Category: SBL Christian Apocrypha Section

I realize the internet and blogging is all about immediacy, but intermittent Wifi access at the SBL sites, my own desire to extend my trip to San Diego, and end-of-term teaching obligations has meant a lengthy delay in posting anything about my conference activities at SBL this year. Hopefully you’ll agree that reading this account late is better than not at all.

Day 1: November 22

When I left Toronto Friday night, the temperature was around -5 C, up from -15 the day before. For the entire week in San Diego the weather was fabulous: sunny and 20-26 C. My wife Laura kept remarking “Can you believe this?!” I had trouble getting her to board the flight home. I vote to have SBL at San Diego every year (or at least somewhere on equal latitude). We stayed at the Marriott Marquis & Marina, and looked out at a panoramic view of the San Diego Bay (Laura: “Can you believe this view?!”). The last time I was in San Diego, for SBL 2007, I shared a room with three other guys. My fortunes have certainly improved over the years.

I rose early to chair the first of our four Christian Apocrypha sessions: “‘Canonical/Apocryphal’ and Other Troublesome Binaries.” The first paper was delivered by Matthew Crawford (University of Durham): “The Diatessaron, Canonical or Non-canonical? Rereading the Dura Fragment.” Crawford, who has written previously on the Diatessaron (e.g., “Diatessaron: A Misnomer? The Evidence of Ephrem’s Commentary,” Early Christianity 4.3 [2013]: 362-85), advocates …

Here is a quick rundown of the sessions and papers at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature focusing on Christian Apocrypha. I hope I found them all. See you in San Diego.

Christian Apocrypha Section sessions:

S22-118: Christian Apocrypha
11/22/2014 ~ 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Theme: “Canonical/Apocryphal” and Other Troublesome Binaries
Tony Burke, York University, Presiding
Matthew R Crawford, University of Durham: “The Diatessaron, Canonical or Non-canonical? Rereading the Dura Fragment”
Cornelia Horn, Catholic University of America: “Christian Apocrypha in Georgian on Jesus and Mary: Questions of Canonicity, Liturgical Usage, and Social Settings”
Richard I. Pervo, Saint Paul, Minnesota: “Canonical Apocrypha”
Shaily Shashikant Patel, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: “Magical Miracles and Miraculous Magic: Discourse of the Supernatural in the Acts of Peter”
Brad F. King, University of Texas at Austin: “Reframing the Apocryphon of John: ‘Christianizing’ Revisions in the Long Recension”

S22-210: Christian Apocrypha
11/22/2014 ~1:00 PM to 3:30 PM
Theme: Presenting the Christian Apocrypha to Non-Scholarly Audiences
Brent Landau, University of Texas at Austin, Presiding
Panelists:
Bart Ehrman, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Author of Lost Christianities and The Other Gospels
Nicola Denzey, Brown University, Author of Introduction to ‘Gnosticism’: Ancient Voices, Christian Worlds
Robert Cargill, University of Iowa, Consulting Producer on History Channel’s Bible Secrets Revealed
Roger Freet, HarperOne, Panelist, Executive Editor at HarperOneBreak
Hal Taussig, Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York, Editor of A New New Testament
Tony Burke, York University, Author of Secret …

The program for the 2014 Annual Meeting of the SBL is now available. This year the Christian Apocrypha Section is offering four sessions (up from one last year!). One of these is a panel on presenting Christian Apocrypha to popular audiences, and another is a joint session with the Gospel of Luke Section honoring François Bovon. We had a large number of proposals this year and, while we would like to accept every paper, alas we cannot. Our thanks to all those who sent in proposals. We hope to see you in San Diego.

