A Strange New World

***Photo of The ETS Conference at the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina by Bao Vang***

Christian academia is a strange new world from their feminist exegetes, gender ideologists, Jewish scholars complete with both secular and orthodox views, Christian fundamentalists, LGBTQ+ members, animal hermeneutics, liberation theologians, and those, like myself, who are caught in between this seemingly unending list of bizarre subjects related to the study of the Bible. It's no wonder Christian education is in disarray as it looks more like a bizarre mass of contradictory ideas than what most Christians would consider biblical scholarship.

As the first Hmong woman, and possibly the first person of Hmong descent, to gain membership in both the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) and the Evangelical Theological Society (ETS), my journey significantly deviates from the typical path many Hmong Christians choose. Most opting to pursue degrees that focus on practical theology and its application in the ministry context. This is not to suggest that studying Christian education, counseling, worship, theology, leadership, missions, and the like is any less valuable. However, considering the thousands of talented Hmong Christians in our community, surely by now, we would have a handful of scholars in our community who are experts in the Greek and Hebrew languages. Such scholars could shed light on difficult and often misunderstood passages of Scripture as well as provide a translation of Greek to Hmong. Christian academia is one of those fields that is virtually untouched by our community.

For this reason, I've decided to share with you what I've learned from attending the Annual Meetings of the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) and the Evangelical Theological Society (ETS) in the prayers that it will enlighten you to the possibilities awaiting our people.

Society of Biblical Literature

The Society of Biblical Literature is the oldest and one of the most respected organizations in biblical scholarship. Today, it encompasses 7,000+ members from around the globe.[1] The San Diego Conference Center, boasting an impressive 2.6 million square feet in size, was incapable to fully host the thousands of presentations happening simultaneously over the course of four days. Therefore, in order to meet the demands for presentation rooms, SBL booked six additional hotels adjacent to the convention center. Their 440-page catalog is a testament to this!

The first presentation I attended was the First-Time Attendee Orientation, in which one of the organizers joked that if we wanted a free meal, we should attend Standford's luncheon as they had some of the best food at SBL. Next, I joined several other presentations such as Rabbis and Jesus: Oriented Jews in Conversation, the Stability of the Universe in the Hebrew Bible and Second Temple Literature, Qoheleth's Wearying World and the Wise Contemplation of Nature, and Go as a Gazelle: ANE Deer Imagery throughout the Song of Songs, among a few other classes. Overall, the presentations were engaging but did not meet my expectations. Perhaps it was naïve of me to anticipate more groundbreaking research instead of the rehashing of old ideas expressed from new perspectives. However, you wouldn't notice this if you were not well-versed in that subject. Interestingly enough, I believe this is the norm in Christian academia. It's less about creating entirely new concepts and more about adding fresh perspectives to established subjects as this is the study of biblical literature and not an exact science.

The Society of Biblical Literature was an eye-opening experience. It introduced me to the broader landscape of 21st-century scholarship, which often lacked a definitive border of what was acceptable. Unfortunately, I sensed a palpable hostility towards Christian worldviews during several sessions. In some instances, presenters outright mocked Christians. The atmosphere at SBL was also politically charged, evident with their distinct rainbow signs and checked scarves worn by Hamas supporters. It felt like I was in a twilight zone, where I, as a Christian, was alienated from the very Bible in which I had placed my faith. Yet, here, many scholars presented papers on the Bible without believing in God. The only solace I received at SBL was the discovery of an excellent commentary on the Song of Songs that I purchased in the exhibition hall.

In my review of SBL, I encourage my more conservative Christians to not view SBL as an organization to avoid. Rather, we should be open to listening and learning about what is happening in the scholarly world. The ideas being discussed at SBL present valid points that deserve our thoughtful consideration as they reflect the current state of our society.

As Christians, we should not withdraw from the discussion and build a high wall around ourselves like the fundamentalists of the past. Now, more than ever, we need to pray for those who oppose the Word as they are still captives to the ruler of this world (Matthew 5:43–45; 2 Timothy 2:25–26) and "be ready at any time to give a defense for the hope that is in you, yet do this with gentleness and respect"(1 Peter 3:15).

Evangelical Theological Society

The Evangelical Theological Society was established in 1949 with the intent to be "the most strategic gathering of conservative scholars that had been held in decades in America and its potential power could affect profoundly the thinking of American religious life."[2] Thus, the Evangelical Theological Society was formed.

Unlike its counterpart, the Society of Biblical Literature, the Evangelical Theological Society is a faith-based organization with a succinct doctrinal statement: "The Bible alone, and the Bible in its entirety, is the Word of God written and is therefore inerrant in the autographs. God is a Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each an uncreated person, one in essence, equal in power and glory."[3] This statement has not been without controversy and jokingly referred to by Ray Van Neste as a "bikini"[4] statement. Interestingly enough, for the past 75 years ETS has only amended its doctrinal basis once with the inclusion of the Trinity.[5] Currently, ETS maintains a 4,000+ membership[6] with its 2024 Annual Meeting held at the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina in San Diego, California.

