Category: SBL Christian Apocrypha Section

The International Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature will soon be upon us (June 30 to July 4). I will be presenting a paper at the event (more on that to follow). Here is a list of papers/panels of interest to the study of the Christian Apocrypha.

Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha
July 2, 8:30-10:00 AM
Theme: Why Study Extra-Canonical Literature?

Kelley Coblentz Bautch, St. Edward's University, Presiding
Michael Segal, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Panelist
Ida Frohlich, Pazmany Peter Catholic University, Panelist
Pierluigi Piovanelli, University of Ottawa, Panelist
Joseph Sievers, Pontifical Biblical Institute and Pontifical Gregorian University, Panelist
Judith Newman, University of Toronto, Panelist
Jonathan Ben-Dov, University of Haifa, Panelist
Gabriele Boccaccini, University of Michigan, Panelist

Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha
July 3, 8:30-11:30 AM
Theme: New Approaches to the Study of the Pseudepigrapha and Apocrypha

Françoise Mirguet, Universite Catholique de Louvain, Presiding
Rebecca Raphael, Texas State University-San Marcos
Jesus the Disabler: Disability, Eschatology, and Identity in Sibylline Oracles 1.324-386 (25 min)
Timothy B. Sailors, University of Tubingen
The Baptism of Jesus and the Baptism of Adam in the Books of Adam and Eve (25 min)
Pieter M. Venter, University of Pretoria
Triadic Constructs in the Dinah Narrative: Genesis, Aramaic Levi and Jubilees (25 min)
Break (30 min)
Tony Burke, York University and Slavomír Céplö, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
The Syriac Tradition of the Legend of the Thirty Pieces of Silver (25 min)
Silviu N. Bunta, University of Dayton
The Shorter Recension of the Life of Adam and Eve: Revisiting the Romanian Version…

The program for this year’s Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature is now available on-line. Here are the sessions and papers related to the Christian Apocrypha:

Christian Apocrypha
11/23/2008 ~ 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM
Theme: The Latest Publications in Christian Apocrypha: Gospel of Mary and Gospel Fragments

Karen King, Harvard University, Presiding (5 min)
Andrew Gregory, Oxford University
The Oxford Early Christian Gospel Texts (15 min)
Critical Review of Christopher Tuckett, The Gospel of Mary (Oxford University Press)
Esther A. de Boer, Protestant Theological University Kampen, Panelist (20 min)
Ann Graham Brock, Iliff School of Theology, Panelist (20 min)
Christopher Tuckett, University of Oxford, Respondent (15 min)
Discussion (10 min)
Critical Review of Thomas J. Kraus, Michael J. Kruger, and Tobias Nicklas, Gospel Fragments (Oxford University Press)
Paul Foster, University of Edinburgh, Panelist (20 min)
Pierluigi Piovanelli, University of Ottawa, Panelist (20 min)
Tobias Nicklas, University of Regensburg, Respondent (15 min)
Discussion (10 min)

Christian Apocrypha
11/24/2008 ~ 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Theme: New Perspectives on Lesser Known Traditions: Syriac, Egyptian, and Arabic

Robert Doran, Amherst College
Structuring the Fragments of the Gospel of the Egyptians (20 min)
Discussion (10 min)
Tony Burke, York University
The Infancy Gospel of Thomas in the Jacobite Syriac Tradition (20 min)
Discussion (10 min)
Brent C. Landau, Harvard University
The Christian Production of “Pagan” Pseudepigrapha (20 min)
Discussion (10 min)
Cornelia Horn, Saint Louis University
Neglected Figures in Neglected Apocrypha: Christian Arabic and Syriac Traditions (20 min)
Discussion (10 min)…

The deadline is fast approaching for proposals for the 2008 Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature. The meeting takes place in Boston, November 21-25. Anyone interested in submitting a proposal to the Christian Apocrypha Section (really, the only section that truly matters) can find details at THIS LINK. Proposals must be in by March 1. I will be there once again this year, this time presenting on my ongoing work on the Syriac Jacobite tradition of the Infancy Gospel of Thomas.

As promised in my last post, here are some brief comments about this year’s Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature. Keep an eye out also for Jim Davila’s roundup on Paleojudaica (he may even have some good photos) and April DeConick’s comments on Forbidden Gospels.

The meeting took place in sunny San Diego, California—a wonderful location. Usually I try to take some time at conferences to check out the city a little but most of my wanderings were relegated to the boardwalk behind the hotels and a trip to the nearest mall for gifts for loved ones. One night was dedicated to a death-defying trip south of the border to Tijuana. After polling about 1000 other academics, I could find only one other brave soul willing to join me on this “spiritual quest” (the “spirit” in this case was a bottle of Tequila); in retrospect, they are far wiser for it.