S22-118: Christian Apocrypha
11/22/2014 ~ 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Theme: "Canonical/Apocryphal" and Other Troublesome Binaries
Tony Burke, York University, Presiding
Matthew R Crawford, University of Durham: "The Diatessaron, Canonical or Non-canonical? Rereading the Dura Fragment"
Cornelia Horn, Catholic University of America: "Christian Apocrypha in Georgian on Jesus and Mary: Questions of Canonicity, Liturgical Usage, and Social Settings"
Richard I. Pervo, Saint Paul, Minnesota: "Canonical Apocrypha" 
Shaily Shashikant Patel, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: "Magical Miracles and Miraculous Magic: Discourse of the Supernatural in the Acts of Peter"
Brad F. King, University of Texas at Austin: "Reframing the Apocryphon of John: 'Christianizing' Revisions in the Long Recension"

S22-210: Christian Apocrypha
11/22/2014 ~1:00 PM to 3:30 PM
Theme: Presenting the Christian Apocrypha to Non-Scholarly Audiences
Brent Landau, University of Texas at Austin, Presiding
Panelists:
Bart Ehrman, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Author of Lost Christianities and The Other Gospels
Nicola Denzey, Brown University, …

Now that the teaching for this semester is dying down, I have some time, at last, to throw together some reflections on my activities at this year’s Annual Meeting of the SBL. Without further ado…

Day One (November 22):

Arrival in Baltimore via plane, train, and automobile—driving from home in Kitchener to the airport in Buffalo (cheaper than a flight from Toronto) with a transfer in Detroit (that’s right, Detroit) and touchdown in Baltimore, then LTR to my hotel. Nighttime in Baltimore is a little scary. I disembarked the LTR in a part of town that was mostly boarded up and the people on the street looked a bit desperate. My hotel (the Quality Inn) was actually quite nice, but the miniscule size of their sign made it difficult to find. I capped off the evening with a drink and a meal with my York University colleague and SBL roomie Tony Michael.

Day Two

I began my Annual Meeting experience as many of us do with a visit to the registration desk (for name tag) and then a spin around the book display. I had a lunch meeting lined up with Jim Davila, co-editor of Old Testament Pseudepigrapha: More Noncanonical Scriptures, and had to grab a copy of the book, now finally available after much delay. I also put my name down for the display copy of Roelof van den Broek’s Pseudo-Cyril of Jerusalem, On The Life and the Passion of Christ: A Coptic Apocryphon (discussed previously HERE…

Here is a quick rundown of the sessions and papers focusing on the Christian Apocrypha. See you in Baltimore.

November 23

S23-106: Art and Religions of Antiquity (9-11:30am)

Zsuzsanna Gulacsi, Northern Arizona University, "The Crystal Seal of 'Mani, the Apostle of Jesus Christ’ in the Bibliothèque Nationale de France"

Michael Peppard, Fordham University, "Annunciation at the Well-Spring: An Analysis of Type"

S23-125:Nag Hammadi and Gnosticism (9-11:30am)
Joint Session With: Nag Hammadi and Gnosticism, Papyrology and Early Christian Backgrounds
Theme: Scribes and Readers of the Nag Hammadi Codices in Fourth- and Fifth-Century Egypt

Eduard Iricinschi, The Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, "'Do Not Think It Is as Moses Said' (NH II,1,13): Domesticating the Secret Book of John in Nag Hammadi Codices II, III, IV, and Berlin Gnostic Code"

Julio Cesar Chaves, Université Laval, "Scribal Intervention in Nag Hammadi Codex V’s Titles"

Eric Crégheur, Université Laval, "The 'Pistis Sophia': A Status Quæstionis"

Lance Jenott, Universitetet i Oslo, "Readers’ Aids and Other Scribal Practices in Codex Tchacos"

Hugo Lundhaug, Universitetet i Oslo, "Scribal Culture and Paratextual Features in the Nag Hammadi and Dishna Codices"

S23-209: Children in the Biblical World (1-3:30pm)
Theme: Children in Gospels, Especially the Infancy Gospel of Thomas

Justin King, Baylor University, "Not-Quite-As-Early Narrative Christology of the Pre-Existent Lord, Creator, Teacher, Son of God, and Savior in the Infancy Gospel of Thomas"

Sharon Betsworth, Oklahoma City University, "Where Have All the Young Girls Gone? The Infancy Gospel of Thomas and Girls"

Reidar Aasgaard, Universitetet i Oslo, "Challenges in Writing a Commentary

…

This is the first of two posts reporting on the sessions on the Christian Apocrypha from the 2012 SBL Annual Meeting. Before I get to the papers, however, I just want to mention several books on the CA that I picked up at the conference.

