Mission, Visions, and Values
The following Mission Statement and Strategic Vision Statements were adopted by the SBL Council May 16, 2004, and revised October 23, 2011, and October 16, 2022.

Mission Statement:
Foster Academic Scholarship in biblical studies and cognate areas across global boundaries

Strategic Vision Statement:
Founded in 1880, the Society of Biblical Literature is the oldest and largest learned society devoted to the critical investigation of the Bible from a variety of academic disciplines. As an international organization, the Society offers its members opportunities for mutual support, intellectual growth, and professional development by:

• Advancing the academic study of biblical texts and their contexts, of interpretation of the Bibles and their many traditions and contexts, as well as comparative studies that focus on other culturally-central texts
• Promoting broad, open academic cooperation and critical perspectives within and among fields of study and across global boundaries
• Collaborating with relevant educational institutions, including colleges, universities, and institutions of theological and religious education, as well as other appropriate organizations, to support academic biblical scholarship and teaching
• Facilitating the production and dissemination of new knowledge in the relevant areas by, e.g., organizing scholarly conferences, webinars, and publishing scholarship in print and online
• Developing resources for diverse audiences in multiple languages, including students and general publics across global boundaries

Core Values:

*SBL has been a member of the American Council of Learned Societies since 1929.