REPORT OF THE SEVENTIETH INTERNATIONAL MEETING

REPORT OF THE SEVENTIETH INTERNATIONAL MEETING

 

OF THE CATHOLIC BIBLICAL ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA

 

The seventieth international meeting of the Catholic Biblical Association of America was held August 4-7, 2007, at Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, California.  The opening general session was held on Saturday evening, August 4.  The president of the university, Paul Locatelli, greeted the members of the association.  Jerome H. Neyrey, S.J., vice-president of the association, then introduced Irene Nowell, O.S.B., president of the association, who delivered the presidential address, "Jesus' Great-Grandmothers: Matthew's List and More."

 

Sessions on Sunday, August 5

 

Five task forces and seven continuing seminars met simultaneously each day from 9:00 to 10:45 A.M.  The task forces included:  "The Social Sciences and New Testament Interpretation: The  Military" (convener: Bruce J. Malina; core group members in attendance:  S. Scott Bartchy; David M. Bossman, O.F.M.; John H. Elliott; Patrick J. Hartin; Jerome H. Neyrey, S.J.; John J. Pilch; Kenneth G. Stenstrup; Walter F. Taylor, Jr.); "Feminist Hermeneutics" (co-conveners:  Barbara E. Reid, O.P., and Damien L. Dietlein, O.S.B.; core group members in attendance: Don C. Benjamin; Susan A. Calef; Jeremy Corley; Carol Dempsey, O.P.;  Alice L. Laffey; Linda M. Maloney; Sheila E. McGinn; Mary Timothy McHatten, O.P.); "Biblical Hermeneutics:  Modernity and Beyond" (co-conveners:  Richard J. Bautch, and Jean-François Racine; core group members in attendance: Linda M. Day; Catherine M. Murphy; John J. Schmitt; Sandra M. Schneiders, I.H.M; Peter Spitaler); "Pauline Theology" (co-conveners:  Mary Kate Birge, S.S.J. and Gregory Tatum, O.P.; core group members in attendance:  Florence Gillman; Michael Hull; Richard C. Macey; Frank J. Matera; Kevin B. McCruden; Robert F. O'Toole, S.J.; Maria Pascuzzi, C.S.J.; Thomas D. Stegman, S.J); "The Use of  the Old Testament in the Gospel of John" (convener: Francis Martin; core group members in attendance: Lawrence E. Frizzell; Gregory Glasov; Charles G. Kosanke; George T. Montague, S.M.; Bruce G. Schuchard).

The continuing seminars and their respective leaders studied:  "The Hebrew Poetry of Psalms 110-114" (Lawrence E. Boadt, C.S.P.); "The Formation of the Gospels" (Thomas L. Brodie, O.P.); "Methods for Studying the Gospel Miracles" (Timothy R. Carmody and Brigid Curtin Frein); "Scripture in Early Jewish and Christian Literature" (Robert A. Kugler and John C. Endres, S.J.); "Divinity in Ancient Israel" (John L. McLaughlin); "The Bible in Its Traditions" (Justin Taylor, S.M.); "Biblical Scholarship with a Pastoral Purpose" (Peter S. Williamson, and Daniel J. Harrington, S.J.).

The morning concluded with papers presented in simultaneous sessions by Chris Franke, "To what shall I compare (or not compare) thee? Disturbing Images of God in Second Isaiah," and Daniel J. Harrington, S.J., "Spiritual Sacrifices in Early Christianity."

Most Reverend Patrick J. McGrath., Bishop of San Jose, was principal celebrant and homilist at the Eucharistic liturgy at midday.

