Teaching the Bible in These Times
The SBL workshop series, “Teaching the Bible in These Times,” seeks to encourage biblical scholars to teach biblical studies in ways that are not only relevant to what is going on in society but also in the direction of justice. After the completion of our first workshop in the series, “Teaching the Bible with BLM and Other Social Protests and Movements,” SBL is offering two news workshops this year.
Teaching the Bible During and After COVID-19Led by Candace Buckner (Virginia Tech, USA) and David Schones (Austin College, USA) This
online workshop will focus on how to teach courses in biblical studies that address issues regarding accessibility (including using new technologies in the classroom) and academic ableism. Together, participants in the workshop will discuss topics such as Universal Design (UD), campus climates, disability accommodations, academic conferences, and course design. Participants will also work on redesigning conference presentations, courses, or lecture series with accessibility and technology concerns in mind.
The online workshop will meet virtually (from 7:00-9:00 pm Eastern time) on the following dates and topics during the 2023-2024 academic year:
- Universal Design (September 7, 2023, Thursday)
- Campus Climates (October 5, 2023, Thursday)
- Disability Accommodations (November 2, 2023, Thursday)
- Academic Conferences (January 4, 2024, Thursday)
- Assignment Redesign (February 1, 2024, Thursday)
- Course/Lecture Redesign (March 7, 2024, Thursday)
Participants (limited to 14) will receive an honorarium of $1,200.00 for the workshop ($200.00 for each online session).
Teaching the Bible to Multiple PublicsLed by Renita Weems (Ray of Hope Community Church, USA) and Greg Carey (Lancaster Theological Seminary, USA) Together we will build and share strategies by which biblical scholars may teach the Bible to multiple publics. We will discuss interactions based in academic institutions, writing in multiple settings and styles, public advocacy, addressing religious communities in local settings and beyond, interviews and communication through non-print media, and even public addresses in places like bars and restaurants. We will also share wisdom for addressing misappropriations of scholarship and speaking to complicated, even dangerous, texts and interpretations.
However,
this workshop will not be discussing how to build larger platforms or how persons serving in authorized religious leadership can teach effectively in religious communities (e.g., congregations) to which they are appointed.
After an in-person session before the Annual Meeting in San Antonio (8:45 am - 3:30 pm), we will hold three online sessions (4-5:30 pm Eastern time on January 30, February 27, March 19) on the following topics:
- “Which Publics?” (January 30, 2024, Tuesday)
- “Countering "Bible Bullying" (February 27, 2024, Tuesday)
- “Writing for Specific Venues” (March 19, 2024, Tuesday)
Participants (limited to 14) will receive an honorarium of $500.00 for the in-person session in San Antonio and $100.00 for each of the online sessions. In addition, SBL will cover your hotel accommodation on November 16 (Thursday) and provide two meals (breakfast and lunch) during the in-person session in San Antonio.
Application Deadline for Both Workshops: June 30, 2023 We invite SBL members—from ABD doctoral students to mid-career faculty—to apply. To apply to participate in either or both of these workshops, please use the following link(s) to fill out the application form. If you are admitted to both workshops, you will need to choose which one of the two workshops you prefer to join.
Please note that the honorarium for each online session is higher for one workshop because there is no in-person session and hence no hotel and meal coverage. We have tried our best to make sure that the total benefits are more or less the same for participants of both workshop since we know the ability to attend the Annual Meeting may differ among our membership.