2025 SBL Annual Meeting
November 22–25, 2025
Hynes Convention Center
Boston, MA
The SBL Annual Meeting brings together professors and students, authors and publishers, religious leaders and interested laypersons, to its venue each year. Co-hosted by the Society of Biblical Literature and the American Academy of Religion, the Annual Meeting focuses on the fields of biblical scholarship and research, religious studies, and theology. Attendees of the event will have access to more than 900 academic sessions and workshops. The Exhibit Hall features one of the world’s largest collections of books and digital resources for biblical study, as well as a vibrant networking space where attendees can present ideas to publishers, browse the latest publications, and connect with colleagues.
Registration rates and hotel information will be available Spring 2025. If you would like to view the 2024 Annual Meeting information please feel free to visit the 2024 Annual Meeting website.
Highlights from the 2024 Annual Meeting in San Diego
SBL Sesquicentennial
SBL turns 150 in 2030. In preparation for this milestone, SBL inagurated a sesquicentennial committee at the San Diego meeting. Drawn from our global members, the committee will plan for the commemoration of the event, reflect on what it means for SBL to enter new times, and coordinate the raising of necessary capital to finance its future. The members of the Taskforce are: Ehud Ben Zvi, Joseph Lam, Christian Brady, Dalit Rom-Shiloni, Margaret Aymer, Francis Borchardt, Nina Muller van Velden, Jacqueline Hidalgo, Brandon Wasson, Monica Melchchton, Bob Buller, and Nicole Tilford.
SBL Council
After six years of serving with his incisive and wise voice, Christian Brady completed his term on SBL Council. Starting in 2025, Stephen L. Cook of Virginia Theological Seminary will serve as a new member of Council.
New Vice President
SBL Council elected Tina Pippin of Agnes Scott College as Vice President. After serving for one year in this role in 2025, she will become President in 2026. Pippin is among a small number of faculty from undergraduate colleges to serve in this role.
Presidential Address
Energy and excitement surrounded Tamara Cohn Eskenazi’s Presidential Address on Saturday night of the Annual Meeting. In her address, titled “The Bible in Politics and Politics in the Bible,” Cohn Eskenazi carefully explained why the Bible is an integral part of public conversations concerning the futures of our communities. The Bible is “fundamentally a political book,” she stated. The published version will be available in the first issue of JBL in 2025.
Disability and Accessibility Committee
SBL now has a Committee on Disability and Accessibility. After working as a Taskforce, Council approved the new committee to start in 2025. The members of the Committee are: Isaac Soon (Chair), Meghan Henning, Helen Rhee, David Schones, David Maldonado Rivera, and Candida Moss.
Bylaws and Constitutional Amendment
The Annual Business Meeting approved the proposed changes to the bylaws and constitution. Under these new changes, the President remains a member of Council with no voting rights. The language for the practice of creating short-term Taskforces has been regularized. Finally, the Executive Committee of Council has been removed.
Annual Meeting Service Project
We thank our volunteers who participated in the Annual Meeting’s Community Service project in San Diego. With their help, the team picked up over 100 pounds of litter and trash from wetlands in and around San Diego. These wetlands provide a habitat for thousands of species of aquatic and terrestrial plants and animals. Volunteers also raised over $200 in donations for Ocean Connectors who arranged the cleanup project for us.
Future Annual Meetings
Year
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Location
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Start Date
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End Date
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2025
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Boston
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22-Nov
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25-Nov
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2026
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Denver
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21-Nov
|
24-Nov
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2027
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Washington DC
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20-Nov
|
23-Nov
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2028
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Boston
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18-Nov
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21-Nov
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2029
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San Antonio
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17-Nov
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20-Nov
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2030
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San Diego
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23-Nov
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26-Nov
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2031
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Washington DC
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22-Nov
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25-Nov
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Procedures and Policies
SBL meetings are harassment-free
events for everyone regardless of gender, sexual orientation, disability,
physical appearance, race, age or religion. If an individual in attendance at
an SBL-sanctioned meeting event is found to have violated the SBL harassment
policy, SBL will revoke the individual’s permission to be on the premises and
that individual forfeits registration fees. Should such an incident arise, SBL
will work directly with security and law enforcement to manage the removal
process. If a member is being harassed or notices an act of harassment, contact
a meeting staff member immediately.
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Paper proposals will be accepted through 11:59 PM (23:59) Eastern Daylight Time (UTC-4) on the date that the call for papers closes.
Dates are formatted mm/dd/yyyy.
Call for Papers
Call for Papers Opens: |
1/22/2025 |
Call for Papers Closes: |
3/25/2025 |
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Program Book
The online program book is not yet available.
Registration & Housing
Registration is not yet open.
Meeting Abstracts
The abstracts for this meeting are not yet available.
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