NABPR Newsletter – Fall, 2007
From the Executive Secretary, Danny Mynatt, Anderson University
As you know, we have scheduled our 2008 Annual Meeting at Belmont University, May 18 – 20, 2008. The separation of AAR and SBL was the factor which influenced the new Annual Meeting format, but I am excited that we will have more time to engage in discussion and fellowship. The Call for Papers was distributed by email in early October, but it is also included with this newsletter. I encourage you to participate, either by attending or presenting. If you have an idea that you always wanted to develop in an academic setting, this is your opportunity. Proposals from all topics related to Religion are welcome. Also, graduate students are welcome and encouraged to present. If you have questions about the Annual Meeting program, please let me know. You will receive information about accommodations from me later in the year. I have asked Darrell Gwaltney, Dean of the School of Religion at Belmont, to address this year’s Annual Meeting as a way of introducing the new meeting format and answering any questions. I hope to see you there.
A Community of Teaching Scholars
Pamela Scalise, Fuller Theological Seminary
Members of the NABPR will gather to conduct our business in San Diego on Saturday, November 17. We will receive good reports regarding our finances and our publishing program (the journal, Perspectives in Religious Studies and the new monograph series, PRSMS), elect officers for the coming year, and welcome new members.
We will also welcome Chad Eggleston as the recipient of the 2007 NABPR Dissertation Scholarship. The scholarship program provides a volunteer Baptist faculty mentor and a one-time award of $3000 plus two $1000 travel stipends to attend the NABPR national meeting for two years. Eggleston, a graduate of Samford University and Duke University Divinity School, is a Ph. D. candidate at Duke University. His dissertation, “See and Read these Words” (Jer 51, 61): The Concept of the Written in the Book of Jeremiah, is supervised by Ellen Davis. Curtis Freeman is his faculty mentor.
With Coleman Fannin, Chad Eggleston is co-founder of the NABPR Doctoral Student Network. Young Baptist scholars are welcome to join this online community. (Send contact information to [email protected])
Since its founding in 1981, the NABPR has met in conjunction with the joint annual meeting of the AAR and SBL. The separation of the AAR from the SBL will require us to change the familiar pattern of Saturday morning gatherings beginning in 2008. We should rejoice that we Baptists did not initiate this break-up, and look forward to more significant opportunities to promote communication and cooperation! Read about next year’s NABPR annual meeting in the article by Danny Mynatt in this newsletter and the Call for Papers that you received recently.
Come early and stay late on November 17 to renew your relationships within the NABPR community of teaching scholars.
Introduction to the Program
Tim Crawford, Bluefield College
We have an excellent program for our San Diego meeting. As usual, it begins with the Presidential address; Pamela Scalise’s title is “The End of the Old Testament: Reading Exile in the Hebrew Bible.” Afterwards, a panel discussion will feature short presentations by three Old Testament/Hebrew Bible professors regarding how they treat the topic of Yahweh War/Holy War in their courses. Gerald Keown (Gardner-Webb University Divinity School), Carol Grizzard (Pikeville College), and Mark McEntire (Belmont University) have agreed to tell us how they deal with the topic, not merely as a historical curiosity or feature of the text, but as a theological issue which has a profound influence on how Israel’s story is told in the Bible. The title for their presentations is “Yahweh War as Scripture in the Classroom.” I believe all of us can profit from their experience and share some ideas that will aid us in processing this important and controversial concept with our students.
Agenda: 2007 Meeting
17 November 2007
9:00 a.m. until 11:30 a.m.