For those of you questioning if ETS is a conservative organization, it is by secular standards because it believes the Bible is inspired and inerrant. In comparison to SBL, which treats the Bible simply as ancient literature. Another interesting fact about ETS is that since its founding, its meeting times have been set to occur the same week as SBL due to its members holding dual memberships. This gives members the opportunity to attend both meetings, thus reducing their expenses and travel time.*

My first impression of ETS was overwhelming! Seeing crowds of men suited in their checked blazers and white dress shirts made me want to leave immediately. I felt completely out of place as a Hmong woman in my dress and heels. Nonetheless, I stayed to which I would like to warn future attendees that the hotel feels more like a labyrinth with its presentation rooms located in the most inconspicuous of places. Thank God for my husband because I would have never survived ETS without him.

For the three-day event, I attended a variety of presentations such as Tom Schreiner's paper on "Revelation 20 and The Millennium: A New Creation Model," Jim Hamilton's "The Chiastic Structure of John's Gospel," and Millard Erickson's "Will There Be Evangelical Theology 100 Years From Now?" (You can find their recording here for a fee https://www.wordmp3.com/ets-recordings).

In Schreiner's presentation, I found it challenging to follow his points as they seemed chaotically scattered. On the other hand, Hamilton was concise and made a compelling case for a chiastic structure in John's Gospel, although I'm not entirely convinced by his argument being that not every passage fits neatly into that schema. Interestingly, the organizers gave Erickson a portable room outside the lobby of the Marriott Grand Ballroom. Unfortunately, this meant there was only space for 30 people, which was inadequate given the hundreds who wished to attend. Thankfully, they moved us to the Grand Ballroom, which was a much better venue than the pitiful pre-function room. During Erickson's presentation he covered four key points: (1) Perpetuation of Traditional Christianity, (2) Evangelical Christianity, (3) Aggressive Advocacy of Evangelism, and (4) Worldwide Evangelism.

What surprised me the most about their presentations, including those I later attended, was that every thesis was in a state of progress with no definitive stance. The reading of papers was done more so to share the possibility of their thesis being true. I thought the presenters would be firmer in their claims, but rather, they were very loose, with scholars like Schreiner frequently admitting the uncertainty of his new creation model. This was an interesting observation that my husband and I both noticed. I can only surmise that this is how the reading of papers works in the academic world.

For those of my readers wondering what a "reading" of a paper entails, it simply means a person stands at a podium and reads their research paper word for word. This often includes pronouncing every Greek and Hebrew term, complete with citing each Bible chapter and verse referenced in the paper. After attending several of these sessions, I found myself yawning. Many presenters made little to no eye contact with the audience and spoke in a monotone voice. This style of presentation seemed to contradict everything I had learned about public speaking. However, upon reflection, I realized that this was simply the nature of academic discourse, and surprisingly, I began to appreciate it. Moreover, following each presentation a ten minutes Q&A was given for audience members to ask the presenter questions about their paper.

During my time at ETS, I had the privilege of meeting with a group of fellow students and professors from Liberty University where we shared an evening meal together. It was there that I met Dr. Jennifer Jones, an assistant professor at Liberty University. She invited me to attend ETS's Women's Networking Event. Initially, I was reluctant to go because my feet hurt quite a bit. I had worn an uncomfortable pair of heels and wasn't sure I could tolerate them for even an hour. However, after receiving encouragement from Dr. Jones, I smiled and silently told myself, "I will endure this!"[7]

At the women's networking event, there were 70+ women crammed into a small conference room. It seemed the organizers did not expect such a large turnout, as the speaker noted that this was the highest attendance of women in the event's history. It was there that I met Michelle Keener, a recent graduate of Liberty University's PhD program in Bible Exposition and a newly published author of Comfort in the Ashes: Explorations in the Book of Job to Support Trauma Survivors. I also encountered JoAnna Hoyt, an Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics at Dallas International University, whose discussions on women's discrimination in academia deeply resonated with me.

Additionally, Dr. Jones introduced me to Karen H. Jobes, the president of the Evangelical Theological Society. Dr. Jobes is a renowned Bible scholar with numerous works on topics such as Ruth, 1 Peter, Philippians, Relevance Theory, An Invitation into the Septuagint, and many such others. She is also emeritus professor of New Testament and Exegesis at Wheaton College. When I met Dr. Jobes, I was completely starstruck, and embarrassingly, I stumbled through my words (Thank you, Dr. Jobes, for being so gracious to me!).