David L. Eastman. Paul the Martyr: The Cult of the Apostle in the Latin West (SBL 2011). David is one of the contributors to the More Christian Apocrypha volumes. I have yet to look at the book closely, but it draws upon apocryphal Pauline texts, including some of the lesser known late "acts" literature (e.g., the Acts of Paul and Peter). 

François Bovon and Christopher R. Matthews. The Acts of Philip: A New Translation (Baylor 2012). This first complete English translation of the Acts of Philip is long overdue. Bovon provides a brief introduction, discussing the new manuscripts used for the edition (published as CCSA 11), and the two contribute the translation. There are few notes and no commentary.

Christoph Markschies and Jens Schröter. Antike christliche Apokryphen in deutscher Übersetzung (Mohr Siebeck, 2012). I was very happy to be able to pick this up from SBL (rather than ordering it online) and at a pretty decent price ($102 US for the two-part first

The 2012 Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature is only days away; so, it is about time that I got around to posting the schedule for the Christian Apocrypha sessions. I will be attending all of the sessions and will post a summary when I return.

Saturday Nov. 17

(S17-108) 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM

Room: N138 – McCormick Place

Theme: New Manuscripts, Texts, and Translations

Brent Landau, University of Oklahoma, Presiding

Richard I. Pervo, St. Paul, MN : “Thecla Wove This Web Or Some Things I Learned from Attempting to Write a Commentary on the Acts of Paul” (20 min) Discussion (10 min)

Susan E. Hylen, Vanderbilt University: "The Orthodox Thecla: Characterization of Thecla in the LIfe and Miracles of Saint Thecla" (20 min) Discussion (10 min)

Antti Marjanen, University of Helsinki: "Two New Coptic Fragments of the Apocalypse of Paul (Visio Pauli)" (20 min) Discussion (10 min)

Gesine Schenke Robinson, Episcopal Theological School at Claremont: "The Coptic Testament of Job and its Reception in the Early Christian Period" (20 min) Discussion (10 min)”

(S17-211) 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM

Room: E261 – McCormick Place

Theme: The infancy roots of Mary's first biographies

Pierluigi Piovanelli, Université d'Ottawa – University of Ottawa, Presiding

M. David Litwa, University of Virginia: "Jesus, Hermes and Dionysus: The Divine Child in the Infancy Gospel of Thomas" (20 min) Discussion (10 min)

James Waddell, University of Toledo: "Recontextualizing the Infancy Gospel of Thomas – A Proposal" (20 min) …

Here is an updated list (probably still not complete) of CA-related sessions and papers at this year's Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature:

SATURDAY NOV. 20

Debra J. Bucher (Vassar College): "A Marriage of Convenience: Apocalyptic Texts and Cohabitation in the (Pseudo) Epistle of Titus" (session: Wisdom and Apocalypticism in Early Judaism and Early Christianity, 9:00-11:30am)

Syriac Literature and Interpretations of Sacred Texts/Christian Apocrypha, 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM

Theme: Apocrypha in the Syriac Tradition
F. Stanley Jones (California State University-Long Beach), Presiding

Nicholas J. Zola (Baylor University): “Tatian’s 'Second-to-Last' Supper: The Diatessaron and the Crucifixion Chronology”

Zsuzsanna Gulacsi (Northern Arizona University): “The Diatessaron in Early Manichaean Art and Text”

Jonathan K. Henry (University of Pennsylvania): “Bound and Free: Patterns of Conversion and Conduct in the Theology of the Syriac Text of the Acts of Thomas”

