skills, knowledge, and attitudes. Combined session with the Academic Teaching and Biblical Studies Unit. Session 2: Teaching the Bible to Students Who Do Not Read. According to a recent study, high school seniors spend increasingly more time on social media and less time reading. Many seem unprepared to handle our college courses. How can we teach them about the Bible if they have not acquired sufficient reading comprehension skills? We welcome papers on pedagogical approaches and proven strategies for teaching the Bible to unskilled readers. Session 3: Using Online Resources to Teach Biblical Studies in an Undergraduate Liberal Arts Context. Following our 2018 session on using BibleOdyssey.org to teach biblical studies, we issue a call for papers that reflect on creative uses of various other online resources. Papers may focus on eBibles, educational websites, course management systems, back channels, memes, GIFs, or any other pedagogically useful online tools.

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Textual Criticism of the Hebrew Bible

Armin Lange
Russell E. Fuller
Description: The Textual Criticism of the Hebrew Bible section concerns itself with the origin and nature of all forms of the biblical text. The discipline involves the comparison of data from the various witnesses to the biblical text (Masoretic text, Septuagint, Dead Sea Scrolls, etc.), and the evaluation of that data.

Call for papers: For the 2019 annual meeting in San Diego, the TCHB invites papers for one open session related to theme of “The Importance of the Secondary Versions for the Textual Criticism of the Hebrew Bible.” Papers should engage with the question of how secondary biblical translations may be properly utilized to engage with the history and criticism of the Biblical texts and their transmissions. There is also one session of invited papers which continues a focus on the use of biblical quotations and allusions in Second Temple Jewish writings with the textual criticism of the Hebrew Bible.

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Textual Criticism of the Historical Books

Kristin De Troyer
Tuukka Kauhanen
Description: This unit aims at enhancing cooperation and exchange of ideas between scholars working on the text of Samuel and Kings in various languages. (At the present, there is activity in editorial projects on critical editions of the Septuagint text, various projects on the daughter versions of the Septuagint, and projects around the Hebrew text aiming at commentaries,text-editions, or monographs on text-history.) Such cooperation is necessary, due to the very complicated nature of the textual history of these books, and promises good results, as it is the advantage of all parties to be informed of the progress of work by their colleagues.

Call for papers: Whereas all text critical paper proposals on Sam, Kgs, Joshua and Judges, and the occasional other text critical juicy book are welcome, one session will be about digital tools and methods in textual criticism. We welcome proposals on topics such as: Combining textual criticism with computer science or computational methods; benefits and challenges of digital editing; implementation of best practices in digital textual criticism. The proposals should feature original research carried out by the presenter(s), but the presentations can include a short general introduction to a related theme or a short demonstration of a tool or practice.

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The Bible in Ancient (and Modern) Media

Raymond F. Person, Jr.
Description: The Bible in Ancient (and Modern) Media Section provides opportunities to analyze the relationship between the original media world of Jewish and Christian communities and the functions and interpretations of biblical (and related) texts. Approaches using modern media must emphasize how the approach significantly influences the understanding of biblical literature in its ancient context.

Call for papers: The Bible in Ancient (and Modern) Media Section provides opportunities to analyze the relationship between the original media world of Jewish and Christian communities and the functions and interpretations of biblical (and related) texts. Approaches using modern media must emphasize how the approach significantly influences the understanding of biblical literature in its ancient context. In addition to the session with an open call for papers, we are organizing sessions of invited papers on the Bible, memory, and materiality; the legacy of Marcel Jousse (with the Matthew section); and the hermeneutics of sound and biblical texts (with Performance Criticism of Biblical and Other Texts).

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The Enoch Seminar

Gabriele Boccaccini
Joshua Scott
Description: The Enoch Seminar is an academic group of international specialists in Second Temple Judaism (Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Origins), who share the results of their research in the field and meet to discuss topics of common interest. The Enoch Seminar was founded in 2001 at the initiative of Gabriele Boccaccini, University of Michigan. Members of the Enoch Seminar are university professors and specialists in Second Temple Judaism, Christian Origins, and early Islam.

