From the Executive Director

Dear Colleagues,

We are approaching yet another academic year. I pray for your success and happiness as students return to campus. I am grateful to our members who are helping grow our organization. Recruitment of the students in our classes is the future of our organization. We have already received numerous applications to join the organization since we concluded our 88th Annual General Meeting, and look forward to inducting even more members at the 89th AGM.   

There has been a disappointing backlash towards the organization and our members in the aftermath of our very successful AGM. History was made when we elected Amy-Jill Levine to preside as president for the next calendar year, becoming the first Jewish president for the CBA. We are deeply disappointed and concerned with the waves of Anti-Semitism and hate directed towards Amy-Jill and her family. We condemn the hate and fully affirm our support of Amy-Jill as president of the organization. We are pleased to have the USCCB formally back our decision in their letter of congratulations to Amy-Jill yesterday. Gregory Sterling and I wrote an official statement on this matter that can be found below.

Our 89th AGM will be held in the summer of 2027 and in California. We are deciding between Santa Clara University and Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. While we have not secured official dates, we are planning to host the event in late July like we did this year. We feel these dates allow for the largest attendance rates possible. 

After two plus years of a thorough examination of all that is CBA, the Strategic Planning Committee, chaired by Anathea Portier-Young, released its report which is now available for your reading enjoyment at catholicbiblical.org/news/strategic-plan. The report offers a look at some of the exciting initiatives that CBA has in the works for our membership that will help grow and sustain the Association and reach out to the international communities.

It was reported at the AGM that the financial status of the CBA is stable and growing with the help of Ron Chesney and UBS Investments. Our investment portfolio was up 10.15% for the fiscal year and as of July 31 its value was approximately $19.4M.

We are continuing with our Unbound Book Review (UBR) Series, which has been very successful thus far in promoting our members’ published works. If you have a new publication coming out soon, please complete the UBR form (https://www.catholicbiblical.org/news/ubr-form) with details and either Joshua Scott or I will contact you to discuss scheduling in the UBR series. We have 4 UBRs scheduled for the rest of 2026, starting with Rebecca Harris’ Book Religious Experience and Divinization in the Sectarian Dead Sea Scrolls. The review will be held on September 15th and start at 10 am. Luke and Acts with(in) Second Temple Judaism (October 15), The Life of Jesus in the Writings of Origen of Alexandria (November 11), and A Woman Validates the Word: Re-thinking Huldah’s Prophetic Legacy and Locus (December 9). Registration for these events can be found on the CBA website.

One final note. We are officially announcing our Affiliate Association application. The Catholic Biblical Association of America’s Affiliate Association program provides a formal framework for organizations that wish to participate in and support the work
of the CBA. Affiliate Association status is intended for organizations whose mission, activities, and public presence are consistent with the CBA’s mission, standards, and institutional responsibilities. Affiliation allows participating organizations to strengthen their connection with the CBA while retaining their own identity, mission, leadership, and governance. You can find a link to the application here: https://www.catholicbiblical.org/affiliate

I wish you all the best in this new academic year and pray that the Lord will bless the work you are doing for the Kingdom of God.

Peace/Shalom/Salaam,
Archie

September 2026

 In this issue...

Statements in Support of A.J. Levine

Gregory E. Sterling
Chair of the Executive Board
The Catholic Biblical Association of America 

Archie Wright
Executive Director
The Catholic Biblical Association of America 

 In this issue...

Grants, Fellowships, Stipends,
Visiting Professorships

NOVEMBER 15th is the new application deadline for:

• Archaeological Fellowship
• Doctoral Dissertation Stipends
• Research Grants from the CBA for the Promotion of Biblical Scholarship
  (the next grant cycle is in 2027) 
• Sabbatical Fellowship 
• Visiting Professorships:
  • Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome (the next grant cycle is in 2027)
  • École Biblique et Archéologique Française de Jérusalem

JANUARY 15th is the application deadline for:

• Travel Grants
• Emerging Scholars Fellowships 

 In this issue...

Upcoming Events

CBA's series of free virtual events which draw together scholars from diverse fields to discuss a recent publication through reflection on specific questions continues this autumn with the following Unbound Book Reviews (UBR). All times listed are Eastern Time. Click on the links below for more information and to register.

