Holy Cross Religious Studies Professor Named Chair of the Council of the Society of Biblical Literature

Tat siong Benny Liew, the Class of 1956 Chair in New Testament Studies and professor of religious studies at the College of the Holy Cross, was recently named chair of the Council of the Society of Biblical Literature.

Professor Liew was nominated and elected in 2017 by the Society of Biblical Literature to serve on its Council, the learned society's board of directors, and started his first term as a Council member in 2018. In preparation for a new chair of Council, he was appointed to that position by his fellow Council members for a term beginning in 2021, serving as chair-elect in 2020. 

Founded in 1880, the Society of Biblical Literature is one of the oldest learned societies in the humanities and humanistic social sciences, and it has been a member of the American Council of Learned Societies since 1929. It is also one of the largest learned societies, with a membership of 8,000 and an active set of professional programs, including an annual meeting, international meeting, regional meetings, and a publishing program with twenty-five book series and the field’s flagship journal, the Journal of Biblical Literature. 

Remarking on this position, John F. Kutsko, SBL's Executive Director, said, "Such a vibrant organization—with a complex business model, a diverse membership, and a remarkable breadth of academic specialization—requires a uniquely gifted chair. In addition to the skill set necessary for providing general oversight of all Society business, including being fiduciaries and envisioning a strategic future, the SBL Council puts a premium on collegiality and mutual respect, qualities that Dr. Liew models in his leadership on the Council."

Liew will serve as chair of the Council of the Society of Biblical Literature through 2023.