Ricardo Muñoz Solla
Description: That the Iberian Peninsula represents a key hub between Christianity, Judaism and Islam is widely known. However, theologians and historians have been studying these phenomena as isolated events and not as part of a much larger Iberian world characteristic, one that should be understood regarding the broader Western thought. This session's goal, though experimental, is to provide a space for discussion for those of us who work with biblical themes in the context of the Iberian world. This world includes not only the peninsular area but also its colonial spaces, e.g., American, African and Asian places where Portuguese and Spaniards played an influential role starting in the Early Modern period. Moreover, the subjects to discuss are not limited nor to a particular time frame nor a specific chronological period for this first phase. Our initial objectives are to underline the importance of the Iberian world as a space of communication, or not, between the different religions of the Bible, of biblical interpretation, and how the Iberian world was prone to be influenced by the Bible.
Call for papers: In 2017 we celebrate the 500th anniversary of the publication of Luther’s 95 Thesis, and consequently the events that led to the different movements of religious reformation. This research group plans to join the celebrations of such an important event by organizing a series of sessions on the topic of the Reformations within the Iberian World, envisaging the publication of a volume that thoroughly explores the topic within the Iberian spaces. We plan to hold three sessions in Berlin, a generic, one on the topic of women and the Reformations, and a third exploring how religious minorities lived the aftermath of the Council of Trent. For the first thematic session we would like to invite papers analyzing the role of women in the development and circulation of Protestantism in early modern Iberia. We welcome papers emphasizing the sociology of the women convicted because of Protestant practices; their access to texts produced by Reformation; and how women have embodied the principles of Reformation within this heavily Catholic-influenced world of Iberia. For the second thematic session we would like to invite papers exploring how Jews, Muslims, and other minorities were influenced by the Reformation and the following Council of Trent, and how they have managed (or not) to maintain their regular religious practices and beliefs.
2- BIBLE AND EMPIRE (SBL)
Ana T. Valdez
Christopher Hayes
Description: A unit examining the influence of imperial political powers on the development of the Bible in its historical context as well as the Bible’s use and reception throughout subsequent history.
Call for papers: At the 2017 International SBL Meeting, the Bible and Empire group will address two themes, each poignant because of our present historical moment. First, in accordance with the fact that the conference will take place in Germany and given that 2017 marks the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, we will dedicate attention to the topic of the Reformation. Second, given the current refugee and displacement crises unfolding around the world, we devote a session to the theme of migration. One session will be entitled “Bible and Empires in the Reformation”. We invite proposals that explore the interface between the reception of the Bible and the various European empires during the Protestant Reformation and Catholic Counter Reformations. Another avenue that can be explored is the effect of the Reformation on the formation of subsequent Protestant Empires. Additionally, we will host a session entitled “Migration, the Bible, and Empire”. We welcome proposals either about the biblical text itself or with an emphasis on reception history. In the former sense, we invite papers which explore how the biblical texts discuss themes of migration in relation to major ancient empires. In the latter sense, we encourage proposals that examine how the Bible has played a role in post-biblical migratory events, either as a tool of empire or in response to empires. Potentially relevant migratory events can include both international migration and forced internal migration, as well as either recent crises (e.g. Syria, Colombia) or historical events (e.g. North American westward migration). Finally, papers are invited for an open session on empires and imperialism in the Hebrew Bible, the Septuagint, the New Testament, and in subsequent reception history. Analyses of from any number of critical and interpretive perspectives are welcome. Potential contributors may contact the session organizer with any questions.
