Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.
SBL e-Newsletter
February 18, 2011 e-newsletter

In this Issue

International Cooperative Initiative News

ICI Book Project Receives Great Press!

Regan Colestock at the AAUP wrote a feature article on the SBL's Online Books Program for the The Exchange Online, the newsletter of the Association of American University Presses.

The International Cooperation Initiative welcomes the newest participants in the scholarly exchange program:

  • Kent Harold Richards
  • Nancy C. Lee
  • Beth Tanner
  • Pricop Cosmin Daniel
  • Rhonda Crutcher

You can learn more about these scholars and the ways in which they are volunteering to be part of the program by visiting http://www.sbl-site.org/educational/ICIscholarList.aspx. You can participate, too, by submitting an instructor’s form or by contacting a volunteer scholar to discuss collaborative teaching in your classroom. To read how one SBL member has made use of these resources, see the article by Kelley N. Coblentz-Bautch.

Questions? Contact Leigh Andersen

Back to Top

Biblical Scholar Survey: How do you work with Sacred Texts?

You are invited to take part in a short on-line survey that is sponsored by the Psychology and Bible Studies Section of the SBL. This programme unit investigates both psychological aspects of biblical writers or texts, and the ways in which psychology influences how readers interact with texts.

This survey builds on previous studies that have shown a link between psychological functioning and interpretation among a range of bible readers, both clerical and lay. Although psychological profile is only one of many factors that influence the way that sacred texts are handled and interpreted, it does have some effect that seems to persist across a wide range of ‘ordinary’ readers. The aim of the study is to see if this link holds true for biblical scholars, or whether scholarly interests and methods of handling sacred texts are entirely independent of psychological preferences.

The questionnaire takes around 10-15 minutes to complete and contains sections that assess the way that you study and handle texts, your psychological profile and some essential background information.

The results are entirely confidential and anonymous, and cannot be linked to your personal or digital identity.

To access the survey please go to: http://www.survey.bris.ac.uk/yorksj/sblsurvey

It will not take you long to complete and your co-operation would be greatly appreciated.

Dr Andrew Village
York St John University, UK.

Email: a.village@yorksj.ac.uk
Webpage: http://w3.yorksj.ac.uk/trs/staff/andrew-village.aspx

Back to Top

Humanities Advocacy Day

The National Humanities Alliance’s Annual Meeting & Humanities Advocacy Day
March 7-8 in Washington, DC

Events take place at The George Washington University’s Marvin Center and on Capitol Hill. Strong participation in Humanities Advocacy Day events is essential to increasing public support for, and understanding of, the humanities.

The 2011 preliminary program includes:

  • New advocate training (pre-meeting event)
  • Opening keynote address with David J. Skorton, President, Cornell University
  • Presentations of current and compelling work in the humanities
  • Luncheon
  • Commentary and briefings on the post-election landscape and humanities funding priorities
  • Capitol Hill reception sponsored by HISTORY
  • Congressional visits

Additional information is available on the Alliance’s website.

Back to Top

Meetings

Regional Meetings
Visit the SBL regions webpage to find more information on how you can participate in the meeting in your area. Information on when and where the meeting will occur is located on this page.

Annual Meeting: Call for Papers is open
Make plans to join Annual Meetings 2011 San Francisco, the concurrent annual meetings of SBL and AAR, November 19-22. Sessions and events will be held at Moscone West, part of the Moscone Center convention facility, and six hotels in the Union Square area. We anticipate online conference registration and housing reservations will be available mid-February—we are working to create a new database for the expanded meeting and appreciate your patience. SBL will still offer the popular Super Saver rate for early registrants!

We are excited to offer walking and bus tours of sights and museums in San Francisco, a huge book exhibit hall, and child care for those who attend the meeting with young family members. All will be available on the website when registration opens. SBL members will be notified by email as soon as registration is available online.

The KJV at 400: Assessing its Genius as Bible Translation and Its Literary Influence Following a very successful and well-attended symposium at the 2010 Annual Meeting, SBL and the Nida Institute for Biblical Scholarship at the American Bible Society continue their King James Bible anniversary plans with symposia at the 2011 SBL International Meeting in London, UK (Jul 4-8) and the 2011 SBL Annual Meeting in San Francisco, CA (Nov 19-22). The overall theme for the series of symposia is The KJV at 400: Assessing its Genius as Bible Translation and Its Literary Influence, and the list of participants includes former SBL Presidents as well as widely recognized authorities in translation, postcolonial studies, Hebrew Bible, New Testament, Renaissance literature, literary criticism, and more.

International Meeting: Registration is Open
You may now register online for the 2011 International Meeting in London, UK, hosted by King's College London. The meeting will take place on the Waterloo campus, just south of the Thames River, within walking distance of Westminster Abbey, the London Eye, and other historical and cultural attractions. Sessions begin Monday morning, July 4, and continue through Thursday, July 7, with special events scheduled in the evenings. We anticipate the largest attendance in the 28-year history of the meeting, so don’t miss this opportunity for education and enjoyment.

