Category: Michael D
SBL 2010
The Society of Biblical Literature is holding their annual meeting in Atlanta. I count these few days as continuing education as I sit alongside scholars (and PhD hopefuls) and hear papers. Scholars have an interesting way of “polite” fighting as they question thesis, data, and assumptions. A typical session lasts 3 hrs and one might hear 4 or 5 papers with another scholar responding to the papers with critique or praise as well as discussion from the audience.
Some may wonder why a person who serves in youth ministry, children’s ministry, and young adult ministry would attend SBL? (It is better when the American Academy of Religion is meeting too.) There are no new games taught here and no overt spirituality or self-help suggestions in any of the sessions. For me it is simple. I cannot encourage others to be life long learners if I am not doing the same. Did I mention there are no exams? Every session I attend will have some component that can translate into my service in ministry, specifically and generally, and thus it is up to me to do the translation and sifting work to sync what can be applied and just live with the rest. I am grateful to my companion for her presence and invitation to attend this conference with her. Local ministers, ordained and licensed, would benefit from attending either a regional AAR/SBL event or the annual meeting.
Here are the sessions I’ve attended so far. The italics indicates the title of the papers. (BTW: you can come and go from these sessions so I may only list one or two rather than hearing all the papers.)
Bible and American Popular Culture
Rubén Dupertuis, Trinity University, Presiding
Shelly Colette, Mount Allison University
Dancing with the Devil: The Serpent as Eve in Fashion Magazine Advertising
Valarie Ziegler, DePauw University and Linda Schearing, Gonzaga University
The Sexploitation of Adam and Eve
Richard Walsh, Methodist University
(Carrying the Fire on) No Road for Old Horses
Bradley Crowell, Drake University
Constructing Jesus with the Biblezines
Construction of Christian Identities
Theme: The Birth of Christianity: Ideas, Models, Proposals – 1
Michael Allen Daise, College of William and Mary, Presiding
Adriana Destro, University of Bologna and Mauro Pesce, Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna: From Jesus Movement to Christianity: A Model for the Interpretation
Ekkehard Stegemann, Theologische Fakultät der Universität Basel
Did Something Go Wrong in the Beginning? Some Reflections on the Emergence of Christianity
Historical Jesus
Theme: Partnership or Polemic: Faith and History
Mark Powell, Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Presiding
Darrell L. Bock, Dallas Theological Seminary
Faith and the Historical Jesus: Does A Confessional Position and Respect for the Jesus Tradition Preclude Serious Historical Engagement?
Craig S. Keener, Palmer Theological Seminary of Eastern University
Methodological Assumptions in Historical Jesus Studies
Robert Webb, McMaster University
The Rules of the Game: History and Historical Method in the Context of Faith
Amy-Jill Levine, Vanderbilt University, Respondent
Robert Miller, Juniata College, Respondent
Academic Teaching and Biblical Studies
Theme: A Workshop on Interactive Technologies for Teaching and Learning
Web 2.0 is the label applied to a raft of new technologies that encourage user-generated content and collaboration. This session will be a workshop exploring how these technologies (wikis, discussion boards, Blackboard/Moodle, Skype, etc.) can be used to facilitate student learning. This workshop will feature hands-on demonstrations of different software, so participants should bring their laptops. Facilitators will lead small group discussions and hands-on training.
Andrew Gilmore, Asbury Theological Seminary, Presiding
Kelley Coblentz Bautch, St. Edward’s University
The Hype about Skype: Using Videoconferencing to Enhance our Teaching
Brooke Lester, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary
“To Those Far and Near”: The Case for “Community” at a Distance
David Howell, Ferrum College
Using Technology not to Manage but to Connect Course Teaching and Learning
Adam L. Porter, Illinois College
The Power of Zotero for Student Learning
Nicolai Winther-Nielsen, Copenhagen Lutheran School of Theology
Bereshit Basic Biblical Hebrew (3BH) – Interactive Technology for Language Learning
Blogger and Online Publication
Theme: The Past, Present, and Future of Blogging and Online Publication
Robert R. Cargill, University of California-Los Angeles, Presiding
James Davila, University of St. Andrews-Scotland
What Just Happened: The rise of “biblioblogging” in the first decade of the twenty-first century
Christian Brady, Pennsylvania State University University Park
Online Biblical Studies: Past, Present, Promise, and Peril
Michael Barber, John Paul the Great Catholic University
Weblogs and the Academy: The Benefits and Challenges of Biblioblogging
James McGrath, Butler University
The Blogging Revolution: New Technologies and their Impact on How we do Scholarship
Robert R. Cargill, University of California-Los Angeles
Instruction, Research, and the Future of Online Educational Technologies
After This Election, We Need a New Vision Forward
Jim Wallis is a realist, I think, but he also suffers from what I call, “true believer syndrome.” As I reflect on the election results here in Oklahoma as well as those around the nation the best way I can understand the white fear and explain the victory of plutocracy is to conclude that much of the nation suffers from Stockholm Syndrome. How is it that the party that refused to affirm their own ideas that this President brought to them via a Democratic congress is now ready to “do something” because they are now is some position of power. It is a demonstration of the “brat” nature some of us can exhibit. Who is rewarded? Follow the money. It is multi-national corporations that are holding our government and most of us hostage. In my opinion, the Republicans in government, not the average citizen that I share the road with, shop with and worship with, are only concerned about power, regaining power from a feared minority because that requires a change in worldview. It is, I think, the ugly truth that has not been spoken. You can wrap systemic plutocracy and racism in political slogans, you can scare the uninformed and those that don’t have the ability to filter information or wish to think for themselves, you can scapegoat like they are doing in Arizona and with terms like “Obamacare”, but when the curtain is pulled back and light is shown into the money those that think the Republicans have their best interest in mind or will bring back some mythical value or honor are voting to remain indentured servants that have the freedom to shop at Walmart or cross state lines when they wish. A quote from Gangs of New York is relevant today, “Everybody owes, everybody pays. Because that’s how you stand up against the rising of the tide.”
Here is what Jim Wallis thinks.
After this Election, We Need a New Vision Forward
Jim Wallis | Nov. 3, 2010He told me a story that sums up for me what happened in this election. During the health care debate his office sent out a press release entitled “Top Reasons to Oppose Obamacare.” He took those reasons and blew them up onto a banner to hang behind him during town hall meetings on health care. He started every town hall meeting taking 5 minutes to go through his list of reasons to oppose Obama’s health care plan. He then spent the next 85 minutes of those town halls talking about his vision for a conservative approach to health care reform that would cover people who didn’t have health insurance. That, he explained, was the beginning of the end of his reelection campaign.
This November 2, most voters cast their ballot against something. Some people voted against Pelosi, Reid, and Obama. Others voted against the Tea Party. My primary concern is not the electoral math but how our country approaches politics. When all our leaders are able to do is express opposition to the “other” side, we are in a crisis of leadership.