Explorations in Theology and Apocalyptic AAR / SBL 2020 (Boston, November 21 – 24, 2020)

 ‘Apocalyptic Theology and the Concept of Justice’

A Call for Papers

Continuing our explorations in theology and apocalyptic, we invite proposals for short papers (20-25 minutes in length) investigating the question of the concept of justice within an apocalyptic Christian theology. What is the relation of justice and apocalypse? What role is or ought to be played by the notion of justice in an apocalyptic account of salvation? How is justice treated in historic examples of apocalyptic theology, and with what significance? Is the ‘God apocalypse in Jesus Christ’ a God of justice and if so in just what sense? What approach might an apocalyptic theology take to the question of justice as category of public, legal, political discourse? What would be involved in recasting widely deployed concepts of justice in a contemporary ‘apocalyptic key’? Papers working theologically with biblical texts and resources are particularly invited.

Proposals should be no more than 300 words in length, and must be accompanied by a brief single-page CV.

Proposals should be sent to Philip Ziegler: p.ziegler@abdn.ac.uk

All proposals must be received by April 30th, 2020.

AAR/SBL 2019

The Explorations in Theology and Apocalyptic group will be taking a break this year and won’t be running discrete sessions during the annual meetings of the AAR/SBL in San Diego, CA this November.  For those hankering after some Pauline apocalyptic discussion, however, allow us to encourage you not to miss this the review panel session on Douglas Campbell’s new Pauline Dogmatics, forthcoming from Eerdmans later this year.  Doug Harink, Alexandra Brown and Douglas himself have of course all been active participants in our group’s work over the years, and this promises to be a very interesting session indeed.

Pauline Theology (S24-230)
1:00 PM to 3:30 PM on 24th of November 2019,  Room TBD
Panel Review of Douglas Campbell, Pauline Dogmatics: The Triumph of God’s Love (Eerdmans, 2019)

Alexandra Brown, Washington and Lee University, Presiding

Grant Macaskill, University of Aberdeen, Panelist (25 min)

Judith Gundry, Yale Divinity School, Panelist (25 min)

Douglas Harink, King’s University (Edmonton), Panelist (25 min)

Mark Kinzer, Messianic Jewish Theological Institute, Panelist (25 min)

Douglas Campbell, Duke University, Respondent (25 min)

Discussion (25 min)

A Celebration of Susan Eastman

it is a delight to note the publication of Practicing with Paul: Reflections on Paul and the Practices of Ministry in Honor of Susan G. Eastman, edited by Presian R. Burroughs, with a foreword by Richard B. Hays.  Professor Eastman (Duke University) has been a mentor, colleague and friend of many of us involved in these discussions of theology and apocalyptic, and this volume pays a fine and much deserved tribute to her scholarship and service over many years.

 

 

 

Theology and Apocalyptic Returns to AAR/SBL 2018 Annual Meeting

 

After taking a break in 2017, the working group on ‘Theology and Apocalyptic’ will be back with two sessions during this year’s annual meeting of the AAR/SBL in Denver, CO in November 2018.

First, on the evening of Saturday, November 17th (6:30 – 8:30 pm, in the Mt. Oxford Room of the Grand Hyatt Hotel), we will host a panel session discussing Philip Ziegler’s (University of Aberdeen) recent book, Militant Grace. The panel will consist of Katherine Sonderegger (Virginia Theological Seminary, Steve Long (Southern Methodist University), and Chris Tilling (St Mellitus College). The author will respond. The publisher, Baker Academic, is kindly sponsoring the session and Doug Harink (King’s University) will chair.

Then, on the evening of Sunday, November 18th (6:30 – 8:30 pm, in the Mt. Oxford Room of the Grand Hyatt Hotel) we will host a second panel session. A panel, composed of Paul Martens (Baylor University) and Elizabeth Phillips (Visiting Scholar, Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge, and Honorary Fellow in the Department of Theology and Religion, Durham University), and Nancy Bedford (Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary) will engage in discussion of two recent works in political theology: the first, Travis Kroeker’s (McMaster University) Messianic Political Theology and Diaspora Ethics: Essays in Exile and the second, Kyle Gingerich Hiebert’s (Toronto Mennonite Theological Centre) The Architectonics of Hope: Violence, Apocalyptic, and the Transformation of Political Theology.  The authors will respond. Both texts are published by Wipf & Stock who are kindly sponsoring the session and Philip Ziegler (University of Aberdeen) will chair.

We’re always grateful if you can you help us get word around of these events. Looking forward to continuing the conversation.

Taking a Break in 2017

Friends —

Just a quick note to say that the working group ‘Explorations in Theology and Apocalyptic’ will be taking a break and will not be hosting special sessions during the annual meetings of the AAR/SBL this November, 2017.  We plan to pick up our conservation again during the 2018 meetings once again.

In the meantime, keep an eye out for the April 2018 issue of Theology Today which will be a special issue on the theme of ‘Theology and Apocalyptic’. It will present a rich collection of papers, some of which have emerged from our meetings in recent years. Nancy Duff (Princeton Theological Seminary) and Philip Ziegler (University of Aberdeen) are together editing the issue.

Other recent publishing notes:

• There is a valuable new book edited by Loren Stuckenbruck and Benjamin Reynolds that will of interest. It’s entitled The Jewish Apocalyptic Tradition and the Shaping of New Testament Thought (Fortress, 2017).
• Also, watch out for Travis Kroeker‘s fine collection of essays Messianic Political Theology and Diaspora Ethics, to be published this autumn by Wipf & Stock.

Beverly Gaventa to Deliver SBL Presidential Address: Reading Romans 13

Everyone who has been involved in the conversations of the ‘Explorations in Theology and Apocalyptic’ group over recent years will not want to miss out on hearing Professor Beverly Gaventa’s SBL Presidential Address during this year’s annual meeting of the AAR/SBL.

 

SBL Presidential Address (Session: S19-401)

Time & Date: Saturday, November 19th, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm / Room: TBC

• Michael Fox, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Introduction (10 min)
• Beverly Gaventa, Baylor University
  Reading Romans 13 with Simone Weil: Toward a More Generous Hermeneutic (50 min)

The Legacy of J. Louis Martyn for the Study of the Apostle Paul

In lieu of second evening session this year during the AAR/SBL annual meeting, the ‘Explorations in Theology and Apocalyptic’ group is  delighted to be able to co-sponsor this session of the Pauline Theology group (S20-219) reflecting on the legacy of J. Louis Martyn and his work

Time & Date: Sunday, November 20th, 1:30 – 3:30 pm

Location: TBC

Theme: 

• John M. G. Barclay, University of Durham, Presiding
• Beverly Gaventa, Baylor University
  J. Louis (Lou) Martyn: His legacy for the study of the Apostle Paul (15 min)
• Doug Harink, King’s University (Edmonton)
  The legacy of J. Louis (Lou) Martyn for the study of the Apostle Paul: questions of continuity and discontinuity (15 min)
• Joel Marcus, Duke University
  The legacy of J. Louis (Lou) Martyn for the study of the Apostle Paul: Judaism, Israel, and the Torah (15 min)
• Susan Eastman, Duke University
  The Legacy of J. Louis (Lou) Martyn within Pauline Scholarship: Questions of Agency (15 min)
• A. Katherine Grieb, Virginia Theological Seminary, Respondent (15 min)