The following five sessions took place at the SBL Annual Meeting in San Antonio, TX in 2023
| S18-206Biblical Exegesis from Eastern Orthodox Perspectives 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM 11/18/2023 Mission A (Second Floor) Inspiration and Interpretation Leslie Baynes, Missouri State University, Presiding David Kneip, Abilene Christian University “Speaking in the Holy Spirit”: Cyril of Alexandria on the Fathers of Nicaea (25 min) Tag(s): Church History and Ecclesiology (Other), History of Christianity (History & Culture) Discussion (5 min) Richard Zaleski, University of Chicago Appeals to Scripture in Gregory of Nyssa’s Life of Moses (25 min) Tag(s): General History of Interpretation / Reception History / Reception Criticism (History of Interpretation / Reception History / Reception Criticism), Torah/Pentateuch (Biblical Literature – Hebrew Bible/Old Testament/Greek OT (Septuagint)), History of Interpretation (Interpretive Approaches) Discussion (5 min) Mary Julia Jett, Saint Francis College Revelation Ancient and Patristic: Divine Inspiration in the Fourth Century Twelve Prophet Commentaries (25 min) Tag(s): Latter Prophets – The Twelve (Biblical Literature – Hebrew Bible/Old Testament/Greek OT (Septuagint)), Roman Empire (History & Culture), Rhetorical Criticism (Interpretive Approaches) Discussion (5 min) Charles H. Cosgrove, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary The Earliest Christian Exegesis of Ephesians 5:18–20: Clement of Alexandria’s Discussion of a Pauline Passage about Music at Christian Social Meals (25 min) Tag(s): Greece and Hellenism (History & Culture), Pauline Epistles – Ephesians (Biblical Literature – New Testament), History of Interpretation (Interpretive Approaches) Discussion (5 min) Abdulla Galadari, Khalifa University of Science & Technology Emphasizing the Johannine Narrative: An Eastern Orthodox Interpretation of the Eucharist (25 min) Tag(s): History of Christianity (History & Culture), History of Interpretation (Interpretive Approaches), Gospels (Biblical Literature – New Testament) Discussion (5 min) |
| S20-208Biblical Exegesis from Eastern Orthodox Perspectives 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM 11/20/2023 213A (Meeting Room Level) Review of Edith M. Humphrey, Mediation and the Immediate God: Scriptures, the Church, and Knowing God Mediation and the Immediate God: Scriptures, the Church, and Knowing God (St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 2023) pursues a long-standing question: how can Christians say both that God has a direct relationship with each worshipper, and that mediation obtains in the Christian household? This study explores the ubiquity of mediation in life, alongside the apparent contradiction in Christian thought that each believer is directly “taught by God,” while human mediators continue to serve. As an invitation to Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant Christians to engage this issue together, the book suggests, as a starting point, that mediation should be understood primarily in terms of ecclesiology rather than soteriology proper. A careful analysis of 1 Timothy 2 shows that what has been taken as a restriction of mediation to the God-Man is actually contextualized within an affirmation that mediation is a characteristic of the Church. Close readings of other pertinent Scripture follow, with special attention to the interpretation of ancient theologians. Two surprising aspects of this study include the prominence of mediating women in Matthew’s gospel and the recognition that, in the Christian tradition, mediation comes not only from “above” humanity (the angelic hosts), but also from “below” (the inanimate creation).Eugenia Torrance, University of Notre Dame, Presiding (5 min) Edith Humphrey, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, Panelist (15 min) Michael Barber, Augustine Institute Graduate School, Panelist (20 min) Leslie Baynes, Missouri State University, Panelist (20 min) Michael Gorman, St. Mary’s Seminary & University, Panelist (20 min) Edith Humphrey, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, Respondent (20 min) Discussion (25 min) |