_Twenty-seventh Annual Meeting
_Room: 30 B – CC
San Diego, CA
9:00 _Call to Order _Pamela Scalise
9:05 _Welcome from the Executive Secretary _Daniel Mynatt
9:10 _Invitation to the 2008 Annual Meeting, May 18-20, 2008, Belmont University _Darrell Gwaltney
9:15 _Introduction of the President’s Address _Tim Crawford
9:20 _President’s Address _Pamela Scalise
“Yahweh War as Scripture in the Classroom”
9:50 _Responses from the Association_moderated by Tim Crawford
10:00 _Panel _introduced by Tim Crawford
“Yahweh War as Scripture in the Classroom”
Gerald Keown (Gardner-Webb University Divinity School)
Carol Grizzard (Pikeville College)
Mark McEntire (Belmont University)
11:00 Annual Business Session _Pamela Scalise, presiding
1. approval of the 2006 minutes
2. report of the Executive Committee Daniel Mynatt
3. recommendation on New Members Daniel Mynatt
4. report of the Nominating Committee TBA
5. report of the Editorial Board TBA
6. report of the Editorial Board Nominating Committee TBA
7. miscellaneous business and announcements
a. Q and A regarding 2008 Annual Meeting
11:30 _Adjournment
Minutes: 2006 Meeting
The National Association of Baptist Professors of Religion
Minutes of the twenty-sixth Annual Meeting
18 November 2006
Washington Convention Center
Washington, DC
The twenty-sixth annual meeting of the National Association of Baptist Professors of Religion was called to order by President Curtis Freeman. After a greeting, the association observed a moment of silence in honor of Henry Jackson “Jack” Flanders, Jr. (Baylor), who died the previous year. After the moment of silence and a benediction, Danny Mynatt, Executive Secretary, greeted members and guests and introduced the program for the meeting. Mynatt announced that the Dissertation Scholarship winners in the inaugural year of the award were Scott Becker and Kristian Angelov.
Pam Scalise introduced Curtis Freeman for the presidential address. Freeman’s address was entitled “Roger Williams Among the Baptists,” and it featured a historiographical review of Williams’s reputation as an advocate for religious liberty. Freeman honored Williams’s Baptist witness while opposing those who have interpreted him in a modernistic and individualistic framework.
Pam Scalise introduced the program, which featured a panel discussion on the topic “Baptists and the Ten Commandments.” Panelists were Walter Harrelson (Wake Forest University), Bill J. Leonard (Wake Forest University), and Glen Stassen (Fuller Theological Seminary).
At 11:00, President Curtis Freeman convened the annual business session. After the 2005 minutes were approved, Executive Secretary Danny Mynatt gave the Executive Committee report. Mynatt updated the membership on the current status of the Endowment Funds, which posted a gain of +27.1% for the year. He also noted that dues-paying membership was up 30%.
Mynatt reported on the NABPR strategy for meeting following the breakup of the AAR/SBL annual meetings. He presented a proposal for the new Annual Meeting format, which was decided by the NABPR News online poll. The proposal read as follows: “The Annual Meeting will now move to a time during the last half of May (the Sunday – Tuesday commencing with the 3rd Sunday in May has been suggested). The NABPR Executive Committee will appoint a program committee to create an agenda for the meeting, but it will include more program opportunities for academic papers and fellowship gatherings. The schedule for the meetings will occur in this rotation (after which, the rotation will repeat):
2008-Belmont
2009-Baylor
2010-Mercer
2011-AAR/SBL meets jointly-We will return to the traditional format for that year. Otherwise, this would be an “Open” year, for a new school to volunteer.” The association approved the proposal.
After the Executive Committee report, Assistant Executive Secretary Jimmy Byrd read the names of nominations for new members into the association. After the new members were approved, Curtis Freeman recognized the Association Nominating Committee, which offered the nominations of Pam Scalise for President and Tim Crawford for Vice President. Curtis Freeman and Danny Mynatt led a discussion of a change to the NABPR constitution to allow for a Dissertation Scholarship Committee. The recommendation passed.
The meeting was adjourned at 11:30 am.
Respectfully submitted, Jimmy Byrd, Vanderbilt University
Announcement: Doctoral Student Network
Curtis Freeman, Duke Divinity School
The NABPR Doctoral Student Network is in its second academic year, and we are in the process of updating our contact database. Please send new or updated info for Baptist doctoral students in your department to Callie Davis at [email protected]. Also, doctoral students are invited to join together for lunch after the NABPR meeting at AAR on Saturday, November 17. If you have questions about the network, contact Chad Eggleston at [email protected]. By Coleman Fannin (University of Dayton).
Call for Papers – 2008 Annual Meeting at Belmont University, May 18-20, 2008
The National Association of Baptist Professors of Religion (NABPR) invites paper proposals in any area pertaining to scholarship in Religion. Although many NABPR members work primarily in the traditional disciplines of Biblical Studies, Church History, Theology, etc., proposals are encouraged from any field, including Ministry Studies.
Proposals must be received by January 1, 2008. Send a 300-word abstract to:
NABPR National Meeting
School of Religion
Belmont University
1900 Belmont Blvd
Nashville, TN 37212
Papers will be scheduled into a 30 time period, including discussion.
Proposals will be accepted or denied by March 1, 2008.
Graduate Students are encouraged to submit proposals.
Authors of accepted proposals must be members of NABPR in good standing by May 1, 2008.