Orality, Memory, Rhetoric, Translation

Performance Networking Meeting 2019

Annual Meeting

Society of Biblical Literature

San Diego, CA

November 22, 2019 4:30-6pm

An exploration of the relationship between ancient and modern performances with an embodied performance of Ruth 2:1-13

Register now using this link.

Abstract

In recent years we have seen a growing interest in performance studies from different perspectives, including inquiry into ancient performance traditions as studied in memory studies, the formative influence of performance on the production of texts, the performance of such texts in ancient contexts, the representation of oral performance in written texts, and performance-related features embedded in biblical and other ancient texts. The Performance Networking Meeting has seen its role as complementary to other approaches in promoting actual embodied experience of performance by biblical scholars accompanied by a critical discussion of how this should or should not be related to ancient experiences of text presentation, in the broadest possible sense of “performance” and of “text”. Recent meetings have particularly highlighted the nature of cultural epistemologies in performance as a tool for Scripture interpretation.

This year’s meeting will concentrate on the presentation of Ruth 2:1-13 in Hebrew, accompanied by a critical group reflection on modern performance experience of ancient texts.

Why should you come?

This session should be of interest to all who are engaged in performance criticism, orality studies, memory studies, media criticism and the Bible, biblical language learning, and those involved in The Bible and Ancient Media. Given the interactive nature of the event, it has also proven to be the ideal setting for an introduction to this field of studies, both for those who are curious about this exciting interdisciplinary approach, as well as those who have just started to tiptoe in it.

The meeting offers an excellent opportunity to link with peers interested and engaged in the main area of performance and biblical studies in a variety of research and projects and sub disciplines.

Program

Introductions 

Performance of Ruth 2:1-3 in Hebrew

Travis West and Abby de Zeeuw (Western Theological Seminary)

Textual Performances and their variations

Nathan Esala (University of KwaZulu-Natal)

Table discussions

Conclusions    

You are kindly invited to register here for this interesting and provoking encounter with actual performance and the scholarly discussions on the performance of Biblical texts in modern times and on the questions whether this can shed light on ancient use of orality and writing in social context. This will allow us to send you some interesting material beforehand and keep you informed as to new developments before the San Diego meeting. But last minute deciders are free to join us without having registered.

On behalf of the Steering Committee:

Nathan Esala

Marlon Winedt