Call for papers: The Enoch Seminar is an academic group of international specialists in Second Temple Judaism (Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Origins), who share the results of their research in the field and meet to discuss topics of common interest. The Enoch Seminar was founded in 2001 at the initiative of Gabriele Boccaccini, University of Michigan. Members of the Enoch Seminar are university professors and specialists in Second Temple Judaism, Christian Origins, and early Islam.

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The European Qur'an (IQSA)

John Tolan
Marianna Klar
Roberto Tottoli
Description: The European Qur'an (IQSA)

Call for papers: The Muslim holy book has been a part of European culture since its first translation into Latin by Robert of Ketton in 1142. Qur’an manuscripts and manuscripts of Qur’an commentaries, meanwhile, have been used, commented upon, and circulated in Europe since the Middle Ages. Beyond the mere fact of translating, copying, and printing the Qur’an in Europe (in Arabic, Latin, and the various European vernaculars), this panel will explore how the Qur’an was mobilized in debates about European cultural identities: in polemics between Protestants, Catholics, and Unitarians; in debates about the power of the Catholic (or Anglican) Church; in discussions about the renewal and reform of Christianity or Judaism; in debates about the place of religion in secular European societies. We invite papers on these and other instances of the impact and the utilization of the Qur’an in Europe between the twelfth and early nineteenth centuries.

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The Historical Paul

Heidi Wendt
Ryan S. Schellenberg
Description: This program unit aims to reinvigorate the study of Paul as a historical figure. Through attention to biographical detail and social context, careful consideration of historical method, and engagement with a diverse range of comparanda, it seeks to describe him as a contextually plausible social actor.

Call for papers: The Historical Paul consultation will hold three sessions in 2019, two with invited papers and one open-call session. The first invited session, co-sponsored with the Pauline Epistles unit, will take up ancient divination, especially textual divination, as a context for Paul's activity and exegesis. The second invited session will revisit Paul's references in Phil 1:13 and 4:22 to the "praetorium" and "Caesar's household," considering their implications not only for the location of Paul's imprisonment, but also for describing Paul's place as a social actor in the Roman world. For the third, open-call session, we invite paper proposals in keeping with the objectives of the consultation. We are particularly interested in proposals that take up concrete biographical problems and/or invoke fresh comparanda that help to position Paul within his social world.

Tags: Pauline Epistles (Biblical Literature - New Testament)

The Qur’an and Late Antiquity (IQSA)

Johanne Louise Christiansen
Michael Pregill
Description: The Qur’an and Late Antiquity program unit focuses on investigation of and critical reflection on the historical context in which the Qur’an was revealed. We seek papers that illustrate significant textual parallels between the Qur’an and other literatures of Late Antiquity, especially those that contribute to a better understanding of the Qur’an’s place in its cultural, political, social, and religious environment. We also seek papers that interpret the rise of the Qur’anic community in a broader phenomenological, sociological, or historiographic context, whether that of pre-Islamic Arabian society or the Roman and Sasanian Empires that dominated the eastern Mediterranean and Near East in this period. Particular attention will be paid to such questions as processes of political consolidation and legitimation, construction of communal boundaries, and relationships between communities and polities.

Call for papers: For the 2019 IQSA Annual Meeting in San Diego, the Qur’an and Late Antiquity program unit invites proposals that utilize various types of material or evidence—be that literary, documentary, or epigraphic—to illuminate the historical context in which the Qur’an was revealed and the early Islamic polity emerged. We are especially interested in papers that present and discuss comparative methodologies to contribute to a better understanding of the Qur’an’s place in the cultural, political, social, and religious environment of Late Antiquity.

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The Qur’an and the Biblical Tradition (IQSA)

Holger Zellentin
Description: The focus of this unit is the Qur’an’s relationship to the Biblical tradition in the broadest sense: the books of the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament in the various languages of their original composition and later translations (regardless of a particular book’s status of canonization within specific Jewish or Christian groups), the exegetical traditions of the Bible, and the homiletic, narrative, and legal corpora that have developed in close dialogue with this Biblical tradition prior to the emergence of the Qur’an and subsequently in exchange with the Qur’an.

