20 Years On… Theorizing Scripture: New Critical Orientations to a Cultural Phenomenon

Posted on by Richard Newton

On April 11-13, 2024, the Institute for Signifying Scriptures will be hosting a special annual meeting to commemorate two momentous occasions: The 20th Anniversary of the Institute for Signifying Scriptures and the 25th Anniversary of the African Americans and the Bible Project. Over the next few weeks, I'm going to be highlighting some media to … Continue reading 20 Years On… Theorizing Scripture: New Critical Orientations to a Cultural Phenomenon

25 Years On… African Americans and the Bible: Sacred Texts and Social Textures

Posted on by Richard Newton

It wasn't a quest to find Black people within the canon or a liberative hermeneutic for Black people. African Americans and the Bible laid out an agenda for critically studying, as the accompanying anthology's subtitle states, "sacred texts and social textures."

Real Talk: CFPs and Stepping up the AAR and SBL Pre-Game

Posted on by Richard Newton

As I've written before, so much of academic life is trying to figure out how people fit into the boxes we use to make sense of our worlds. Knowing some of the politics and frustrations that entails, I've tried to use this website to open that process up a bit. And I appreciated sharing about that in some different venues.

Reading “The African American Bible” on Paper and in Class

Posted on by Richard Newton

The Journal of Biblical Literature recently published a series on ways that biblical scholars have engaged with #BlackLivesMatter in their work.

Locations of Interpretation: Scriptures and Fear in America

Posted on by Richard Newton

Ekaputra Tupamahu discusses Marlee Schwalm’s foray into the history of religion in the American Pacific WWII theater. He surfaces resonances between Post-Pearl Harbor Japanophobia and Post-9/11 Islamophobia.