Four sessions of research reports during the afternoon heard the following papers delivered: Dennis Hamm, S.J, "Teaching the Eunuch to Read: Wordplay and Echoes of Greek Isaiah in Acts 8:26-40"; Timothy A. Friedrichsen, "The Preaching of John the Baptizer in Mark and Q"; Earl J. Richard, "Mark 6:45-52--Its Narrative Setting and Thematic Purpose"; John Granger Cook, "Nero, the Christians, Peter, and Mark: Blending Philology, Patristics, and NT Studies"; Mark J. Goodwin, "Assessing the Consensus on John's Late First Century Dating: How Do We Know What We Know?"; Paul G. Mosca, "Amos 5:18-27: Light, Darkness, and the Day of the Lord; Paul Niskanen, "Number, Gender, and Definiteness: The Creation of (ha)Adam in the Image of Elohim"; Thomas D. Stegman, S.J., "Prayer in Mark's Gospel"; Don C. Benjamin, "Writing an Introduction to Archaeology and the Bible"; John J. Schmitt, "The Case of the Strange Parallelism in Zeph 3:14"; John T. Willis, "Diverse Uses of Nathan's Oracle in the Hebrew Bible"; Michael L. Barré, S.S., "A Translation and Interpretation of Psalm 49"; L. John Topel, S.J., "Mark 16:8: What Were They Afraid of?" Florence Morgan Gillman, "Nazirite Vow Observance and the Courage of Queen Berenice"; John Paul Heil, "Christian Love and Chiastic Structures in Ephesians"; David A. Bosworth, "King David and the Death of Bathsheba's Firstborn"; Martin C. Albl, "A Coptic Psalms Testimonia Collection: An Analysis"; Séamus O'Connell, "Strict Twofold Repetitions in the Gospel of Mark"; Angela Kim Harkins, "The Motif of the Woman in Labor in the Hodayot (1QHa 11:6-19): Tracing the Development of a Metaphor"; Markus Bockmuehl, "Questionable Hostility to Paul in the Pseudo-Clementines"; Dennis M. Sweetland, "Biblical Interpretation in Cultural Context.”

The evening general session featured a paper by John Kaltner, "Comparative Study of the Bible and the Qur׳an Since 9/11"

Sessions on Monday, August 6

Michael Patella, O.S.B, was the principal celebrant and homilist at the 7:00 A.M. Eucharistic liturgy. Members of the association who died during the previous year were commemorated at the liturgy: Edward F. Campbell; Joseph W. Gaspar, M.S.C.; Francis J. McCool, S.J.; Robert North, S.J.; Patrick Michael O'Connor; and Kathryn Sullivan, R.S.C.J.

The task forces and continuing seminars resumed their work in the morning.  Two simultaneous sessions then heard presentations by Craig E. Morrison, O.Carm., "David Sings a Song: The Function of 2 Samuel 22 in the David Narrative"; and Pheme Perkins, “What Is a Gnostic Gospel?"

Irene Nowell, O.S.B., presided and preached at our midday prayer. Members of the association who died during the previous year were again commemorated at the liturgy.

Two sessions of research reports during the afternoon heard the following papers delivered: Peter Spitaler, "Doubt or Contest in James 1:6?"; David L. Dungan, "What Synopsis Should We Use?"; Susan A. Calef, "Mark as Revelatory Text: In Search of `Markan Spirituality'"; Benedict T. Viviano, O.P.,"The Adoration of the Magi: Matthew 2:1-23 and Theological Aesthetics"; Deirdre Dempsey, “The 2007 Season of Excavations at Tell Qarqur”; Blažej F. Štrba, “Unique Use of the Name `Jesus' in Luke 23:42"; Eric F. Mason, "The Epistle (Not Necessarily) to the Hebrews"; Karl A. Kuhn, "Differences in Dialogue: Taking Our Cue from Canonically Endorsed Diversity"; Hugh M. Humphrey, "Unpackaging Q: From Its Coherence Now, to the Markan Overlaps, and Back"; Thomas L. Brodie, O.P., "`An Orderly Account': Acts 1:1-15:35 as Composed of Four Diptychs"; Leonard J. Maluf, "Horn of Salvation (Luke 1:69)--An Interpretation of the Benedictus in Luke 1:68-79."

