Distinguished Professor Named President of The Society of Biblical Literature

Dr. Beverly Gaventa, distinguished professor of New Testament, was selected by her peers to serve as the 2016 president of the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL). A 150-year-old organization, with 10,000 current members, the SBL is “the largest and oldest learned society devoted to the critical study of the Bible.”

Baylor University Press attends and exhibits at the SBL’s annual conference each November. This year, the conference will be held in San Antonio, and Dr. Gaventa will deliver the plenary address.

“The Society of Biblical Literature is the oldest, largest, most prestigious and influential academic society in the world,” said Carey Newman, director of Baylor University Press. “The formal recognition of the lasting importance of her scholarship by her peers at the SBL is a singular honor for Dr. Gaventa. But being named president of the Society also shows that Baylor University’s efforts to establish itself as having an internationally elite graduate program in religion are being realized. Baylor University and the press — by being her publisher — are seen as being at the forefront of believing scholarship.”

With a mobile bookstore showcasing close to 400 unique titles and more than 2,000 copies of Baylor University Press publications, the exhibit booth provides a unique opportunity to herald the name of the University and the press to the members of the SBL and the American Academy of Religion, furthering the reach and impact of the top scholarship produced by the press.