Call for papers: This unit was established in order to study the Qur’an’s relationship to the biblical tradition in the broadest possible sense of the term. We are interested, for example, in exploring the Qur’an’s reaction to the exegetical, homiletic, and narrative traditions of the Bible, in both written and oral form. We invite an engagement with the books of the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, regardless of a particular book’s status of canonization within specific Jewish or Christian groups, and in the various languages of their original composition as well as in later translations. We especially encourage studies of the legal corpora that have developed in close dialogue with this biblical tradition prior to the emergence of the Qur’an and, subsequently, in exchange with the Qur’an. For the 2019 Annual Meeting we further announce a themed session: “Theology of the Body in the Biblical Tradition and in the Qur’an.” This session will investigate the body as a useful site for studying qur’anic theological discourses in comparison with the biblical tradition. Since Peter Brown’s groundbreaking work, The Body and Society: Men, Women, and Sexual Renunciation in Early Christianity (1988), the scholarly turn to the body has transformed the study of religion. In the Qur’an as well as in biblical traditions, the body figures prominently both as a site of human agency and as an agent itself. We welcome proposals for papers that deal with the diverse ways in which theological discourse shapes human attitudes towards the body (e.g., attitudes towards celibacy, diet, discipline, the embodied components of ritual, etc.), as well as papers that investigate the impact of the somatic on theological discourse (e.g., embodiment in devotional piety, corporeal aspects of apocalyptic representations, etc.), in the Qur’an and in biblical traditions.

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The Qur’an: Manuscripts and Textual Criticism (IQSA)

Alba Fedeli
Shady Hekmat Nasser
Description: The aim of the Manuscripts and Textual Criticism unit is to provide a cross-disciplinary setting for the exploration of the various interconnected issues that arise when questions concerning the Qur’an’s text are investigated through the prism of its manuscript tradition. This latter term encompasses the field of Qur’an manuscripts per se, but also alludes to such information regarding the history of the text that can be gleaned from the citations, marginal notes, and detailed analysis provided in other branches of the Islamic sciences, for example Qur’an commentaries and the qira’at literature. It is hoped that bringing together scholars from a variety of disciplines will serve to enrich and strengthen each of these fields. The Manuscripts and Textual Criticism unit seeks to create a forum for the application of textual criticism to the Qur’anic text attested both in physical manuscripts and within the wider Islamic tradition. It also aims to investigate palaeographic, codicological, and art historical features in the Qur’an’s manuscript tradition.

Call for papers: The unit welcomes papers on any topic within the range of the interests of the Manuscripts and Textual Criticism program unit. In addition, the unit proposes a special thematic session for 2019: “Life of Qur’an manuscripts.” We invite proposals that touch upon issues related to the modification of manuscripts after they have been produced. Papers dealing with all eras and regions of the manuscript tradition are welcome. Submissions might focus on the insertion of marginalia notes, colophons, waqf statements, annotations, additions, amendments, the recycling of writing surfaces, etc., or on references to such practices in the traditional literature. Proposals should include a title and an abstract of approximately 400 words.

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The Qur’an: Surah Studies (IQSA)

Marianna Klar
Shawkat Toorawa
Description: The program unit “Surah Studies” seeks to bring different perspectives and scholarship on a given Qur’anic surah into dialogue with one another.

Call for papers: The Surah Studies Unit of IQSA invites proposals for individual papers on any aspect of Surat al-Waqi‘ah (Q 56). Proposers may, for example, wish to explore: the surah’s liturgical and devotional importance for Muslims (it appears in almost all lists of the suwar al-munjiyat, the “surahs that save”); the surah’s division of the judged into three groups (companions of the left, companions of the right, and frontrunners), rather than the more usual pairing into those in paradise and those in hell; Shiite interpretations of the surah, notably the frontrunners (al-sabiqun v. 10, al-muqarrabun v. 11); the surah’s structure and composition, notably the shift that takes place after v. 75; the rhyme scheme and the reasons for the departures from it; the surah’s eschatological and polemical themes; and much else besides. The Surah Studies Unit encourages and welcomes diverse methods and approaches. Indeed, the raison d’être of the panel is to bring different perspectives on a given surah—especially surahs receiving little scholarly attention otherwise—into dialogue with one another.

