2020 CBA Online Meeting

 Online Program

83^rd International Meeting Was Postponed

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the CBA Executive Board reviewed what were the best options concerning holding the CBA Annual General Meeting, which was to be in at The Catholic University of America in August 2020.  After wide consultation, it was decided that the wisest course of action was to postpone the 83^rd International Meeting of the CBA for one year. The Executive Board approved five steps to provide continuity:

1.)  Most elements of programmed for the 2020 meeting are to be featured in the 2021 CBA Annual General Meeting which will be at the same venue, The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, July 31-August 3, 2021. 

2.)  The Executive Board encouraged all Task Forces and the Continuing Seminars to meet via a video-conferencing platform a close as possible within the time-frame of the scheduled 2020 meeting (August 1-4).

3.) The Executive Board encouraged the CBA Committee on the Program of the Annual General Meeting to carry forward the Research Reports the 2021 meeting in the hope that scholars will be willing to share what further research they already have done.

4.)  The terms of all CBA office-holders, including Associate Editors, will be extended by one year for all who are able to continue.  The work of the Nominations Committee will be held over for the next elections in 2021.  

5.)  In the absence of the Annual General Meeting this year, the Executive Board assumes the responsibility, normally vested in the Full members during the Business Meeting, for election of New Members.

Report of the 2020 CBA Online Meeting

Each Task Force and Continuing Seminar was given its own page on the CBA website, accessible only to CBA members, that contained the program (including links to papers and online meeting access) and link to the Task Force or Continuing Seminar registration form.

Video-conferencing meetings of four Task Forces took place between August 1 and August 4: “Addressing Representations of Jews and Judaism in Catholic Exegesis, Homiletics, and Catechesis” (co-conveners: Chris Seeman and Ximena DeBroeck), “God in Paul's Letters” (co-conveners: Timothy Milinovich and Robert O'Toole, S.J.), “God in the Synoptic Gospels” (co-conveners: Brigid Curtin Frein and Séamus O’Connell), and “Hermeneutics: A Thematic Investigation” (co-conveners: Michael Patella, O.S.B. and Antonio Portalatin).

Three Continuing Seminars met via video-conferencing between July 31 and August 5: “Divinity in Ancient Israel” (co-conveners: Andrew Davis, Mahri Leonard-Fleckman, and Garrett Galvin, O.F.M.), “The Deuterocanonical Books” (co-conveners: Jeremy Corley and Vincent Skemp), and Hebrew Poetry: Isaiah 50 – 53 (co-conveners: Joseph E. Jensen and Pauline A. Viviano).

Virtual Exhibits

CBA offered to vendors who have exhibited at past meetings, the opportunity to have a virtual presence in connection with the online meeting. The following publishers provided links to electronic presentations: ATLA, Baker Academic, The Catholic University of America Press, Liturgical Press, New City Press, Paulist Press, and Scholar’s Choice.

In Memoriam

Please remember and pray for members who have died since CBA met at Walsh University last year: Rev. Robert J. Bauer, S.D.B.; Rev. Anthony F. Campbell, S.J.; Rev. Robert Daniel Kendall, S.J.; Rev. Philip J. King; Prof. John Allen Melloh; Rev. Dr.  J. Ramsey Michaels; Rev. Dr. Patrick D. Miller Jr; Rev. Dr. Douglas M. Parrott; Rev. Stephen F. Pisano, S.J.; Rev. Gerard S. Sloyan.

New Members

During its video-conference meeting, the Executive Board voted unanimously to approved for membership into The Catholic Biblical Association of America at their respective levels with all the inherent benefits:

For Full Membership: Olegs Andrejevs, Maria E. Barga, Paul S. Bechter, Marco Benini, Francis C. Cousins, Julie B. Deluty, Michal Beth Dinkler, Michael Flexsenhar III, Michael Francis, Zev W. Garber, Nathaniel E. Greene, Eusebio González, Robert G. Hall, Peter A. Heasley, Juan Hernández, Katja Hess, Charles Hughes Huff, Dominic S. Irudayaraj, S.J., Ki-Eun Jang, Eric X. Jarrard, Thomas M. Kalita, Joel B. Kemp, Sarah E. Kohles, O.S.F., Phillip Michael Lasater, Woo Min Lee, Stephen A. Long, Hryhoriy Lozinskyy, Annelies G Moeser, Andrew Montanaro, Alicia D. Myers, Ferdinand I. Okorie, Joon Suhr Park, Melanie Marita Peetz, Jeffrey Peterson, Amanda J. Brobst-Renaud, Niveen Sarras, Jordan Schmidt, O.P., David Andrew Smith, Jason A Staples, Kevin Stephens, Marc P. Valadao.

For Associate Membership: Anthony J. Astrab, Elixavier Castro, Gina L. Christ, Julia A. Czarnecki, Martha Christensen Demerly, Richard F. Morrisroe, Connor D. Penn, Peter J. Swirzon.

 For Graduate Student Membership: Matthew A. Arakaky, Scott K. Brevard, Zechariah P. Eberhart, Alexiana D. Fry, Ronald J. Gaura, Shane P. Gormley, Andrew M. King, Joshua T. King, Leah Macinskas-Le, Charles I. Luke, Brian Joseph Meldrum, Zachary N. Munoz, James R. Page, Matthew Kellon Robinson, Kelsey N. Spinnato, Leslie G. Virnelson, Wesley D. Walker, Paul D. Wheatley, Julie S. Whelan, Aaron Williams, Shawn C. Williams.

In addition, the Executive Board voted to the status of Honorary Life Member, Albert Cardinal Vanhoye, S.J. (emeritus, Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome).

The following CBA members and invited guests participated in one or more of the online sessions:

Dr. Joseph C. Atkinson
CBA Executive Director

Lisa A. Tarker
Recording Secretary