Back to Top

Membership News

Optional Profile Winners: Every month, we randomly select two members from the pool of those who have filled out the Optional Profile for a free one-year membership. The February 2011 winners are:

  • Terence L. Donaldson
  • Marvin A. Sweeney

As our privacy policy indicates, we will never divulge information from your profile to a third party. Thank you to all of you who have supplied this optional data. If you have not yet filled in the information (or you would like to update it), you may do so by logging into our website with your SBL Member number and going to the “my profile” tab, which will appear on the left hand side of the screen in the box where you logged in. While you are filling out the Optional Profile, please make sure all of your profile information is up to date!

Back to Top

Society Fund

Your contributions enable us to expand our programs for all who are committed to humanities scholarship, communication, and education. Please consider a gift today.

Jobs

See full job listings

Back to Top

Calendar

Click here for full calender



March 2011
3/1 Application Deadline to Nida School for Translation Studies
The 2011 Theme: Translation and Ideology. 2011 School will be held May 16–28, 2011 in Misano Adriatico, Italy
More information
3/4- 3/6 SBL Southwestern Regional Meeting
Marriott Hotel DFW North, Dallas, Texas
More information
3/4- 3/6 SBL Southeastern Regional Meeting
The Gault House, Louisville, Kentucky
More information
3/11 MATS 2011 Call for Papers Deadline
Offers of papers are again invited for the inaugural Melanesian Association of Theological Schools conference to be held at Pacific Adventist University from 21-24 June 2011.

Abstracts of 250 words should be sent by post, fax, or email (as Word attachments) to: Ms. Sandra Iga, Secretary - School of Theology, Pacific Adventist University, Private Mail Bag, Boroko NCD, Papua New Guinea. Tel: (675) 328 0324/328 0342 Fax: (675) 328 1257 Email: sandra.iga@pau.ac.pg

For detailed information about the conference and the meeting to reconstitute the association to be held on the last day of the conference see http://www.pau.ac.pg or contact Scott Charlesworth (sdchar@gmail.com).
3/11- 3/14 Annual Meeting of the American Oriental Society
Held in Chicago, Illinois at the Renaissance Chicago Hotel
More information
3/15 Deadline to the the new summer program for the study of Jewish-Christian encounters at Tel Aviv University
The program is a 6- week English language program, designed for students (in the process of an advanced degree such as M.A., M.Div., M.A.R, Ph.D., etc.) in ancient Judaism and early Christianity. The program will provide students with basic scholarly skills in the Hebrew language and an introduction to the foundational rabbinic texts and to their manner of interacting with early Christian texts. It will expose them to current scholarship and to leading Israeli scholars in these fields, as well as to various archeological sites.
More information
3/17- 3/18 SBL Mid Atlantic Regional Meeting
Hyatt Regency, New Brunswick, New Jersey.
More information
3/18- 3/19 SBL Rocky Mountains-Great Plains Regional Meeting
Illiff School of Theology, Denver, Colorado
More information
3/20- 3/21 SBL Central States Regional Meeting
St. Louis Marriott West, St. Louis, Missouri
More information
3/24- 3/25 God’s Word in English: The King James Version as Translation
To commemorate the 400th anniversary of the publication of the King James Bible, SIG VERBI, an international research group of CETRA under the auspices of the faculties of Theology and Arts of the K.U.Leuven and the Department of Translation Studies of the Lessius University College (Antwerp), is holding a conference. The conference fits into the events to commemorate the Protestant and Catholic Reformations, organized by Refo500, of which the K.U.Leuven is a project partner. The aim of the conference is to present research on this remarkable version of the Bible primarily from the perspective of translation, including the effects this piece of translation have exercised on various areas of religious and popular culture, and especially on the theory and practice of translation.
Deadline for abstracts: 30 November 2010 (Please submit abstracts to Dr. Gergely Juhász
 More information
3/27-3/28 SBL Pacific Coast Regional Meeting, Whittier College,Whittier, California
More Information 
3/27- 3/28 Talmuda de-Eretz Israel: Archaeology and the Rabbis in Late Antiquity
An International Conference Organized by the Yeshiva University Center for Israel Studies, New York City.
Co-sponsored by the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies and Yeshiva University Museum
More information
3/30- 4/2 The Jesus Seminar
Scholars of the Jesus Seminar will meet in Salem, Oregon at the Salem Conference Center (March 30–April 2) to discuss the origins of Christianity.