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The Societal Qur'an (IQSA)

Johanna Pink
Thomas Hoffmann
Description: The Societal Qur'an

Call for papers: The Societal Qur’an unit invites proposals for papers that investigate the Qur’an in its lived and societal contexts throughout history, from Late Antiquity to contemporary Late Modernity. Proposals are encouraged that engage with sociological, anthropological, and political science theories and methods in their pursuit of the societal and lived Qur’an. Papers might, for instance, discuss topics such as ritual and artistic uses of the Qur’an, practices of teaching the Qur’an, talismanic and medical uses of the Qur’an, the production of manuscript, print, and new media versions of the Qur’an, or the deployment of the Qur’an in terms of social identity and political organization.

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Theological Interpretation of Scripture

Bo H. Lim
Stephen E. Fowl
Description: This seminar explores the hermeneutical innovations and theological implications that ensue when critical biblical interpretation is conducted within diverse confessional communities, especially, but not only, those of the Christian tradition. It is this complex exploration itself that amounts to what may be called theological interpretation, an approach to biblical interpretation that gives particular attention to (1) the relationship between theological and other approaches to biblical studies, including historical criticism; (2) the significance and the challenges of expanding the contexts of biblical interpretation to include canon, creed, community, and constructive theology; (3) the relationship between biblical studies and systematic theology, practical theology, and philosophical theology; (4) the impact of theological convictions and religious practices (both traditional and contemporary) on biblical interpretation, and of theological interpretation on religious and academic communities; and (5) the actual theological interpretation of biblical texts. (Formerly Theological Hermeneutics of Christian Scripture)

Call for papers: In 2019 the Theological Interpretation of Scripture seminar will sponsor three sessions, one will accept paper proposals: 1) A panel review of Ellen Davis’s Opening Israel’s Scriptures (OUP, 2019); 2) “Jews and Gentiles as One New Humanity” - a joint session with the Society for Post-Supersessionist Theology devoted to readings of Ephesians chapter 2; 3) “Reading the Beatitudes Theologically” - we will accept paper proposals that engage theological loci in the Beatitudes in the Gospel of Matthew or the Gospel of Luke, the significance of the Beatitudes in the canon and theology, or readings of the Beatitudes within communities of faith. Persons interested in the work of this unit, or with ideas for future sessions, should contact the chairs, Stephen Fowl (SFowl@loyola.edu) and Bo Lim (bolim@spu.edu).

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Theology of the Hebrew Scriptures

David Frankel
Soo Kim Sweeney
Description: The purpose of the Theology of Hebrew Scriptures section is to promote sustained reflection, dialogue, and research on the various theological ideas, themes, and motifs that are found throughout the Hebrew Bible. It seeks to facilitate Jewish-Christian dialogue, creating a venue where Jewish and Christian interpreters can reflect together on a theological interpretation of the Hebrew Scriptures.

Call for papers: In 2019, we would ponder the sacred spaces depicted or spoken of in the texts of the Hebrew Scriptures and the theological perspectives that these texts reflect or evoke. In light of our particular interest to foster Jewish-Christian dialogue, we would also like to ponder how one’s theological commitment(s) within a specific faith-tradition might influence his or her perception of sacred spaces. Suggestive topics and keywords may include: (re)spatialization of the sacred in various monuments, cities, and the land; different perceptions and functions of the same space or place; gradation of holiness/profanity in the various spaces; embodiment of holiness/profanity, liminal characteristics between the sacred and profane spaces, etc. The Theology of the Hebrew Scriptures Section plans to offer four sessions for the 2019 SBL Annual Meeting in San Diego. 1) The first session will be an invited panel discussion under the title: Theological Perspectives on Sacred Spaces in the Hebrew Bible. 2) The second session will accept the papers as a joint session with SPACE, PLACE, AND LIVED EXPERIENCE IN ANTIQUITY, focusing on the same theme, the Sacred Spaces in the Hebrew Bible. 3) The third session will accept the papers as a joint session with NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSORS OF HEBREW. 4) The fourth session will be an open session on the theological interpretation of the Hebrew Bible in general. TOTHS is open to all proposals, although those on Sacred Space are especially welcome.