CBA president Irene Nowell, O.S.B.., called the annual business meeting to order at 4:00 P.M.  Richard J. Sklba gave the report of the chair of the Board of Trustees on the healthy financial situation of the association.  Lawrence E. Boadt, C.S.P., treasurer of the association, then presented the treasurer's report, the substance of which had been previously distributed to the members present.

Joseph Jensen, O.S.B., gave the report of the executive secretary.  The Executive Board  approved or reaffirmed the following grants: (a) $48,000 for 12 Memorial Stipends; (b) $40,000 plus travel expenses for two CBA Fellowships; (c) $40,000 plus travel expenses for Visiting Professorships to the Pontifical Biblical Institute and the Ecole Biblique; (d) $18,000 for the dig at Tell Mozan/Urkesh; (e) $24,000 for the dig a Tell Qarqur; (f) $9,000 for three Archaeology Research Stipends; (g)  $19,549, a tithe of the association’s surplus for famine relief; (h) $2,500 for the for the Japanese translation project of the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum; (i) $10,000 to the Ecole Biblique toward the renovation of their library; (j) $5,000 for the Dead Sea Scrolls Foundation; (k) four CBA scholarships; (l) $3,000 budgeted for travel grants to our annual meeting.  The board also voted to continue to pay for subscriptions to the Religious Studies Review for members of the association.

      The CBA Fellowships were awarded to Luke Timothy Johnson and Brent A. Strawn.  The CBA Visiting Professorships were awarded to Richard E. DeMaris (to the PBI) and Duane L. Christensen (to the Ecole Biblique).

      Jensen announced that the USCCB is proposing to reduce the CBA’s share of  royalties from the NAB from 25% to 10%.  The Executive Board rejects that proposal and has the matter in the hands of a law firm.

      The board agreed to a proposal from Kent Richards for CBA participation in SBL programs in Aukland, NZ (2008) and in Rome, marking the 100th anniversary of the PBI (2009).

      The board named Ronald D. Witherup, S.S., to the Board of Trustees, Marilyn McNamara Schaub to the Archaeology Committee, and nominated Susan M. Calef  for the Committee on Nominations.

      The association will meet next year at Fordham University, Bronx, NY (August 2-5) and in 2009 at Creighton University, Omaha, NE (August 1-4).

 

 

Linda M. Day gave the report of the editor of the CBQ. 

 

In the absence of Christopher T. Begg, Joseph Jensen, O.S.B., gave the report of the editor of OTA.  Both the February and July, 2007, issues have appeared.  They contain a combined total of 827 articles and 139 book abstracts.  The October issue has gone to the typesetter. 

 

In the absence of Mark S. Smith Jensen gave the report of the editor of CBQMS.  CBQMS 40, The Origins of the West Semitic Alphabet in Egyptian Scripts, by Gordon J. Hamilton, was awarded the Frank Moolre Cross Award for Scholarly Research and Publication by the American Schools of Oriental Research at its national meeting in November.  The year we published two new volumes: CBQMS 41, New Chapters in the Life of Paul: The Relative Chronology of His Career, by Gregory Tatum, O.P.; and CBQMS 42, Kinship Relations in the Gospel of John, by Joan Cecelia Campbell, C.S.M. Two volumes have been accepted for 2007-228 and are in various stages of production.  Of two other submissions, one has been rejected and the other pending.  The possibility of distribution in Europe, raised at last year’s meeting, is being pursued. 

 

The list of candidates for membership in the association was not read, since it had been available to the members throughout the meeting.  In the name of the committee on credentials, Alexander A. Di Lella, O.F.M., recommended the following candidates:

 

For Active Membership:

 

Carolina A. Aznar

Edward H. Chandler

Raymond de Hoop

Kenneth M. Diable

Edgar I. Diaz, I.V.E.

David J. Downs

Ira B. Driggers

Aaron M. Gale

Samuel D. Giere

Jonathan S. Greer

Elizabeth R. Hayes

Karina M. Hogan

John R. Jackson

Scott C. Jones

Cynthia Briggs Kittredge

Marc L. Lanoue

Matthew J. Marohl

Troy W. Martin

Geoffrey D. Miller

Michael S. Moore

Anne M. O'Leary, P.B.V.M.

