AAR/SBL in San Diego

The American Academy of Religion and Society of Biblical Literature (AAR/SBL) is just over a week away. This is turning out to be a busy conference for me. I have sessions I’m presenting in, sessions of program units I co-chair, and things simultaneous with those that I’d also love to be at or should be at. If you will be attending the American Academy of Religion and Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting in San Diego, here are things that I am directly involved in:

First, the new John the Baptist program unit, with an exciting and somewhat terrifying slate of panelists who will be talking about the merits and shortcomings of my recent book, John of History, Baptist of Faith: The Quest for the Historical Baptizer.

S23-130/A23-104

John the Baptist
11/23/2024
9:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Room: Aqua 310B (Third Level) – Hilton Bayfront

Theme: Book Review: John of History, Baptist of Faith
This session will review James F. McGrath’s new book about John the Baptist titled John of History, Baptist of Faith: The Quest for the Historical Baptizer (Eerdmans 2024). Co-sponsored by the AAR Traditions of Eastern Late Antiquity program unit

Nathan Shedd, Johnson University, Presiding

Adela Yarbro Collins, Yale University, Panelist (15 min)

Joel Marcus, Duke University, Panelist (15 min)

Clare Rothschild, Lewis University, Panelist (15 min)

Charles Haberl, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Panelist (15 min)

Cecilia Wassén, Uppsala Universitet, Panelist (15 min)

Edmondo Lupieri, Loyola University of Chicago, Panelist (15 min)

James McGrath, Butler University, Respondent (15 min)

Discussion (45 min)

S24-228

John the Baptist
11/24/2024
1:00 PM to 3:30 PM
Room: Indigo E (Second Level) – Hilton Bayfront

Theme: Reception of John the Baptist

James McGrath, Butler University, Presiding

Hugo Lundhaug, University of Oslo
Demon, Ferryman, and Christ’s Beloved: John the Baptist in Coptic Apocrypha (20 min)
Tag(s): Apocrypha (Early Christian Literature – Apocrypha), Coptic Literature (Early Christian Literature – Other), Literary Criticism (incl. poetics, new criticism, formalism, close reading, narratology) (Interpretive Approaches)

Discussion (10 min)

Joshua T. King, Loyola University of Chicago
John and the False Feminine: John the Baptist and the Gender of Prophecy in the Pseudo-Clementine Homilies (20 min)
Tag(s): Apocrypha (Early Christian Literature – Apocrypha), Gospels (Biblical Literature – New Testament)

Discussion (10 min)

Doreen McFarlane, Nanjing Sem, pastor ELCIC Lutheran Ch. in Canada
John the Baptist Speaks in Richard Strauss’s Opera, “Salome” (20 min)
Tag(s): Gospels (Biblical Literature – New Testament), History of Christianity (History & Culture), Christian (Ideology & Theology)

Discussion (10 min)

Break (15 min)

Business Meeting (45 min)

S24-323

John the Baptist
11/24/2024
4:00 PM to 6:30 PM
Room: Indigo E (Second Level) – Hilton BayfrontTheme: John the Baptist in the New Testament Gospels

Nathan Shedd, Johnson University, Presiding

Emily Fero-Kovassy, Australian Catholic University
John’s Baptism in Matthew 3:1–10: A Ritual of Purification for Impurity Arising from Sin (25 min)
Tag(s): Gospels – Matthew (Biblical Literature – New Testament), Torah/Pentateuch (Biblical Literature – Hebrew Bible/Old Testament/Greek OT (Septuagint)), Biblical Texts (Early Jewish Literature – Dead Sea Scrolls)

Discussion (5 min)

Amber M. Dillon, Ridley College, Melbourne
“Jack the Dipper”: The Fourth Gospel’s Theological Interpretation of John the Baptist (25 min)
Tag(s): Gospels (Biblical Literature – New Testament), Religious Traditions and Scriptures (History of Interpretation / Reception History / Reception Criticism), New Testament (Ideology & Theology)

Discussion (5 min)

Jeffrey P. García, Independent Scholar
The Jewish Baptist: Situating Luke’s Portrayal of John the Baptist within Ancient Judaism (25 min)
Tag(s): Gospels – Luke (Biblical Literature – New Testament), Jewish (Ideology & Theology)

Discussion (5 min)

Jeffrey Gibson, Harry S Truman College (City Colleges of Chicago)
John the Baptist and the Origin of the Lord’s Prayer (25 min)
Tag(s): Gospels – Matthew (Biblical Literature – New Testament), Gospels – Luke (Biblical Literature – New Testament)

Discussion (5 min)

Brian LePort, TMI Episcopal
John the Baptist without Q: The Baptist-Tradition according to the “L/M Hypothesis” (25 min)
Tag(s): Gospels (Biblical Literature – New Testament), Source Criticism (Interpretive Approaches)

Discussion (5 min)

In addition, I will be presenting on some research related to a chapter in John of History, Baptist of Faith, in this session:

S25-130

Interrelations of the Gospels
11/25/2024
9:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Room: 31A (Upper Level East) – Convention Center

Theme: Showcasing Contributions to the Forthcoming Volume on Editorial Fatigue

David Sloan, Presiding

James F. McGrath, Butler University
Editorial Fatigue and the Baptist Source of the Protevangelium (25 min)
Tag(s): Gospels (Early Christian Literature – Apocrypha), Apocrypha (Early Christian Literature – Apocrypha)

Alexey Somov, Universität Regensburg
The Byzantine Martyrdom of Daniel and the Three Youths as Textual Witness of Matt 27:53 (25 min)
Tag(s): Gospels – Matthew (Biblical Literature – New Testament), Gospels (Biblical Literature – New Testament), Text Criticism (Interpretive Approaches)

Break (5 min)

Stephen C. Carlson, Australian Catholic University
Editorial Fatigue in Nerses of Lambron’s Armenian Version of Andrew of Caesarea’s Commentary on Revelation (25 min)
Tag(s): Source Criticism (Interpretive Approaches), Commentary (Text and Translation)

Heiko Wojtkowiak, Leuphana Universität Lüneburg
Traces of Editorial Fatigue in the Gospel of Matthew? (25 min)
Tag(s): Gospels (Biblical Literature – New Testament), Redaction Criticism (Interpretive Approaches), Gospels – Matthew (Biblical Literature – New Testament)

Discussion (40 min)

That’s it for AAR/SBL other than that I will be at the Durham reception at some point.

For those in the Indianapolis area, I will also be making appearances at Starbase Indy once again this year, which is the weekend after Thanksgiving. On Saturday November 30th I will be on a panel with my Butler University computer science colleague Ankur Gupta, and on December 1st I’ll be on my own.

If I don’t see you at AAR/SBL, I hope to see you at Starbase Indy!