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Theta Alpha Kappa

Eric F. Mason
Description: Theta Alpha Kappa is the national honor society for religious studies and theology and is a member of the Association of College Honor Societies. Founded in 1976 at Manhattan College, the society has chartered over 350 chapters in institutions ranging from small religiously affiliated colleges and seminaries to large public research universities. Theta Alpha Kappa exists to encourage, recognize, and promote student excellence in the academic study of religion and theology through its local chapters, multiple scholarship opportunities offered by the national organization, publication of student articles in Journal of Theta Alpha Kappa, and other national programs. For more information, please see www.ThetaAlphaKappa.org or contact us at theta_alpha_kappa_inquiries@ThetaAlphaKappa.org.

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Transmission of Traditions in the Second Temple Period

Mika Pajunen
Description: The unit will concentrate on the transmission of traditions particularly in the Second Temple period. It will focus on both transmission processes themselves and the practical mechanics employed in such processes. While literary evidence is central to this investigation, physical manuscripts, other material artefacts, iconography, and traces of oral transmission processes will be factored into the discussion whenever possible. In the textual evidence particular emphasis will be placed on texts in which two or more empirically attested versions of the same story (or book) differ considerably. All such cases in the different available corpora from the general time period will be taken into consideration.

Call for papers: The section will host three sessions in 2019, two sessions with invited speakers and an open session. The first session with invited papers will focus on the question “What is Tradition?” The papers will address how tradition is viewed in relation to texts, works, and similar concepts used in current scholarly discussions, and related questions, such as, what are the dimensions of tradition, and in what ways is tradition mediated in, through, and around texts, manuscripts, through scribes and their hands, people and their bodies? The second invited session is a joint book review session with the Prayer in Antiquity section on Judith Newman’s new book: Before the Bible: The Liturgical Body and the Formation of Scriptures in Early Judaism (OUP, 2018). The third session is an open one, and we hope the proposed papers would deal either with specific empirical evidence of transmission mechanics, like case studies on the use of editorial techniques, or more conceptual matters related to the wider processes of transmitting traditions in the Second Temple period.

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Ugaritic Studies and Northwest Semitic Epigraphy

Eric D. Reymond
Jimmy Daccache
Description: Our purpose is to foster the academic study of ancient Ugarit, the associated cuneiform alphabetic texts, and ancient Northwest Semitic epigraphic texts, especially in order to explore areas of commonality between these fields of study and Biblical literature.

Call for papers: The Ugaritic Studies and Northwest Semitic Epigraphy section plans to hold the following sessions in 2019: (1) A session co-sponsored with the Linguistics and Biblical Hebrew Program Unit, titled “Sentence Syntax and Discourse in Ugaritic and Northwest Semitic (including Biblical Hebrew)”; (2) one session of invited papers celebrating and reflecting on the 90th anniversary of the discovery of Ugarit, titled "Ugarit at 90"; (3) one session of submitted papers on the same topic; (4) an open, non-thematic section consisting of papers on any topic relevant to Ugaritic and Northwest Semitic inscriptions.

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Use, Influence, and Impact of the Bible

Lesleigh Cushing Stahlberg
Andrew Mein
Description: This program unit explores how the Bible has been used and/or influential in the way it has been received in society. The focus is upon the reception of the text in contexts other than a narrow critical-academic one.