David B. Peabody

Julia D. Prinz

Donald J. Rappé

Jeffrey R. Stackert

Dennis D. Sylva

Harvé Tremblay, O.P.

Frantisek Trstensky

Richard H. Van de Water

Olivier T. Venard, O.P.

Joseph F. E. Verheyden

Laurence L. Welborn

Emilia Corina Zamfir

 

 

For Associate Membership:

 

Meredith A. Ahlgren

Margaret Aringo, F.S.J.

Rene A. Baergen

Jamie A. Banister

Bronson S. Brown-deVost

Diane M. Corkery

Albert T. Derivan

Thomas M. Germanson

Todd R. Hanneken

Jared Haselbarth

E. Claire Justice

Helga Kisler

David L. Kline

Alec J. Lucas

Juana L. Manzo

Pamela H. Miles

Jeffrey L. Morrow

Catherine E. Petrany

Leah N. Rediger Schulte

Matthew S. Rindge

Gilberto A. Ruiz

Stephen C. Russell

Matthew R. Schaeffer

Lucas L. Schulte

Christopher W. Skinner

Laura N. Smith

Matthew G. Whitlock

Kelly M. Wilson

 

The candidates were accepted by unanimous voice vote.

 

Michael L. Barré, S.S., reported for the Committee on Nominations.  The following slate of candidates was proposed:  President: Jerome H. Neyrey, S.J.; Vice President: Kathleen M. 'Connor.; Executive Secretary: Joseph Jensen, O.S.B.; Treasurer: Lawrence E. Boadt, C.S.P.; Consultors, 2007-2009: Barbara Green, O.P.., and Robert A. Kugler; General Editor, CBQMS, Mark S. Smith for another four year term; Associate Editors of CBQ:  for a first term:  Michael W. Duggan; Florence Morgan Gillman; Eileen M. Schuller, O.S.U.; for a second term: David E. Aune; Warren Carter; Barbara Green, O.P.;  Committee on Nominations: Susan A. Calef.  The membership elected the slate by unanimous voice vote.

 

For the Committee on Resolutions, Harold W. Attridge, Jr., proposed the following resolution: Resolved that the Catholic Biblical Association, gathered for its seventieth international meeting at Santa Clara University, expresses its gratitude to Bishop Donald W. Trautman of Eire, PA, for his constant efforts that the best translations of the Scriptures and the liturgical prayers be used in the worship of the People of God; and:

Resolved that the Catholic Biblical Association offer its profound appreciation to all those who have made the seventieth international meeting such a success: to President Paul Locatelli for his warm welcome; to Most Rev. Patrick J. McGrath for his welcome and for presiding at our Sunday liturgy; to Catherine Murphy M. Murphy, Felix Just, S.J., and the members of the local arrangements committee, and to all who have contributed to the success of the meeting. The membership approved the resolutions with a resounding ovation.

 

The meeting was adjourned at 5:00 P.M.

 

The general session in the evening heard Gary A. Anderson, deliver the paper "Almsgiving and Atonement: Second Temple Judaism and the Doctrine of Merits."

 

Sessions on Tuesday, August 7

 

Felix Just, S.J., was the principal celebrant and homilist for the Eucharistic liturgy at the 7:00 A.M.

 

The task forces and continuing seminars resumed their work in the morning.  Two simultaneous sessions followed:  Richard J. Clifford, S.J., "Genesis 1: A Second Look at a Venerable Text"; and Robert A. Kugler, "Negotiating the Hegemony of Pluralism Then and Now: Taking Lessons from the Jews of Ptolemaic Egypt."

 

The following CBA members and invited guests were in attendance at the meeting:Registered Attendees – Final List

CBA Annual Meeting  •  Santa Clara University

August 4-7, 2007

 

Aageson, James W.

Albl, Martin C.

Anderson, Gary A.

Anderson, Kelly L.

