Mission, Visions, and Values
The following Mission Statement and Strategic Vision Statements were adopted by the SBL Council May 16, 2004, and revised October 23, 2011.

Mission Statement:
Foster Biblical Scholarship

Strategic Vision Statement:
Founded in 1880, the Society of Biblical Literature is the oldest and largest learned society devoted to the critical investigation of the Bible from a variety of academic disciplines.* As an international organization, the Society offers its members opportunities for mutual support, intellectual growth, and professional development through the following:

• Advancing academic study of biblical texts and their contexts as well as of the traditions and contexts of biblical interpretation
  
• Collaborating with educational institutions and other appropriate organizations to support biblical scholarship and teaching
  
• Developing resources for diverse audiences, including students, religious communities, and the general public
  
• Facilitating broad and open discussion from a variety of critical perspectives
  
• Organizing congresses for scholarly exchange
  
• Publishing biblical scholarship
  
• Promoting cooperation across global boundaries

Core Values

*SBL has been a member of the American Council of Learned Societies since 1929.