| S19-214Development of Early Christian Theology 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM 11/19/2023 Lonestar Ballroom Salon E (Second Floor) Homiletics and Exegesis Erin Walsh, University of Chicago, Presiding Andrew Tucker, Saint Louis University Isaac the Teacher’s Exegesis of John 1:14 in the Memra on Faith (25 min) Tag(s): Early Christian Literature (Early Christian Literature – Other), Homiletics (Ideology & Theology) Alexey Somov, Institute for Bible Translation The Legend about the Martyrdom of Daniel and the Three Youths in Eastern Orthodox Bible Interpretation (25 min) Tag(s): Apocrypha (Early Christian Literature – Apocrypha), Homiletics (Ideology & Theology), Gospels – Matthew (Biblical Literature – New Testament) Christopher Mooney, Augustine Institute “The Summit of Virtue“: Preaching Forgiveness in the Cappadocians (25 min) Tag(s): History of Christianity (History & Culture) Michael Ennis-Villarreal, Harvard University A Treasure in the Details: Images for Scripture in Greek Homiletics (25 min) Tag(s): Homiletics (Ideology & Theology) Grant M. Sutherland, Australian Catholic University One Being and Authority: Chrysostom’s Exegesis of 1 Cor. 11:3 Reconsidered (25 min) Tag(s): Early Christian Literature (Early Christian Literature – Other), Pauline Epistles – 1 Corinthians (Biblical Literature – New Testament), History of Interpretation (Interpretive Approaches) Reinhart Ceulemans, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven The Bible in a Greek Homily on Job and Endurance (BHG 939m) (25 min) Tag(s): Homiletics (Ideology & Theology), Writings – Job (Biblical Literature – Hebrew Bible/Old Testament/Greek OT (Septuagint)), History of Interpretation (Interpretive Approaches) |
| S20-117Gospel of Mark 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM 11/20/2023 006B (River Level) What Happened to Mark in Early Christian Exegesis? Kara Lyons-Pardue, Point Loma Nazarene University, Presiding Jeremiah Coogan, Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley Introducing Mark (20 min) Tag(s): Gospels – Mark (Biblical Literature – New Testament) Discussion (10 min) Francis Watson, University of Durham Did the Early Church Neglect Mark? (20 min) Tag(s): Gospels – Mark (Biblical Literature – New Testament), Apostolic Fathers (Early Christian Literature – Other) Discussion (10 min) David Maxwell, Concordia Seminary Mark in Egypt (20 min) Tag(s): Gospels – Mark (Biblical Literature – New Testament), Apostolic Fathers (Early Christian Literature – Other) Discussion (10 min) Joanna Dewey, Episcopal Divinity School Mark: A More Oral Gospel? (20 min) Tag(s): Gospels – Mark (Biblical Literature – New Testament), Oral Traditions (History of Interpretation / Reception History / Reception Criticism), Apostolic Fathers (Early Christian Literature – Other) Discussion (10 min) |
| S18-247Biblical Exegesis from Eastern Orthodox Perspectives 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM 11/18/2023 Bonham C (3rd Floor) Exegesis and Mysticism in Orthodox Tradition For this session, we feature three papers and a response that explore the relationship between Orthodox mysticism and scripture. The papers reflect on patristic and modern mystical approaches and interpretations of scripture situated within the broader Orthodox theological and hermeneutical tradition. This is a joint session with the AAR Eastern Orthodox Studies Unit.Michael Azar, University of Scranton, Presiding Daniel Edwards, Marquette University „The Soul Is a Body of Darkness“: Mystical Interpretation of Romans 7:24 in a Macarian Key (25 min) Tag(s): 1 Esdras (Biblical Literature – Deuterocanonical Works) Michael C. Legaspi, Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary The Book of Job as Mystical Text? (25 min) Tag(s): Writings – Job (Biblical Literature – Hebrew Bible/Old Testament/Greek OT (Septuagint)) Dimitrije Stanojevic, Bar Ilan University “Do It, So That You May Understand It”: The Quest of Mystical Interpretation of the Bible by Justin Popovic and His Disciples (25 min) Tag(s): Comparative Approaches (Interpretive Approaches), Pastoral Theology (Ideology & Theology), Performance Criticism (Interpretive Approaches) Erin Walsh, University of Chicago, Respondent |