Aringo, Margaret, FSJ

Attridge, Harold

Ayers, Steve

Baccari, Stephen

Barr, Jim

Barré, Michael L., SS

Barry, D. Rose

Bartchy, S. Scott

Bautch, Richard J.

Benjamin, Don C.

Bianchini, Francesco

Birge, Mary Kate, SSJ

Bishop, Marc

Blenkinsopp, Joseph

Boadt, Lawrence, CSP

Bockmuehl, Marcus

Boisclair, Regina A.

Bossman, David M.

Bosworth, David A.

Brady, Patrick J.

Brandt, Jeri L.

Brien, Mary T., PBVM

Brodeur, Scott N., SJ

Brodie, Thomas L., OP

Broughton, William

Calef, Susan

Campbell, Joan C., CSM

Carmody, Denise Lardner

Carmody, Timothy R.

Carruth, Shawn, OSB

Carvalho, Corrine

Chesnutt, Randy

Chion, Giuliana

Christensen, Duane L.

Christensen, Martha J.

Christoffersen, Hans

Clifford, Richard J., SJ

Cook, Joan E.

Cook, John G.

Corley, Jeremy

Creech, David A.

Cronauer, Patrick T., OSB

Crowley, Paul G., SJ

Cunniff, Declan

Daigle-Williamson, Marsha

Dang, Catherine, LHC

Day, Linda

Decker-Lucke, Shirley A.

Dempsey, Carol J., OP

Dempsey, Deirdre A.

Derivan, Albert

Di Lella, Alexander A., OFM

Dietlein, Damian L., OSB

Doherty, Kerry M.

Donahue, John R., SJ

Doutre, John, OCSO

Duggan, Michael W.

Dungan, David L.

Dwyer, Peter

Eisenbraun, James E.

Elliott, Dietlinde M.

Elliott, John H.

Emery, Allan C.

Endres, John C., SJ

Ewherido, Anthony A.

Eya, William I.

Finlan, Stephen

Franke, Chris A.

Frechette, Christopher G.

Freedman, David Noel

Frein, Brigid Curtin

Friedrichsen, Timothy A.

Frizzell, Lawrence E.

Fry, Anne-Marie

Fullerton, Ralph

Galvin, Garrett M., OFM

Germanson, Tom M.

Ghezzi, Bert

Gillman, Florence M.

Gillman, John L.

Girard, Marc

Glazov, Gregory Y.

Goodwin, Mark J.

Green, Barbara, OP

Griffin, Patrick J., CM

Guerrero, Corinna Y.

Haeckel, Rick

Hahn, Scott W.

Hall, Nancy

Hamilton, Gordon J.

Hamm, Dennis, SJ

Harkins, Angela Kim

Harkins, Franklin

Harmon, Bradley

Harrington, Daniel J., SJ

Harris, Karen

Harris, Scott L.

Hartin, Patrick J.

Heard, Christopher

Heil, John P.

Hettiarachchige, Don Anton, HDASP

Hibbard, J. Todd

Hirni, Robert

Hobbs, T. Raymond

Holmes, Jeremy

Hoppe, Leslie J., OFM

House, Mark A.

Hull, Michael F.

Humphrey, Hugh M.

Hurst, Thomas R., SS

Ibarra, Edward

Irwin, William

Jackson, John R.

Jensen, Joseph, OSB

Jensen, Joseph E.

Johns, Loren

Johnson, Brian P.

Johnson, Thomas F.

Just, Felix, SJ

Kaltner, John

Kealy, Sean P., CSSp

Kinney, Jim

Kisler, Helga

Knust, Jennifer W.

Koehler, Penny

Kosanke, Charles G.

Kruger, Brent A., CSC

Kselman, John S., SS

Kugler, Rob

Kuhn, Karl A.

Lafferty, Terry

Laffey, Alice L.

Latkovich, Sallie J., CSJ

Launderville, Dale, OSB

Legarreta, Felipe de J.