Aaron Overby (Saint Louis University): “One Scripture, One God: Addai’s Proclamation of Christ at Edessa”

Christian Apocrypha, 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM
Theme: Christian Apocrypha and Art
François Bovon (Harvard University), Presiding

David R. Cartlidge (Maryville College): “About Oxen and Asses: Variations on a Common Theme in Early Christian Art”

Michael Peppard (Fordham University): “Apocryphal Women in the Dura Europos Baptistery”

Ally Kateusz (University of Missouri): “The Apocryphal Mary in the Cubiculum of the Velata in the Priscilla Catacomb”

Rosie Ratcliffe (King's College London): “Interpreting Violent and Voyeuristic Representations of Women within the Apocryphal Acts of the Apostles”

Function of Apocryphal and Pseudepigraphal Writings in Early Judaism and Early …

The 2011 Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature is less than a month away. Here are the sessions related to the Christian Apocrypha:

Nov. 20 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Syriac Literature and Interpretations of Sacred Texts/Christian Apocrypha Theme: Apocrypha in the Syriac Tradition
F. Stanley Jones, California State University-Long Beach, Presiding

Nicholas J. Zola, Baylor University: “Tatian’s “Second-to-Last” Supper: The Diatessaron and the Crucifixion Chronology”Zsuzsanna Gulacsi, Northern Arizona University: “The Diatessaron in Early Manichaean Art and Text”
Jonathan K. Henry, University of Pennsylvania: “Bound and Free: Patterns of Conversion and Conduct in the Theology of the Syriac Text of the Acts of Thomas”
Aaron Overby, Saint Louis University: “One Scripture, One God: Addai’s Proclamation of Christ at Edessa”

Nov. 20 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM
Christian Apocrypha
Theme: Christian Apocrypha and Art
François Bovon, Harvard University, Presiding

David R. Cartlidge, Maryville College: “About Oxen and Asses: Variations on a Common Theme in Early Christian Art”
Michael Peppard, Fordham University: “Apocryphal Women in the Dura Europos Baptistery”
Ally Kateusz, University of Missouri: “The Apocryphal Mary in the Cubiculum of the Velata in the Priscilla Catacomb”
Rosie Ratcliffe, King's College London: “Interpreting Violent and Voyeuristic Representations of Women within the Apocryphal Acts of the Apostles”

Nov. 20 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Function of Apocryphal and Pseudepigraphal Writings in Early Judaism and Early Christianity Theme: Perhaps Outside the Canon, But Not Off the Shelves: Contributions of Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha to the Formation of Early Judiasm and Christianity
David A. …

[Since I was not able to attend this year's SBL in New Orleans, I asked Harvard alum and CA scholar Brent Landau to provide this summary for us. Thanks Brent.]

I was only able to attend two of the three Christian Apocrypha sessions at the SBL this year, having missed the session that focused on “Animals as Symbols and Metaphors in Apocryphal Texts.” But the sections I attended had a range of very interesting topics.

The first session (22-210, Sunday 1:00-3:30) was an open session, with papers on the Pseudo-Clementines, the figure of Joseph, and the Protevangelium of James.

Dominique Côté from the University of Ottawa presented a paper entitled “Prophecy in the Pseudo-Clementines.” His basic argument was that the Ps-C are engaged in a conflict with Neoplatonic philosophy, its conception of “the True Prophet” being set over against Greek philosophical thought. Specifically, Côté contends that the Ps-C are responding to Porphyry of Tyre, the student of Plotinus who may also have advised Diocletian during his early fourth-century persecution of Christians. Nicole Kelley of Florida State University was Côté’s respondent, and was generally persuaded by his thesis. She observed that Côté’s work was part of a recent trend in Ps-C scholarship that attempts to understand the Ps-C as late antique (3^rd-4^th c.) documents rather than seeking after a 1^st or 2^nd c. primitive core (the so-called Grundschrift or “Basic Writing”).

Reidar Aasgaard from the University of Oslo, with a copy in hand of his …