Bible and Empire
Program Unit Type: Section
Accepting Papers? Yes
Call For Papers: The Bible and Empire unit plans to offer three sessions. First, a themed session on the economics of empire. Among the motivations for modern colonialism – God, glory, gold – Biblical Studies has paid less attention to the economics of colonialism. Proposals are invited for papers that explore the role biblical texts and interpretative traditions play in the facilitation of colonialism, its spread, and continuation. Papers that draw upon economic theories of international development, racial capitalism, economic globalization, imperialism as late-stage capitalism, among others to illuminate biblical texts and histories related to biblical themes or biblically inspired practices whether political, economic, or social are welcome. Selecting texts/themes that fall within any period of ancient empires whether directly represented in texts or the historical contexts of the formation of these texts to illustrate aspects of modern colonialism in its global expressions in different parts of the world captures the essence of the session. Second, a joint session with the Ancient Near East unit on the language of empire. This session explores the topic of imperial language politics in the ancient Near East, especially, but not exclusively, in the Neo-Assyrian, Neo-Babylonian, Persian, and Hellenistic periods, and reflections of imperial language politics in biblical texts. Papers may investigate questions of lingua franca, administrative languages, colonial language negotiation, imperial cultic language and more. The frameworks engaged in this session may include, but are not limited to, empire studies, postcolonial/decolonial studies, diaspora studies, migration studies, sociolinguistics, comparative analysis, and inscriptional studies. Third, an open call for papers on various themes in the relationship between Bible and empire at different points in the development of the Bible and/or imperial development, as well as the reception of biblical texts in imperial contexts.
Program Unit Chairs
|