I just returned from the Society of Biblical Literature conference in Boston, MA, and I’m still taking in everything the week offered. This was my first time spending more than a few hours in the city, and I found myself genuinely drawn to its energy, history, and walkability. I kept thinking, I wish I could stay longer. When SBL returns, I’ll definitely plan to arrive earlier and linger a bit more.
As always, one of the greatest joys of SBL is reconnecting with friends, colleagues, and former students. These gatherings remind me how much the guild is sustained by relationships—by the people who challenge us, inspire us, and accompany us in the long work of scholarship. This year was especially full for me. I presided over several sessions, listened to outstanding papers, and learned from scholars doing genuinely cutting-edge work in biblical studies, hermeneutics, and ancient contexts.
But the highlight of the conference came on the publishing side. I was able to finalize the details of my contract with Cambridge University Press for a new monograph on migration in the biblical tradition. I signed the contract the same day, and I’m deeply grateful. This project grew out of a course I taught in 2023 entitled “Bible and Immigration” and brings together years of work across several different research threads. Migration has been on my mind for several years now, growing naturally out of my research on race, ethnicity, and the lived experiences reflected in the biblical texts. It’s exciting—and humbling—to see those streams converging into a single volume, and for such a prestigious press!
I also had the chance to see my recently publish book “The Spirit and Race in John’s Gospel: Belonging and the People of God.” This is always nice to see my scholarship in print and at such an important conference. For some reason, scholarship is where the Lord has placed me. Yet, my hope is simple, that these forthcoming books might contribute something meaningful, open hearts and minds, and perhaps help people become more Christ-like.
