DeGruyter Prize for Biblical Studies and Reception History
2024 Call for Papers
The 2024 Society of Biblical Literature – De Gruyter Prize for Biblical Studies and Reception History will open for submissions on 1 April 2024.
Award
In partnership with the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL), De Gruyter has established the “Prize for Biblical Studies and Reception History.” There are two submission categories for the award: Textual Culture and Reception of the Bible; and Material and Visual Culture and Reception of the Bible. De Gruyter will support each category with an annual cash prize of $750. The awarded papers will be published in the Journal of the Bible and its Reception. In addition to being published, the awarded papers will be delivered at the recipient’s meeting of choice (Annual, International, or Global Virtual) in 2024
The field of reception history aims to shed light on the broader horizon of the use and influence of the Bible in a wide variety of academic fields, historical periods, and cultural settings, with attention to theory and methodology as well as content. The field covers an extensive range of topics, including transmission and reception of bible(s) in Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and other religious as well as non-confessional traditions; in rabbinic, patristic, medieval, modern, contemporary, and postcolonial contexts; in literature, film, music, and the visual and performing arts; and in relation to politics and economics, gender and sexuality, race and ethnicity, and a variety of other social and cultural issues. The Textual Culture and Reception of the Bible category includes textual traditions, music, literature, and law. The Material and Visual Culture and Reception of the Bible category includes material culture, visual arts, and architecture.
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Qualifications for Submission
Any SBL member who is a current graduate student or has received a Ph.D. or Th.D. in biblical studies or a related field during the last ten years may submit a paper. All submissions must be unpublished and cannot be submitted for review by a journal or other academic press.
Submission Requirements
- Applicants must submit the following items no later than midnight (GMT-5) on 15 June 2024. All documents must be submitted in a PDF format and be anonymous: that is, the author’s name should not appear after the manuscript’s title nor in any heading; wherever possible, neither should any reference be made to the author within the manuscript in a manner that would reveal the author’s identity.
- A dated CV
- A brief abstract (limit 250 words) regarding how the paper advances reception history of the Bible.
- A paper, in English, of no more than 10,000 words including footnotes, and double-spaced. A bibliography is not required. If your paper is over the 10,000 word limit it will be automatically disqualified.
- Both abstract and paper should be formatted as a PDF and submitted anonymously, that is, an author’s name should not appear after the paper’s title or in any heading; neither should any reference be made to the author within the paper in a manner that would reveal the author’s identity.
- All materials should be submitted via the SBL Paper Awards Form page. If you do not receive a confirmation of receipt within two (2) business days, please contact Paige Schmidt.
Failure to follow all submission requirements will result in an automatic disqualification.
The committee review process is a blind peer review. All submissions are anonymized prior to committee review.
Criteria
The subject of the paper is open, but it must advance some dimension of reception history scholarship. The paper will be evaluated in accordance with the following criteria:
- Quality, originality and creativity.
- Promises an important and original contribution.
- Persuasive thesis with clarity of expression and thought, engaging and well written.
The submission process and calendar is the following:
| Date | Schedule |
|---|---|
| 1 April 2024 | Call for Papers opens |
| 15 June 2024 | Submission of all materials |
| 30 September 2024 | Announcement of Awardee |
| TBD | Presentation at 2024 Meeting |
2019 Award not awarded
2018 Award not awarded