2023 AGM Invitation

Dear CBA Member:

I trust your summer is off to a good start and enjoying a little downtime, although that seldom seems to be the case anymore.

As you all know the 2023 CBA Annual General Meeting is coming up July 22nd – 25th at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. If you haven’t done so yet, I encourage you to explore the CBA web page and the AGM Schedule of events and please to register to attend. You will save $75 if you register before June 1, 11:59 pm EDT.  I would like to especially thank the AGM Planning Committee for all the preparation that has gone on so far to make this a welcoming and rewarding experience for all participants whether in person or those attending virtually. 

There are thirty-three Research Reports scheduled which will create some stimulating conversations as we hear what our members are exploring in their latest research. In addition, there will be two Task Forces during the meeting, “The New Feminist Biblical Criticism” and “Addressing Jews and Judaism in Catholic Exegesis, Homiletics, and Catechesis.” There are also seven Continuing Seminars that you can choose to attend: “Divinity in Ancient Israel,” “Hebrew Poetry,” “The Deuterocanonical Books,” “The Gospel and Letters of John,” “Paul’s Letters,” “The Earliest Christian Writings: Texts and Traditions from the First and Second Century,” and “Isaiah and the Twelve.” All of these will provide ample opportunity for discussion and interaction for those attending in person and those attending online.

On Sunday (11:00-12:00 PM) the first of the Simultaneous Sessions will be held. The Old Testament Session Presenter is Elaine James from Princeton Theological Seminary, and her presentation is titled “The Psalms and the Speaking World: Poetry Animacy, and Enchantment.” The New Testament Session Presenter is Mary Coloe from the University of Divinity, Melbourne, and her presentation is titled “The Creation Theme in John: Prologue and Passion.” Our second Simultaneous Session will be held on Monday (11:00-12:00 PM). The OT Session Presenter is Nuria Calduch-Benages from the Pontifical Gregorian University, and her presentation is titled “The Impact of Deuteronomy on Ben Sira’s Teaching.” The NT Session Presenter is Timothy Milinovich from Dominican University, and his presentation is titled “In Paul We Trust, But Why? The Politics of Interpreting the Apostle after the Reformation.” I encourage you to attend and take part in what should be some very stimulating discussion.

We will have two major Panel Discussions at the AGM. The first on Saturday (7:00-8:30PM) will offer a discussion between the Academy and those involved in local ministry covering the issue of “The Bible and Social Justice in Action: Case Studies.” The second Panel Discussion will highlight the Biblical Studies from the CBA book series in which the panel, including several authors from the series, will discuss “Bridging the Gap Between the Academy and the Pews.” This is an outstanding collection of volumes written by CBA members on a variety of theological topics that attempt to answer questions of which many people in the pews are seeking answers. I encourage you to explore the possibility of writing a volume for this series. If you are interested, please contact the General Editor of the Series, Sheila McGinn, who will be one of the panel members.

Our final General Session will be held on Tuesday (11:00-12:00PM). The Presenter is Jaime Waters from Boston School of Theology and Ministry, and the title of her presentation will be “Motherhood in Jeremiah.” I highly encourage you to attend this session, along with the many others, and hear the latest cutting-edge research by our many outstanding CBA Scholars.

Please make plans to attend the Presidential Address by Stephen Reid. During this time, we will have a special presentation that will honor the CBA members who have passed on from this life and who have previously committed their lives and careers to the betterment of the CBA and whose influence still looms large.

There will be some important business to attend to at the AGM Business Meeting. I would encourage all Members to attend to hear about some of the initiatives CBA will have moving forward. During the Business Meeting there will be several amendments to the CBA Constitution and By-Laws that will be voted on and will be important to create a positive path toward growth in the coming years. I encourage all Full Members to attend and vote on these important amendments.

Finally, in an effort to encourage growth and participation in future meetings, I ask you to consider offering a proposal to the Planning Committee for a new Task Force, Continuing Seminar, or Panel or General Discussion for future meetings. It is important for us to build a strong presentation of all the various fields that our members are involved in and who would want to participate in at future AGMs. We need to expand the variety of topics that our members are interested in, so please step up and take part in helping to grow our AGM and our members’ footprint and influence in the biblical studies academy.

Sincerely,
Archie T. Wright
Executive Director