Call for papers: This year we welcome proposals for two themed sessions. The first of these is a co-sponsored panel with the AAR's History of Christianity Unit, which represents a welcome and unprecedented opportunity. The location and date of our meeting further prompts us to consider the hemispheric and transatlantic linguistic dimensions of contact, as 2019 represents the 450-year anniversary of the publication of La Biblia del Oso (The Bear Bible), the first Spanish-language translation of the Bible which was published in 1569 in Basel, Switzerland by the exiled monk Casiodoro de Reina. His fellow monk Cipriano de Valera, revised his work, culminating in the 1602 Reina y Valera Bible. It looms as large in the memory and culture of Spanish-speaking Protestantism as does the 1611 King James translation in English-speaking Protestantism. In keeping with the theme of encounters, we invite papers that explore the history of sacred text making, translating, and reception history within communities in and around the hispanophone world. The second session will focus on pedagogy. We invite papers that engage reception and teaching. Papers in the session might 1) recount and analyze an instance in teaching in which a consideration of reception has a significant impact on the understanding of a biblical text or texts in the classroom; 2) offer reflections on how one's thinking about reception emerges from pedagogical experience (eg. how did a question or issue raised in a class help you think about your own reception research?); and/or 3) describe an instance in which reception highlighted, created, or mitigated what struck students as a particularly troubling dimension of a biblical text or texts (eg depictions of sexual violence; expressions of anti-semitism; the privileging of able-bodiedness, etc.). We will also have at least one open session: proposals are welcome on any aspect of the Bible's reception history. For the open sessions our preference is for papers that do not focus on

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Violence and Representations of Violence in Antiquity

Cavan Concannon
Christine Luckritz Marquis
Description: This section promotes a robust discussion of violence and its representations in the ancient world. Papers utilize a variety of approaches and theoretical tools to consider what constitutes violence, seeking to advance knowledge about power and its effects in antiquity while also providing analogical materials for thinking about contemporary manifestations of religiously inflected violence.

Call for papers: 1)The Experience of Pain:Body, Sense, and Violence:The purpose of this session is to explore the intersections between the sensory experience of pain in antiquity, how pain writes itself on the body, and how the threat and experience of pain relates to violence. The nature of pain as an embodied experience has received much attention in scholarship, especially how pain can either (re-)construct the body (the positive value of pain) or deconstruct it (the negative value of pain), and how pain also functions in fashioning bodily narrative of the self and one's relation to others. This session especially invites papers exploring the following: a) whether pain is construed as a separate sense, or as part of touch, what role tactility (the capacity of touching or being touched) plays in the experience of pain, but also how pain relates to and/or affects, other senses; b) how the experience of pain shapes the body and the self, either in relation to the making of an individual pain narrative, changing the body physically (scarring, illness, disability), or the way in which pain is distinct from questions of identity around illness and disability c) how the experience or threat of pain effects social interaction between self and other, especially the fact that pain is often accompanied by discourses or practices of violence. Jointly sponsored with Senses and Culture and Healthcare and Disability in the Ancient World. 2) An open session honoring the work of Judith Perkins, we invite paper proposals that think about narratives of violence. Papers might reflect on how narratives of violence shape collective identities, reclaim or incite trauma, justify further acts of violence, or (re)establish order or a voice in the wake of trauma. 3) A pre-arranged panel, co-sponsored with the AAR's Comparative Approaches to Religious Violence Unit, on Ellen Muehlberger's *Moment of Reckoning: Imagined Death and its Consequences in Late Ancient Christianity* (Oxford,2019).

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Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion

Paul O. Myhre
Beth Reffett
Description: The Wabash Center encourages excellent teaching in departments of religion and theological schools through careful attention to the issues that every faculty member faces including course design, assessment, student learning goals, understanding the institutional context and the broader purposes of teaching. We offer programs at the SBL Annual Meeting as well as workshops, colloquies, and conferences which are organized throughout the year. Fully funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. and located on the Wabash College campus in Crawfordsville, Indiana, we also offer grants for institutions or individuals who wish to propose projects or research relating to teaching and learning. Our consultants program can facilitate on-site faculty conversations about pedagogical issues through a brief application process available online. Teaching and learning resources (both books and those available through the Internet) are also available through our website. See our website for a full listing of programs, grant deadlines, and resources: www.wabashcenter.wabash.edu.