On day two I took in the papers of the Early Christian Families Group and an AAR session on “The Holy Child: Traditions of the Infant and Child Jesus”. In the evening I squeezed in at the end of the crowded session on “Books of the Gospel of Judas: An Evening with the Authors” and stayed around long enough to introduce myself to April DeConick (of Forbidden Gospels fame).

Day three was spent at two Christian Apocrypha sessions. The highlight of these sessions for me was the presentation by Abraham Terian on his forthcoming edition of …

The Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature is fast approaching (Nov. 17-20). The Program has been posted on-line and several bloggers have been drawing attention to particular sessions (see The Forbidden Gospels on the Gospel of Judas papers). Here are the complete details of the Apocrypha sessions:

November 19, 1-3 pm

Christopher Matthews, Weston Jesuit School of Theology, Presiding Antti Marjanen, University of Helsinki
Does the Gospel of Judas Rehabilitate Judas Iscariot? (25 min)
Discussion (5 min)
Edward Dixon, Emory University
A Hope for Status Inversion in the Acts of Thomas (25 min)
Discussion (5 min)
Derek S. Dodson, Baylor University
Dream Magic: The Dream of Pilate’s Wife and the Accusation of Magic in the Acts of Pilate (25 min)
Discussion (5 min)
Jennifer A. Glancy, Le Moyne College
Mary in Childbirth (25 min)
Discussion (5 min)
Paul G. Schneider, University of South Florida
A Johannine Trajectory for the Lord's Secret Sacrament (25 min)
Discussion (5 min)

November 19, 4-6:30 pm

Abraham Terian, St. Nersess' Armenian Seminary The Armenian Gospel of the Infancy (25 min)
Discussion (5 min)
Claire Clivaz, University of Lausanne
Madness, Philosophical, or Mystical Experiment? A Weird Text, Recognitions 2:61-69 (25 min)
Discussion (5 min)
Päivi Vähäkangas, University of Helsinki
The Doctrine of Creatio ex Nihilo in Pseudo-Clementine Literature (25 min)
Discussion (5 min)
Caleb Webster, Claremont Graduate University
Taking Over Thomas: The Subversion of Judas Didymus Thomas in the Edessene Abgar Tradition (25 min)
Discussion (5 min)
Business Meeting (30 min)

November 20, 9-11:30

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Interested in presenting a paper for the Christian Apocrypha Section of the Society of Biblical Literature? The call for papers for the 2007 Annual Meeting in San Diego November 17-20, 2007 has been posted. Here are the details:

Call For Papers: This Section pursues the latest research on aspects of the Passion/Resurrection narratives in extracanonical texts as, e.g., the Gospel of Peter, the Acta Pilati (Gospel of Nicodemus), or the Gospel of the Savior. This focus includes interest in the genesis and development of passion traditions or themes, the communities that produced them, and their place on the map of Christian origins. Another session is open to all issues pertaining to the apocrypha and encourages submissions for the Seminar Papers.

Call For Papers Opens: 11/15/2006

Call For Papers Closes: 3/1/2007

Program Unit Chair:Ann Graham Brock (annbrock@aol.com).

As I write this some of our colleagues are enjoying themselves in Washington for the 2006 Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature. Why am I not with them? I have skipped the SBL for several years now under the pretense that I want to devote my energies to my book. Usually that means I miss SBL and continue to avoid the book but this year I am actually busy at work.

For those who cannot attend SBL but are curious about the papers being presented this year, I offer the following list:

November 18 (morning): Apostle as Conveyor of Authority

Edward Dixon, Yale Divinity School: “A Hope for Status Inversion in the Acts of Thomas”

Simon S. Lee, Harvard University: “Peter and the Transfiguration Event in 2 Peter and the Apocalypse of Peter”

Catherine Playoust, Harvard University: “James and Peter in the Apocryphon of James”

Glenn E. Snyder, Harvard University: “Third Corinthians: An Orthodox Production of Scripture”

November 18, 2006 (afternoon): Mary Magdalene and Apostolic Authority  

Judith Hartenstein, Philipps Universität, Marburg: “Mary Magdalene the Apostle: A Re-interpretation of Literary Traditions?”

Jane D. Schaberg, University of Detroit Mercy: “Magdalene Christianity: A Collection of Fragments, or an Actual Reality in Early Communities?”

Esther A. de Boer, Theological University of Kampen, the Netherlands: “‘Surely, He Has Not Spoken to a Woman’”Responses from Elaine Pagels, Christopher Matthews, Philip Sellew, and Ann Graham Brock.

November 20, 2006: Open Session

Janet Elizabeth Spittler, University of Chicago: “Tuna Redivivus: Dried

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