Reflections on the Bible Conference

First of all, I am sorry it's been so long since I've posted on my blog. I know all of you were glued to your TVs watching either the Amazing Race or the new Pope being confirmed (white smoke and all that) so I assume you aren't exactly starved for my navel-gazing prose.

Still, I have wanted to share about my experience at the Eastern Great Lakes Society of Biblical Literature conference for some time and finally feel I can spare a few minutes to share some of my experience.



I arrived at Oglebay Resort in Wheeling, WV by 11:00 a.m. The place is set in the rolling hills of WV—such a refreshing change from flat Ohio. I unloaded and found my room where I decided to freshen up. I made the disastrous decision to paint my fingernails... and then to brush my hair and change my clothes. Needless to say, the nail polish smudged, dented and became such a nuisance I wiped it all off with a cotton ball and decided to go "au naturel." Good decision.... though small bits remained and I found myself picking it off in nervousness while waiting for my turn to speak.

The first session, wherein I was slated to speak last, began at 1:00 p.m. The papers in my session were under the subhead: The Old Testament: Women and Song.

The first paper turned out to be one of my favorites. Two men (who were clearly best friends and as playful as they come) did a joint paper on the Song of Moses in Exodus 15 showing that it conformed to the "iconic performance" form, rather than narrative poetry. They didn't read a paper; they "performed" the interpretation and we were all on the edge of our seats interacting and imagining the text with a new vision. Wonderful!

The next paper read was given by my professor of the Pentateuch. She did a treatment of the Old Testament viewpoint related to disability. So many verses that equate God's blessing with health, long life, vitality, the ability to walk or run! Curses from God are often equated with disability. I had not ever noticed. She offered insight into how a disabled person or community could look at those passages without feeling shamed or cursed or abandoned by God and also did not necessarily resolve the inherent difficulty of the passages for the disabled. Provocative.

The paper before mine was offered by another graduate student. He looked at Michal's dance and her anger at David's self-exposure and did so in a way I had never considered. He showed how David usurped the ritual practice of women who worshiped using dance as their vital role in the community, which action pushed them aside. Then he interpreted her reaction to David not as prudish or selfish or prideful but as indignation at the way male hegemony was at work in the Davidic tradition. Really new stuff. Loved it. Great work by a grad student.

Then it was my turn.

I found it daunting to go after so many wonderful papers of such high caliber and thought. I chose Genesis 3:16 for my topic and the title of my paper was/is: "All About Eve and Me: Genesis 3:16." I used an autobiographical critical methodology to engage the text. I examined biblical literalism, the historical-critical methodology and then used the lens of autobiography to help me examine my relationship to both the text in question as well as my growing identity as an interpreter of the Bible.

During the paper (which I read—had I known I could have spoken it like the first fellows, I think I would have preferred that!), I got to the section where I examined my relationship to feminism and the evangelical community. I included personal details related to my parents' divorce and suddenly found myself on the brink of tears. I had not anticipated that kind of reaction in myself. There is something about being in front of other people that pulled deep emotions straight up from the bottom.

Oh was it humiliating! I had to stand stock still and breathe to regroup. Each time I started to speak, I felt myself balancing my voice against the water in my eyes and felt somewhat quavery. But I got through it. And then the applause. And the questions. And the sympathetic feedback. By the end I felt much better. My favorite professor smiled and told me "Well done" which was the most satisfying feedback. He is the kind that will take you to task if you haven't done your work. He'll do it kindly, but he'll do it nonetheless. So his praise meant the world to me.

The two who had begun the session turned out to be Important People. One of them is the current president of the SBL (Society of Biblical Literature). He approached me afterwards to thank me and to affirm the direction of my paper. I felt embarrassed over my tears. He brushed that concern away. I really like him and got to sit with him and his friend later in the evening.

During the president's keynote address later that night, I'll be darned if the same exact thing didn't happen to him! He began to speak of his wife who has cancer, and he got so choked up, he couldn't go on for the moment, tears in his eyes. That's when I knew I was really okay, even as a newbie.

I had lots of wonderful conversations about all kinds of paper topics. I had offers of help to get published (unsolicited) and friendly conversations over wine and beer later that night about the nature of faith and God and kingdom life and so on. Really a rich time.

I met a Vineyard pastor who wrote a paper on the hemorraghing woman: Magic or Miracle? He took the position that it was a miracle. We had breakfast together and rehashed our Vineyard histories.

The whole environment was both challenging and comfortable at the same time. I felt inspired to really work on a topic for a long time, going deep and narrow. I loved the way biblical scholars struggle with the relevance of their work and yet all the same commit themselves to it. An honor to be there.

The next day, I listened to more papers, ended with a wonderful lunch that looked out on sunny hills in a gorgeous room next to my Xavier professors and other students and faculty from other univesities. I took a brisk walk before getting into the car for my next trip.

And if you're still reading and interested, I'd be happy to share my paper with you (if I know you). Just ask. :) I'll send it along. Thanks for all your thoughts and well wishes.