Theology of the Hebrew Scriptures

Call For Papers: The Theology of the Hebrew Scriptures section will host four sessions, one co-sponsored with the Philology in Hebrew Studies unit. (1) For the first session, we will invite speakers for a panel discussion of Marc Brettler and Amy-Jill Levine’s book, The Bible With and Without Jesus (2020). (2) The second session, co-sponsored with the Philology in Hebrew Studies unit, will be a panel of invited and submitted papers on the question “What does the term ‘theology’ mean in the academic study of the Hebrew Bible?” Although this term is used frequently in our field, it means different things to different scholars—often leading to confusion. For instance, while some use it with reference to the content of primary texts, others use it with reference to a method or approach. While some regard it as an ideal to be achieved, others regard it as a pitfall to be avoided. In addition to a set of invited panelists, we welcome submissions that critically investigate the meaning(s) of this term and make an argument for its possibilities or limits in the study of the Hebrew Bible. (Please submit paper proposals to the Philology in Hebrew Bible unit.) (3) For the third session, we invite paper proposals that explore the topic “theological responses to trauma,” with particular emphasis on lament. Consider, for example, the laments of Jeremiah, Lamentations, Job, and the Psalms as individual and/or collective responses to trauma. How do they speak for individuals or the group? What role does bearing witness, gender, violent language, (the impossibility of) narrative, collective memory, and other aspects of trauma play in the formation of theological responses to trauma in the Hebrew Scriptures? Papers that engage specific texts, trauma theory, and lament are especially welcome. (4) For the fourth session, we invite proposals on any theme relevant to the purpose of the Theology of the Hebrew Scriptures unit.

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