Levine, Amy-Jill

Lewis, Scott M., SJ

Lim, Sung Uk

Locatelli, Paul, SJ

Loepp, Dale

Lopez, José

Lopez, Randy

Lux, Mary E.

Lux, Richard C.

Macey, Richard C.

Madden, Patrick J.

Malin, Gary J.

Malina, Bruce J.

Maloney, Elliott C., OSB

Maloney, Linda

Maluf, Leonard J.

Marrs, Rick R.

Martens, John W.

Martin, R. Francis

Martinez, Ernest R., SJ

Mason, Eric F.

Matera, Frank J.

Matson, Mark A.

Mazich, Edward, OSB

Mbonu, Caroline, HHCJ

McCarthy, David P.

McCreesh, Thomas P., OP

McCruden, Kevin B.

McGinn, Sheila E.

McHatten, Mary Timothy, OP

McKenzie, Steven L.

McLaughlin, John L.

McNamer, Elizabeth M.

McNichols, Kathryn Z.

Meier, John P.

Miles, Pamela H.

Miller, Geoffrey D.

Miller, William T., SJ

Molnar, Elizabeth

Monaco, David G., CP

Montague, George T., SM

Moore, Michael S.

Morris, Joseph A.

Morrison, Craig E., Ocarm

Mosca, Paul G.

Murphy, Catherine M.

Myers, Allen C.

Nasuti, Harry P.

Nazarczuk, Maria A.

Neyrey, Jerome H., SJ

Niskanen, Paul V.

Nolan, Caroline

Norman, Tara

Nowell, Irene, OSB

O'Brien, Kelli S.

O'Connell, Seamus

O'Connor, Kathleen M.

Okoye, James, CSSp

O'Leary, Anne M., PBVM

Ortiz, Leslie

Osias, Martine

O'Toole, Robert F., SJ

Parrella, Frederick J.

Pascuzzi, Maria

Patella, Michael, OSB

Peabody, David B.

Perkins, Pheme

Pfeiffer, James E.

Pilarski, Ahida E.

Pilch, John J.

Pineda, Ana María, RSM

Pisano, Stephen F., SJ

Pizzuto, Vincent A.

Portalatin, Antonio

Powell, Mark Allan

Powell, Melissa

Powers, Tom, SJ

Prinz, Julia D. E.

Racine, Jean-François

Ralph, Margaret N.

Rappé, Donald J.

Rauh, Morgan

Reid, Barbara E., OP

Richard, Earl J.

Rogers, Craig

Romero, Gilbert

Rozario, Lipy Gloria, MPdA

Salvador, Roberta L., MM

Schaefer, Scarlettah

Schaeffer, Matt

Schmitt, Bobbie O'Hara

Schmitt, John J.

Schneck, Richard J., SJ

Schneiders, Sandra M., IHM

Sharp, Donald, SJ

Shi, Huimin

Skemp, Vincent

Sklba, Richard J.

Sloyan, Gerard S.

Smith Murphy, Nicole

Soden, Thomas C.

Somary, Daniela

Sperry, Mary E.

Spitaler, Peter

Stachow, Mary Ann, SBS

Stegman, Thomas D., SJ

Stenstrup, Kenneth G.

Štrba, Blažej

Sweetland, Dennis M.

Tassone, Salvatore A., SJ

Tatum, Gregory T., OP

Taylor, Justin J., SM

Taylor, Jr., Walter F.

Thomas, Samuel I.

Topel, L. John

Trudinger, Peter L.

Tyler, Ronald L.

Udoh, Fabian E.

Van De Water, Rick

Venard, Olivier-Thomas, OP

Viviano, Benedict T., OP

Viviano, Pauline A.

Wcela, Emil A.

Wensing, Michael G.

West, James

West, Michael

White, Ellen

Whitlock, Matthew G.

Wiar, Kimberly

Wiley, Tatha

Williamson, Paul S.

Williamson, Peter S.

Willis, Evelyn

Willis, John T.

Witherup, Ronald D., SS

Wong, Peter

Wood, Geoffrey E.

Zahn, Molly M