Biennial Meeting, Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS) 2020, 2021

Dear Colleagues:

I am writing with great excitement to announce that plans are underway for our 2020 meeting.

The Bible speaks to and from multiple contexts and concerns, and it has been used to address—in order to establish, to further, and sometimes to challenge and to dismantle—many ventures and visions. SABS has dealt with several ventures and visions for which the Bible has been read and used in Asia—biblical studies in Asia (Hong Kong, 2006), Asian cultures (Korea, 2008), ecology and economy (Hong Kong, 2010), migration and diaspora (Malaysia, 2012), violence in the human and earth community (Thailand, 2014), moving margins (Korea, 2016), and empire (Indonesia, 2018)—and for 2020 the focus will be on “Bible and hospitality.”

The understanding of “hospitality” is broad, for the term refers to service (to others), industry (for profit), attitude (of control and/or generosity) and ideology (with connotations of possession and/or openness). In other words, the topic “Bible and hospitality” is broad and hospitable and SABS 2020 will make space for attention to biblical texts about hospitality, for using biblical texts to (re)define hospitality, and for ways to make the Bible more or less hospitable.

Please reserve these days as we hope to see many of you for this meeting. Feel free also to send this to your colleagues who may be interested in attending and participating.