Around the traps
- Some poignant autobiographical reflections on the pathology of theology: “I believe I’ve found something out about myself that I’ve always secretly feared: Theology isn’t fundamentally a noble exercise.”
- Unhappy booksellers at AAR (things would have been different if I had made it to AAR...)
- What makes for an adequate ecclesiology?
- Blumenberg and Schmitt
- Violence and Christian anarchism. This reminds me of a conversation about pacifism with some Barthian friends at the pub last night: I agreed with them that the world is irreducibly violent – but when I concluded my argument by appealing to “the church” as the inbreaking of peace, I was greeted with a roar of laughter! (I take this to be an indictment not of my ecclesiology but of the church’s apostasy...)
- Another new book from Australia’s most prolific scholar
- A series of posts on the people of God in the Book of Revelation
- A series responding to Nate Kerr’s book
- Call for papers: Foucault and St Paul
- A short film inspired by one of Tom Waits’ songs
- Benedict XVI on religion and culture
I was at AAR and I am an employee of SBL...needless to say, I was at both meetings. The book sales issue was interesting to observe.
First, the layout of AAR's book exhibition was just plain awful. it was labyrinthine and very perplexing. This is not necessarily the organizations fault, as much as resulting from the poor layout of the facility.
Second, AAR has the advantage and disadvantage of including Systematic theology, environmental religion, pagan studies, buddhist and hindu studies, American religion, religion and food, religion and animals, and a wide/ever expanding list of fields in religious studies. As a result, it seems that most books will not necessarily be relevant to a large swath of attendees.
Third, the exact opposite is the case with SBL. Biblical scholars, by and large, are interested in a particular range of issues which the publishers can focus their displays on. Many of the vendors expressed sheer amazement at how many more books were sold (And how much more money was made!) in Boston as opposed to Chicago. I think this has a little to do with layout (much easier to navigate) and a lot to do with the fact that almost all literature in Biblical studies is cognate...in some shape or form.
Another theory floating around the Boston book exhibit was that - as opposed to scholars in AAR - those in SBL actually do research.
As a member of both societies, and a person who has spent a small fortune at both conferences, I would have to disagree!
Not surprised there is great disappointment among publishers though.
Thanks, John, for this very interesting report. Sounds like SBL might be the better place not only for theologians, but also for booksellers!
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