• September 15, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
  Rebecca Harris' Religious Experience and Divinization in the
  Sectarian Dead Sea Scrolls 
   
• October 15, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
  Luke and Acts with(in) Second Temple Judaism,  Isaac W. Oliver, Jocelyn McWhirter, and Joshua Scott (editors)
   
• November 11, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
  Samuel B. Johnson's The Life of Jesus in the Writings of Origen of Alexandria
   
• Upcoming UBRs (dates and times yet to be determined)
  • January 2027
    Stephen Cook's Daniel (BCOT)
  • February 2027
    The Thanksgiving Scroll (OCDSS) by Carol A. Newsom  and Eileen M. Schuller 
  • May 2027
     Elizabeth B. Schrader Polczer's An Abundant Bouquet: Narrative Variants in the Gospels

 In this issue...

Recordings

The following 2026 AGM recordings are available:

• Panel discussion with Marie Heath, Brian Hillman, and Joshua Scott, “Texts, Tools, and Trust: Biblical Scholarship in the Age of Artificial Intelligence”  
• Sunday Eucharist
• Hugo Méndez, "Have We Misunderstood 1 John?”
• Kirsten M. Schäfers, “Borderlands Matter / Borderland Matters: Reading Num 25 as a Borderlands Text in the Context of Num 21-36”
• Richard Bautch, “Covenants in Perspective: The Second Temple Period and Beyond”
• Nathan Mastnjak, “The Power of Prophetic Speech”
• Anthony Giambrone, O.P., “Sons, Slaves, Free(d)men, and Friends: 'The Works of Abraham'(John 8:39) in John’s Jewish Context
• Olivia Stewart Lester, “Paul, Judaism, and 1 Thessalonians”

 In this issue...

Membership Dues 

Retired Member Dues Category

If you have recently retired or will be retiring before the end of 2026, congratulations!

CBA has a reduced dues category ($20) for retired Associate and Full Members.  If you wish to take advantage of the retired member dues category, you must notify the CBA Office (cba-office@cua.edu) by October 1, 2026. Dues invoices for 2027 will be generated in October, so if you have not requested the new retired member dues fee by October 1, you will have to pay the full dues fee of $50 to remain active in the association until the next dues cycle for 2028.

For your convenience, you may use the button below (by OCTOBER 1) to create your email to request the Retired Member Dues Fee. Send the email once you have added your email address and name.


THE DUES CATEGORY CARRIES FROM YEAR TO YEAR,
so if you already requested Retired Member Dues earlier,
no further action is required.

Automatic Payment of Dues Option

For the past couple of years, CBA  members have an autopay option for dues renewals. Autopay is the optional, member-elected process that allows your stored credit card to automatically be charged as a payment toward the dues invoice generated in October for the next year.

To set up autopay:

1. Go to your Member Compass™ and click on "Payment Methods"
2. Click on the gold button, "+ Add New Card"
3. Complete the form

When the dues invoices are generated in October, your card automatically will be charged and you will receive an email notification. If, for some reason, the card transaction fails (usually because the card has expired) you will receive an email notification.

New Fee Structure to be Implemented for 
2028 Membership Dues

CBA Full Members voted at the July 20th Business Meeting to adopt a dues fee structure to be implemented for the 2028 membership dues. The 2027 membership dues will be calculated at the current rate: $50 for a Full or Associate Member, $20 for a retired Associate or Full Member, and $10 for a Graduate Student. The dues fee structure was approved by the Strategic Planning Committee and the Executive Board before the Full Members approved the motion to accept the proposal. The CBA Office will be sending out information early in 2027 to begin the implementation process.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
.

 In this issue...

Voices of CBA

 In this issue...

CBA Office Hours

The CBA Office will be closed Monday, September 7th,
for Labor Day observance.


Image by Benjamin Wildflower



 In this issue...

Shipping or Email Address Changed?

If you have recently moved, changed your institution or email address, don't forget to either make the change in your online membership record or notify the CBA Office (cba-office@cua.edu). 

 In this issue...