All sessions are open to the general public. More information on the meeting, including registration information, can be found at www.westarinstitute.org , or by calling 503-375-5323. Student discounts are available. All events will be held at the Salem Conference Center. Special rates are available for meeting participants at the adjacent Phoenix Grand Hotel.
3/31 Call for Papers Deadline: Emerging Normativities: Examining the Formation of Proto-Orthodox Christianities and Rabbinic Judaisms 200-800 CE
The conference will be held September 21-22, 2011at St. Thomas More College in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.
The confirmed plenary speakers are Daniel Boyarin (UC Berkeley) and Anders Runesson (McMaster University). We also invite proposals for 20 minute paper presentations addressing both Jewish and Christian aspects of this problem for three panels defined by three historical periods: 0-200 CE; 200-500 CE; and 500-800 CE.
Proposals should be 250-300 words in length and submitted to Dr. Simon Lasair (slasair@stmcollege.ca) by March 31, 2011. Responses will be given by the end of April 2011. Students are encouraged to apply, with a cover letter from their supervisor. Also, submissions concerning the material cultures of the historical periods covered are especially encouraged.
For more information (PDF) about the conference
3/31- 4/1 SBL Eastern Great Lakes Regional Meeting
Quality Inn & Suites, Richfield, Ohio
More information
April 2011
4/1- 4/2 SBL Upper Midwest Regional Meeting
Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota
More information
4/6-4/8 The City in the Hebrew Bible
The City in the Hebrew Bible Conference will be hosted by the Faculty of Divinity, University of Cambridge.
More information
4/11 Beyond Scare Quotes: Rethinking Words and Things in the Study of Ancient "Judaism" and "Christianity"
A Regional Graduate Student Conference, to be held at the University of Pennsylvania, in conjunction with the 48th Philadelphia Seminar on Christian Origins
More information
4/29 SBL New England/Eastern Canada Regional Meeting
Andover-Newton Theological School, Newton, Massachussetts
More information
May 2011
5/1 Deadline to the the new 1 year MA program in Jewish Studies at Tel Aviv University
The Department of Hebrew Culture Studies at Tel-Aviv University invites applications for its new one-year Masters program in Jewish Studies for international students. This is the only Jewish Studies Masters program in Israel that is conducted entirely in English.

The program offers a series of comprehensive encounters with the classical texts of Jewish cultures from biblical to modern times. Its intellectual home in the department of Hebrew Culture Studies at Tel Aviv University, the single largest integrative Jewish Studies department in the world today, enables us to cover a wide range of periods, methodologies, and scholarly interests, while maintaining the highest standards of academic excellence.
More information
5/4- 5/7 Why Does the Past Matter?
The UMass Center for Heritage and Society, with the cooperation of the ICOMOS International Scientific Committee on Interpretation and Presentation (ICIP), is organizing an International Conference: Why Does the Past Matter? to be held at the University of Massachusetts Amherst
For more information about the conference, including conference theme, bios of our 2011 honorees, and tentative program information.
5/5-5/8 The Annual Meeting of the Association of Ancient Historians (AAH) will be held at and hosted by Mercyhurst College, Erie PA
More Information
5/13- 5/15 SBL Pacific Northwest Regional Meeting
Eastern Washington University- Spokane Campus, Spokane, Washington
More information
5/16- 5/28 2011 Nida School for Translation Studies
Since 2007, the Nida Institute, the scholarly arm of the American Bible Society, has sponsored the Nida School of Translation Studies, which meets annually for two weeks at the San Pellegrino Institute, Misano Adriatico (Rimini), Italy. The School, following in the tradition of CETRA, advances translation studies research and training through an intimate study environment, Nida Professorships, focused lectures, tutorials, directed reading
More information
5/21- 6/3 Syria for Scholars
Join colleagues in Biblical Studies on a two-week tour of Syria. Rich in sites of importance for the study of the Hebrew Bible and early Christianity, highlights include: Damascus, an excursion to Baalbek in Lebanon, Ras Shamra (Ugarit), Crac des Chevaliers (the world’s best preserved Crusader castle), Apamea, Tel Mardikh (Ebla), Aleppo, Mari, Dura Europas, and Palmyra.
For a detailed itinerary and pricing information contact Steve McKenzie or visit (Academy International Travel). Login information: Group ID: Syria, Password: travel. You can register online to participate in the tour.
5/29- 5/31 The CSBS/SCÉB 2011 Annual Meeting
The annual meeting of the Canadian Society of Biblical Studies/La société canadienne des études bibliques will be held at University of New Brunswick and St. Thomas University, Fredericton, New Brunswick.
More information
5/31 Call for Papers Deadline
Adventist Society for Religious Studies

The 2011 meeting of the Adventist Society for Religious Studies will convene in San Francisco, California on November 17-19, 2011. The theme for the meeting is: “Gates and Walls: Inclusivity and Exclusivity and the People of God.” The Society invites proposals for brief scholarly papers which will be presented at the meeting. Priority will be given to those papers which discuss any aspect of what it means, in the Seventh-day Adventist context, to be “in” or “out” of the people of God; and/or how an individual may pass, or be blocked from passing, between the inside and outside.
Papers from all disciplines are elicited. The format allows for a 15-minute oral presentation with additional time for questions and discussion. A 200-word abstract should accompany the proposals. Proposals and abstracts should be submitted in WordPerfect or MS Word format to John Reeve at jreeve@andrews.edu
For more information

Back to Top


Our mailing address is:
825 Houston Mill Road, Atlanta, Georgia, USA 30329

Our telephone:
404-727-3100

Copyright (C) 2011 / Society of Biblical Literature/ All rights reserved.