Religion Scholars Meet Together, Maybe for the Last Time

The American Academy of Religion and the Society of Biblical Literature held their joint annual meeting in San Diego, Calif., November 17–20, drawing more than 10,000 scholars.

But beginning in 2008, the two organizations will hold separate congresses—AAR in Chicago (Oct. 25–28) and SBL in Boston (Nov. 22–25)—the result of a unilateral 2003 decision by AAR to separate its annual meeting from SBL's. The “Great Divorce” is universally unpopular with exhibitors (150 this year), who now face tough decisions about which meeting to attend. One publisher, who requested anonymity, said he was “damn angry” that the leadership of both organizations “got into a spitting contest and are making everybody else pay just because they couldn't play in the sandbox together. The membership of both societies deserved better.”

“Publishers are being punished,” agreed B.J. Heyboer, senior director of marketing for Baker Publishing Group, which plans to exhibit at both shows next year and then reevaluate based on sales. “Even locking in a special rate with either organization doesn't compensate for having to do two shows instead of one.”

Baker and other houses conducted surveys at their booths to determine which meeting their customers plan to attend. At InterVarsity Press, 75% said they plan to go to SBL next year, with 25% favoring the AAR. Publisher Bob Fryling said the press plans to have a presence at both meetings (as well as at the meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society, just before SBL in a neighboring city). Eerdmans v-p of publicity and promotion Anita Eerdmans noted that the real question mark is going to be theologians, who are often split between the two organizations or belong to both.

Zondervan, which has a heavy line in biblical studies, will continue its current booth size—eight spaces—only at SBL, and will have a smaller exhibit at AAR, said Stan Gundry, senior v-p and editor-in-chief of the publishing group. Many academic and university presses, such as Beacon, Palgrave Macmillan, SUNY, Indiana, California, North Carolina and Georgetown, are planning to exhibit only at AAR. Others will try to attend both, at least for 2008.

Both AAR and SBL presold booth space for next year and reported a strong response. SBL, which offered publishers a 25% discount for booking onsite, presold 169 of its 207 booths, according to Trista Krock, manager of congresses for SBL. AAR, which offered $50 off each pre-reserved booth space, has sold 95% of its floor space for next year, said Thom Hoffman, exhibits manager for AAR.

Both groups have commitments for separate meetings through 2012. In 2011 they will meet concurrently in San Francisco over the traditional weekend before Thanksgiving.

Now under the leadership of new executive director Jack Fitzmier, AAR surveyed its membership about whether to rejoin the meetings. (AAR is the larger of the two organizations, with 11,369 members, compared to 8,550 for SBL.) AAR director of external relations Steve Herrick said no decision had been made yet about whether there will be a combined book exhibit at the 2011 meetings.