Society of Biblical Literature
Encyclopedia
The Society of Biblical Literature, founded 1880, is a constituent society of the American Council of Learned Societies
(since 1929), with the stated mission to "Foster Biblical
Scholarship". Membership is open to the public, including over 8,500 individuals from over 80 countries.
The SBL was not the first association dedicated to biblical studies in North America, but it was the first that was interdenominational. The thirty-two founding members of SBL in 1880 even included a Unitarian
, Ezra Abbott. The society's development was contemporary with increasing interest in Ancient Near East
studies. The SBL later developed specialist sections, such as the Textual and Linguistic Section.
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 would bring nonsectarian biblical scholarship to the general public."
The SBL Handbook of Style was developed for its own use but is also adopted by some schools for students of religion. The SBL Handbook of style includes a recommended standard format for abbreviation of Primary Sources in Ancient Near Eastern, biblical, and early Christian Studies. The Handbook and the Student Supplement are downloadable, and also contain recommendations for transliteration
standards.
The Society of Biblical Literature published the Journal of Biblical Literature
.
American Council of Learned Societies
The American Council of Learned Societies , founded in 1919, is a private nonprofit federation of seventy scholarly organizations.ACLS is best known as a funder of humanities research through fellowships and grants awards. ACLS Fellowships are designed to permit scholars holding the Ph.D...
(since 1929), with the stated mission to "Foster Biblical
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
Scholarship". Membership is open to the public, including over 8,500 individuals from over 80 countries.
The SBL was not the first association dedicated to biblical studies in North America, but it was the first that was interdenominational. The thirty-two founding members of SBL in 1880 even included a Unitarian
Unitarianism
Unitarianism is a Christian theological movement, named for its understanding of God as one person, in direct contrast to Trinitarianism which defines God as three persons coexisting consubstantially as one in being....
, Ezra Abbott. The society's development was contemporary with increasing interest in Ancient Near East
Ancient Near East
The ancient Near East was the home of early civilizations within a region roughly corresponding to the modern Middle East: Mesopotamia , ancient Egypt, ancient Iran The ancient Near East was the home of early civilizations within a region roughly corresponding to the modern Middle East: Mesopotamia...
studies. The SBL later developed specialist sections, such as the Textual and Linguistic Section.
In 2011 the society was awarded a $300,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities
National Endowment for the Humanities
The National Endowment for the Humanities is an independent federal agency of the United States established by the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965 dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities. The NEH is located at...
to produce Bible Odyssey, "an interactive website that would bring nonsectarian biblical scholarship to the general public."
The SBL Handbook of Style was developed for its own use but is also adopted by some schools for students of religion. The SBL Handbook of style includes a recommended standard format for abbreviation of Primary Sources in Ancient Near Eastern, biblical, and early Christian Studies. The Handbook and the Student Supplement are downloadable, and also contain recommendations for transliteration
Transliteration
Transliteration is a subset of the science of hermeneutics. It is a form of translation, and is the practice of converting a text from one script into another...
standards.
The Society of Biblical Literature published the Journal of Biblical Literature
Journal of Biblical Literature
The Journal of Biblical Literature is one of three theological journals published by the Society of Biblical Literature .First published in 1881, JBL is the flagship journal of the field...
.
Further reading
- Attridge, Harold W. and James C. VanderKam (eds). Presidential Voices: The Society of Biblical Literature in the Twentieth Century. Society of Biblical Literature, 2006. ISBN 1589832590
External links
- "Society of Biblical Literature" in the American Council of Learned Societies directory. Updated September 15, 2008.