Meeting Dr. Jobes was the highlight of my ETS experience. She was a small but mighty woman and a trailblazer for women in both ETS and biblical scholarship. When she first began attending ETS in the 1980s, the environment was quite different, with men being openly hostile and sexist towards her, often asking whose wife she was rather than recognizing she was a scholar in her own right. Nevertheless, she persevered to pave the way for other women. Thanks to her efforts, along with support from individuals like Craig Keener of Asbury Theological Seminary and Daniel B. Wallace of Dallas Theological Seminary, she became the first female president of the Evangelical Theological Society.[8]

Extra Meetings

During the 2024 SBL Annual Meeting, my colleague Dr. Denise Pass,[9] a recent PhD graduate in the Bible Exposition program and distinguished author and speaker, encouraged me to attend some of the meetings organized by the Institute of Biblical Research (IBR), which coincided with SBL. Following her advice, I attended the IBR Ethics and Minority Breakfast, where guest speakers Dr. Esau McCaulley from Northeastern Seminary and Dr. Nijay Gupta from Portland Seminary delivered moving speeches about the difficulties of being a minority in what they referred to as "the Guild."

Lastly, I joined Every Voice Kingdom Diversity's event, where I met Andrew King, Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Carmen Joy Imes, Associate Professor of Old Testament at Biola University, and Isabel Ong, the East Asia editor at Christianity Today. Andrew King is one of the founders of Every Voice Kingdom Diversity, whose organization focuses on promoting a "Christian theological education . . . [reflective of] the rich diversity of the global body of Christ."[10] Following the event, I was selected winner of The New Testament In Color and received by mail not only one book but also two copies of Apollos Old Testament Commentaries in Numbers! A fantastic Christmas gift for a bible nerd like myself.[11]

Reflections

My experience at these meetings was a mix of exhilaration, fear, and disorientation. While it was wonderful to meet scholars from around the world and learn about the publishing houses such as Baker Academic, IVP Academic, Zondervan, Crossway, and Hendrickson. Many times, I felt inadequate and unsure of myself in this strange place. However, thanks to God and the people he sent to help me along the way, I was able to find the community I had been longing for—a space where I can be challenged, encouraged, and gain a clearer perspective of the path that God has called me to.

This leads me to address the issue of Live By His Truth ministry. Over the past year, I have been praying and seeking counsel, and I feel a strong calling to shift my focus towards creating a space for the Hmong community that promotes excellence in biblical academics. Initially I started Live By His Truth as a side ministry to teach Hmong Women theology. However, as I progressed deeper into my PhD program, I began to see the possibilities of how my people could thrive with the resources I had access to.

Therefore, it is with a heavy heart, I announce the closure of Live By His Truth Ministries. Thank you to everyone who has supported me through prayer and financial support to get this ministry started. Thank you for believing in me and the work that I do. Think not of this as goodbye but a new beginning.

I hope that through this blog review of ETS and SBL, you, my Hmong people, will gain a better understanding of these academic societies work and how they can bless us in deepening our knowledge of the true and living God, Yahweh.

In closing, we as Christians live between Heaven and Hell. Earth is the middle realm, and we reside here in this world of darkness and light. May God give us the grace to finish it well! Gloria in excelsis Deo!

---

Footnotes:

[1] The Society of Biblical Literature, accessed January 3, 2025, https://sbl-site.org/default.aspx.

[2] Timothy George, "ETS at 75: A Community of Conviction and Love," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 67, no 1 (2024): 8.

[3] Evangelical Theological Society, "Doctrinal Basis," accessed January 3, 2025, https://etsjets.org/about/.

[4] Timothy George, "ETS at 75: A Community of Conviction and Love," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 67, no 1 (2024): 10

[5] Timothy George, "ETS at 75: A Community of Conviction and Love," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 67, no 1 (2024): 10.

[6] Timothy George, "ETS at 75: A Community of Conviction and Love," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 67, no 1 (2024): 8.

[7] Special thanks to Dr. Jones for giving me the courage to attend the women's networking event and introducing me to your colleagues! You were quite literally God's helping hand!

[8] Stefani McDade, "First Woman Steps into Leadership of Evangelical Theological Society, "Christianity Today, last modified November 20, 2023, https://www.christianitytoday.com/2023/11/evangelical-theological-society-women-president-karen-jobes/.

[9] Special thanks to Dr. Pass for your invaluable advice. It made a massive difference to my time at SBL.

[10] Every Voice Kingdom Diversity, "Who We Are," accessed January 3, 2025, https://www.everyvoicekingdomdiversity.org/whoweare/.

[11] Special thanks to Dr. King for the extra commentaries and for making me feel welcomed at the event.

*Note: ETS takes place three days before SBL. However for my blog, I decided to review SBL first.

---

Bao Vang is a wife and mom of two amazing daughters. When Bao's not serving her local church, she likes to write and spend time with her family. Bao received her MA in Theological Studies from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and is currently pursuing a PhD in Bible Exposition at John W. Rawlings School of Divinity at Liberty University. Bao is also a member of the Evangelical Theological Society and the Society of Biblical Literature. You can find her research at https://liberty.academia.edu/baobvang.