Society of Biblical Literature

The Society of Biblical Literature (SBL), founded in 1880 as the Society of Biblical Literature and Exegesis,[1] is an American-based learned society dedicated to the academic study of the Bible and related ancient literature. Its current stated mission is to "foster biblical scholarship". Membership is open to the public, and consists of over 8,500 individuals from over 80 countries.[2] As a scholarly organization, SBL has been a constituent society of the American Council of Learned Societies since 1929.[3]

History

The eight founders of The Society of Biblical Literature and Exegesis first met to discuss their new society in Philip Schaff's study in New York City in January 1880. In June the group had their first Annual Meeting with eighteen people in attendance. The new society drew up a constitution and by-laws and discussed several papers. Membership dues were set at three dollars. By the end of the year, membership had grown to forty-five and publication of the meeting proceedings were in the planning stages. The Journal of Biblical Literature (JBL) was launched the following year.[4] The SBL was not the first association dedicated to biblical studies in North America, but it was the first that was interdenominational.[5] The thirty-two founding members of SBL in 1880 even included a Unitarian, Ezra Abbott.[6] The society's development was contemporary with increasing interest in Ancient Near East studies.[7]

Leadership

Gale A. Yee was elected as Vice-President of the Society of Biblical Literature in 2018 and will become President of the organization in 2019.

Publications

The Society of Biblical Literature has published the flagship Journal of Biblical Literature since 1881. In addition it publishes the journal Review of Biblical Literature. It publishes literature under the imprint SBL Press".[8]

The SBL Handbook of Style is a style manual specifically for the field of ancient Near Eastern, biblical, and early Christian studies. The SBL Handbook of Style includes a recommended standard format for abbreviation of Primary Sources in Ancient Near Eastern, biblical, and early Christian Studies.[9] The Chicago Manual of Style (16th ed.) refers writers to The SBL Handbook "for authoritative guidance".[10] The Student Supplement is downloadable, and also contain recommendations for transliteration standards.[11]

In 2011 the society was awarded a $300,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to produce Bible Odyssey, "an interactive website that brings nonsectarian biblical scholarship to the general public".[12][13]

In 2016, the Society of Biblical Literature published a jobs report in conjunction with the American Academy of Religion that provided employment data from the 2014-15 academic year.[14]

References

  1. ↑ Cutter, Charles (2004). Judaica Reference Sources. Littleton: Libraries Unlimited. p. 102. ISBN 1-59158-133-8. "Society of Biblical Literature The Society of Biblical Literature was founded in 1880 "to advance the public understanding of the Bible and biblical scholarship."
  2. ↑ SBL membership, Society of Biblical Literature
  3. ↑ SBL @ American Council of Learned Societies official site.
  4. ↑ Saunders, Ernest W. Searching the Scriptures: A History of the Society of Biblical Literature, 1880-1980. SBL Biblical Scholarship in North America 8. Chico, CA: Scholars Press, 1982. ISBN 978-0891305910
  5. ↑ Frank Ritchel Ames, Charles William Miller Foster Biblical Scholarship: Essays in Honor of Kent Harold Richards 2010 p68 "The Society of Biblical Literature was not the first association dedicated to the study of the Bible in North America, but it was the first group that was both interinstitutional and interdenominational. To be sure, it was dominated by ..."
  6. ↑ Richard Thomas Hughes The American quest for the primitive church 1988 p90 "The Society of Biblical Literature was founded in America in 1880. Of the thirty-two founding fathers only one – Ezra Abbott – was a Unitarian, and he was educated at Bowdoin and self- trained in biblical criticism.41 Five of the fathers ..."
  7. ↑ William Rainey Harper, Ernest De Witt Burton, Shailer Mathews The Biblical world 1912 p39 "In the same year in which the Society of Biblical Literature was founded Francis Brown began to offer courses in Assyrian at Union Seminary. Rightly to appreciate the progress made in the last thirty years we should have to review the ..."
  8. ↑ SBL Press Homepage
  9. ↑ The SBL Handbook of Style , ed. Society of Biblical Literature (2nd ed.; Atlanta: SBL Press, 2014).
  10. ↑ The Chicago Manual of Style (16th ed.; Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 2010, §§ 10.45 and 14.252) ISBN 0226104206
  11. ↑ Student Supplement to "The SBL Handbook of Style", second edition pdf
  12. ↑ NEH gov April 2011 grants State by State
  13. ↑ http://www.bibleodyssey.org
  14. ↑ "SBL Career Center". www.sbl-site.org. Retrieved 2017-11-29.

Further reading

  • Ames, Frank Ritchel, and Charles William Miller (eds). Foster Biblical Scholarship: Essays in Honor of Kent Harold Richards. SBL Biblical Scholarship in North America 24. Atlanta, GA: Society of Biblical Literature, 2010. ISBN 978-1-58983-534-4
  • Attridge, Harold W., and James C. VanderKam (eds). Presidential Voices: The Society of Biblical Literature in the Twentieth Century. SBL Biblical Scholarship in North America 22. Atlanta, GA: Society of Biblical Literature, 2006. ISBN 1-58983-259-0
  • Saunders, Ernest W. Searching the Scriptures: A History of the Society of Biblical Literature, 1880-1980. SBL Biblical Scholarship in North America 8. Chico, CA: Scholars Press, 1982. ISBN 978-0891305910
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