CALL FOR PAPERS

Does It Matter Who Wrote the Bible? 

The Pastoral Implications for Pseudepigraphy and Anonymity in the New Testament

May 19-21, 2022

It is a pleasure to invite you to the conference and to invite your participation in presenting a paper focused on our very specific conference topic: “Does It Matter Who Wrote the Bible? The Pastoral Implications for Pseudepigraphy and Anonymity in the New Testament.” The conference is sponsored by the International Reference Library for Biblical Research (IRLBR). The foundation was established in 2005 to promote biblical scholarship and has hosted several conferences focused on the relevance of biblical scholarship to the laity.  The conference will take place at the Lanier Theological Library in Houston, TX, from May 19-21, 2022. We begin at 4:00 pm on May 19 and conclude at 11.30 am on May 21, 2022.

This conference will consider the implications for practical ministry if certain New Testament books are considered pseudonymous. Over the past two centuries various scholars have questioned whether the named writers of some New Testament letters were in fact responsible for their content and composition, offering various theories of pseudepigraphical authorship. Often these discussions never leave the halls of the academy to consider how such views might impact parish or congregational life. 

This conference will explore the pastoral and ecclesial implications of claims of pseudepigraphy and anonymity related to the New Testament.  

When submitting your paper proposal, be sure you are addressing one of the subjects below. Papers that address merely an argument or the evidence for or against pseudepigraphy in the New Testament will not be considered. Again, the focus is on the effect on local church ministry if a particular New Testament book or letter is consider pseudonymous.

Topics

• Pseudepigraphy, anonymity, and the authority of Scripture
• Ethical considerations of pseudepigraphy
• The impact of pseudepigraphy and anonymity on pulpit preaching and local church teaching 
• The relevance of pseudepigraphy and anonymity to church governance, beliefs and practices
• The implications for training seminary students and university religion faculty

Guide for authors

The deadline to submit abstracts is January 31, 2022.  To submit your abstract please go to https://app.oxfordabstracts.com/stages/3068/submitter

• Accepted paper award ($500)
• Travel stipends ($1000) available for attending presenters
• Papers will be considered for publication 
• Final papers must conform to the SBL Handbook of Style

Scholarships for Graduate Students

A limited number of scholarships ($250 each) are available for current graduate students in biblical studies. Application requirements and information to submit can be found here.

Important Dates

Deadline for abstract and scholarship submission: January 31, 2022

Notification of acceptance: February 15, 2022

Deadline for final paper submission: May 1, 2022 

For inquiries regarding the program, please contact: David.capes@lanierlibrary.org

We look forward to seeing you at the Lanier Theological Library in May 2022!