By: David Campbell
Princeton Theological Seminary Professor Katharine Doob Sakenfeld was elected vice president of the Society of Biblical Literature at the group’s annual meeting in Philadelphia last month, the seminary has announced.
She will, according to tradition, serve as vice president in 2006 and then assume the presidency of the society in 2007. This is the highest honor that can be accorded a member of the Society of Biblical Literature. The meeting in Philadelphia was held Nov. 19-22.
Professor Sakenfeld is the seminary’s William Albright Eisenberger Professor of Old Testament Literature and Exegesis. She is also director of doctorate studies at Princeton.
Her research focuses on Old Testament prophetic literature, Israelite and Judean history, and feminist biblical interpretation. She is the author of several books on Old Testament interpretation and has co-edited introductory articles and annotations for the Oxford Study Bible.
She is a former president of the Biblical Colloquium and has served on the Committee on Preparation for Ministry of the Presbytery of New Brunswick for many years.
The Society of Biblical Literature, founded in 1880, supports the critical investigation of the Bible. It provides a forum for conversation and resources for those interested in the religions, history, literature and culture of the ancient Near Eastern world.
The society has more than 6,000 members worldwide. Its annual meeting is the largest gathering of biblical scholars in the world, the seminary said.

