Society for New Testament Studies

Society for New Testament Studies is an international learned society for scholars of the New Testament, early Christianity, and related fields. Founded in 1947, it promotes research, publication, and teaching through conferences, lectures, and prizes. Its membership and activities intersect with universities, seminaries, research institutes, and museums across Europe, North America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania.

History

The society emerged in the aftermath of World War II amid reconstruction efforts involving University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, King's College London, Durham University, and University of Edinburgh scholars who sought renewed collaboration with peers from Harvard University, Yale University, Princeton University, Columbia University, and University of Chicago. Early figures included academics connected to University of Tübingen, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, University of Göttingen, Humboldt University of Berlin, University of Munich, and institutions influenced by work from the École Biblique, University of Strasbourg, Leiden University, and University of Basel. Postwar intellectual exchange involved contacts with scholars associated with the Vatican Library, British Museum, Bodleian Library, Cambridge University Library, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, and the National Library of France (Bibliothèque nationale de France). The society’s growth tracked developments in studies linked to discoveries and projects such as the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Oxyrhynchus Papyri, and archaeological excavations at Masada, Qumran, Jerusalem, Sepphoris, Caesarea Maritima, and Pompeii. Interactions with scholars from University of Vienna, University of Oslo, University of Copenhagen, Uppsala University, Lunds universitet, and Trinity College Dublin further internationalized the organization.

Purpose and Activities

The society promotes critical research on texts and contexts related to the New Testament, coordinating scholarly work that intersects with universities and libraries such as University of Pennsylvania, Princeton Theological Seminary, Union Theological Seminary, McGill University, and University of Toronto. Its activities engage specialists in fields represented at institutions like Sankt-Petersburg State University, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv University, American School of Oriental Research, Pontifical Biblical Institute, and Institut Catholique de Paris. Members collaborate on topics connected to manuscripts held at the Vatican Apostolic Library, Mount Athos, Monastery of Saint Catherine, British Library, and archives in Rome, Athens, Istanbul, and Cairo. The society fosters dialogue with research centers such as Center for Judaic Studies, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, Australian National University, and University of Cape Town.

Governance and Membership

Governance follows an elected presidency and council derived from academics at institutions including University of Manchester, University of Birmingham, University of Glasgow, University of St Andrews, King's College London, University of Sheffield, Princeton Theological Seminary, and Yale Divinity School. Past presidents and officers have been affiliated with scholarly contexts such as Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, Cambridge Theological Federation, Regent’s Park College, Westcott House, Harris Manchester College, Claremont Graduate University, Vanderbilt University, Duke University, and Emory University. Membership comprises professors, lecturers, research fellows, and doctoral candidates connected to projects at British Academy, Royal Society of Edinburgh, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, European Research Council, Wellcome Trust, and national research councils of Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and Netherlands. Honorary members and corresponding fellows have represented regions from Latin America involving Pontifical Catholic University of Chile to University of São Paulo, and from Asia via National University of Singapore to University of Tokyo.

Publications and Conferences

The society sponsors and contributes to publications in partnership with academic presses and series such as Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, Brill Publishers, Routledge, T&T Clark, Equinox, Walter de Gruyter, Peeters Publishers, and Mohr Siebeck. It features in journals and monograph series alongside Journal of Biblical Literature, New Testament Studies (journal), Vetus Testamentum, Novum Testamentum Graece, Biblica, Zeitschrift für die Neutestamentliche Wissenschaft, and Studia Theologica. Annual and plenary conferences have been held in cities with major centers like London, Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Prague, Vienna, Rome, Paris, Berlin, Leipzig, Helsinki, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Oslo, Reykjavík, Dublin, Bucharest, Budapest, Istanbul, Athens, Beirut, Cairo, Jerusalem, Istanbul, Istanbul University, Ankara, Istanbul Archaeology Museums, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem Archaeological Museum, Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Toronto, Montreal, Chicago, Ann Arbor, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Melbourne, Sydney, Auckland, Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Nairobi.

Awards and Honorary Lectures

The society grants prizes and organizes named lectures associated with figures and institutions such as Rudolf Bultmann, Martin Hengel, Hans Conzelmann, Raymond E. Brown, John P. Meier, Richard Bauckham, N. T. Wright, Bart D. Ehrman, Dale C. Allison Jr., E. P. Sanders, James D. G. Dunn, I. Howard Marshall, F. F. Bruce, C. H. Dodd, Adolf von Harnack, Ernst Käsemann, Oscar Cullmann, Krister Stendahl, Cyril Richardson, John Knox, and lectures held in collaboration with British Academy, Royal Irish Academy, Pontifical Biblical Commission, World Council of Churches, Conference of European Churches, and theological faculties at University of Edinburgh, Princeton University, Harvard Divinity School, Yale Divinity School, Trinity College Dublin, University of Oxford, and University of Cambridge.

Category:Learned societies