Call for papers: The Wabash Center encourages excellent teaching in departments of religion and theological schools through careful attention to the issues that every faculty member faces including course design, assessment, student learning goals, understanding the institutional context and the broader purposes of teaching. We offer programs at the SBL Annual Meeting as well as workshops, colloquies, and conferences which are organized throughout the year. Fully funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. and located on the Wabash College campus in Crawfordsville, Indiana, we also offer grants for institutions or individuals who wish to propose projects or research relating to teaching and learning. Our consultants program can facilitate on-site faculty conversations about pedagogical issues through a brief application process available online. Teaching and learning resources (both books and those available through the Internet) are also available through our website. See our website for a full listing of programs, grant deadlines, and resources: www.wabashcenter.wabash.edu.

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Westar Institute

Alexis Waggoner
David Galston
Description: Westar Institute — home of the Jesus Seminar — is dedicated to fostering and communicating the results of cutting-edge scholarship on the history and evolution of the Christian tradition, thereby raising the level of public discourse about questions that matter in society and culture.

Call for papers: Westar Institute — home of the Jesus Seminar — is dedicated to fostering and communicating the results of cutting-edge scholarship on the history and evolution of the Christian tradition, thereby raising the level of public discourse about questions that matter in society and culture.

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Wisdom and Apocalypticism

Jason M. Zurawski
Emma Wasserman
Description: We support work on Jewish & Christian sapiential & apocalyptic texts, ideas, and their interplay, committed to inquiry into both production & circulation and to grounding analysis in social-historical locations, as relates to knowledge production, economy, gender & sexuality, and race & ethnicity.

Call for papers: The Wisdom and Apocalypticism program unit will hold four sessions at the 2019 SBL Annual Meeting in San Diego. The first is an invited session, “Knowledge and the Cosmos in the Wisdom of Solomon and Related Literature,” which will explore the role of the cosmos in the Wisdom of Solomon as well as comparative materials from apocalyptic literature, Qumran, and philosophical traditions. The second, “Spiritual Exercise and Wisdom: Formation of the Subject,” is also an invited session. Papers will consider new dimensions in the study of the subject in antiquity, highlighting discourses of asceticism, confession, therapy, and reading as a mode of self-examination. The third is a special session, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Wisdom and Apocalypticism program unit. A panel of invited speakers, including founding members, past chairs, and others who have helped in the development of the unit over the years, will share their thoughts on the history, accomplishments, and future of the group. The fourth session is open and we welcome submissions on any topic that relates to sapiential and/or apocalyptic traditions in early Jewish and/or Christian literature. Submissions are particularly encouraged from women and underrepresented minorities.

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Wisdom in Israelite and Cognate Traditions

Mark Sneed
Stuart Weeks
Description: The Wisdom Section seeks to provide a forum for the exploration of new ideas in the study of Israelite and cognate conceptions of wisdom, focusing on wisdom in the Hebrew Bible and Deuterocanon along with related literature from elsewhere in the ancient Near East.

Call for papers: The Wisdom Section seeks to provide a forum for the exploration of new ideas in the study of Wisdom Literature, focusing on the Wisdom literature of the Bible and apocryphal wisdom traditions but also on related literature from elsewhere in the ancient Near East.

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Women in the Biblical World

Kimberly D. Russaw
Vanessa Lovelace
Description: This section explores the multifaceted lives of women in the biblical period. It is a forum for inquiry into literary and material culture, including biblical and extra-biblical texts, the history of their interpretation, and the relevant cultural milieu.

Call for papers: The Women in the Biblical World Program Unit plans to offer four sessions in 2019: 1) “Cultivating Womanist, Feminist and Queer Relationships in this Neoliberal-Authoritarian Age.” During the two anniversary panels of the 2018 SBL Annual Meeting in Denver, Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza emphasized that progressive movements will only succeed in the neoliberal-authoritarian age if progressive groups and organizations build strong coalitions among themselves. Taking her advice seriously, this panel aims to cultivate conversation, dialog, and even contestation among womanist, feminist, and queer bible scholars with the goal of ongoing and substantive collaboration while not ignoring our differences. This session is co-sponsored with the Feminist Hermeneutics of the Bible Unit and organized by Susanne Scholz, Professor of Old Testament, SMU Perkins School of Theology. 2) "Review of Cynthia R. Chapman’s The House of the Mother: The Social Roles of Maternal Kin in Biblical Hebrew Narrative and Poetry (Yale University Press 2016).” This session is an invited panel. Panelists will review and discuss the implications of Chapman’s groundbreaking work for their own scholarship. 3) “Race, Gender, and the Politics of ‘Sass’: Reading Biblical Women through the Lens of Womanist Resistance.” This session is an invited panel. Panelists will draw on Mitzi Smith’s book, Womanist Sass and Talk Back: Social (In)Justice, Intersectionality, and Biblical Interpretation (Wipf and Stock 2017) and consider how this work supports, challenges, or supplements their own hermeneutics. Mitzi Smith is the respondent. 4) Open call for papers on women in the biblical world.

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Writing Social-Scientific Commentaries of the New Testament

J. Brian Tucker
Petri Luomanen
Description: The goal of the seminar is to develop and test theoretical approaches suitable for writing social-scientific commentaries on the New Testament, in particular in the series T&T Clark Social Identity Commentaries in the New Testament

Call for papers: The seminar will organize one open call session in 2019. Papers for other sessions will be invited. For the open call session we welcome papers that apply the social identity approach or related social and cognitive approaches on any New Testament writing. The papers will be pre-distributed and only summarized in the sessions.

Tags: Social-Scientific Approaches (Anthropology, Sociology, Psychology) (Interpretive Approaches)

Writing/Reading Jeremiah

Juliana L. Claassens
Mark Brummitt
Description: The Writing/Reading Jeremiah group invites new readings and constructions of meaning with the book of Jeremiah "this side" of historicist paradigms and postmodernism. We welcome all strategies of reading Jeremiah that seek to reconfigure, redeploy, and move beyond conventional readings of Jeremiah. Our manifesto: not by compositional history alone, nor biographical portrayal alone, nor their accompanying theological superstructures; rather, we seek interpretation from new spaces opened for reading Jeremiah by the postmodern turn.

Call for papers: The Writing/Reading Jeremiah group serves as a space for new readings and constructions of meaning with the book of Jeremiah "this side" of historicist paradigms and postmodernism. We welcome all strategies of reading Jeremiah that seek to reconfigure, redeploy, and move beyond conventional readings of Jeremiah. Our manifesto: not by compositional history alone, nor biographical portrayal alone, nor their accompanying theological superstructures; rather, we seek interpretation from new spaces opened for reading Jeremiah by the postmodern turn. In 2019, the Writing/Reading Jeremiah section will have three sessions. Two of these sessions will consist of a combination of invited papers as well as papers selected in response to the Call to Papers. In the first session "Writing to Survive," we call for papers on representations of writing as resistance and writing for survival in Jeremiah. This includes the role of Jeremiah and Jeremianic writings in the survival of both a people and the word. Jeremiah, the prophet to whom the word repeatedly comes, is also a prophet repeatedly caught in the acts of dictating and writing. These acts, which at times seek to obliterate and condemn seek also the survival of the community, not least through the survival of the word. Thus despite (or perhaps because of) the book’s occasional expressions of anxiety about writing (e.g., Jer 8:8), it could be said to reward the pen of the scribe a key place in the posterity of the people. In the second session, "Innovating Jeremiah," we invite papers that reflect on and illustrate new trends, theoretical perspectives and interpretative frameworks that can be characterized as innovative in their ability to read the book of Jeremiah in new ways, generate novel interpretations and challenge interpretative boundaries. A third session will be dedicated to celebrating the legacy of Pete Diamond with the first recipient of the Pete Diamond award delivering a paper followed by an invited panel.

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Christopher J. O'Connor
Christopher Hooker
Harsha Hammika
Paige Schmidt
Description: Here is where the description would appear. Updating the description here.

Call for papers: Here is where the description would appear. Updating the description here.

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