Welcome to the Society of Asian Biblical Studies

The Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS) owes its origin to the Congress of Asian Theologians (CATS). Since the very first CATS gathering in Seoul, Korea in 1997, scholars interested in Asian biblical interpretation and hermeneutics have been discussing and envisioning the formation of a professional academic society to promote biblical interpretation and research in Asia and/or through Asian lenses.

The dream began to take shape with a planning committee formed during the International Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature in Singapore in the summer of 2005. The task of the planning committee was to organize an inaugural conference for SABS at the end of CATS in Hong Kong in August of 2006.

Almost a decade beyond the initial conversations in Seoul, and thanks to the persistence and ingenuity of many persons, SABS finally became a reality with the inaugural conference held at the Chinese University in Hong Kong from August 22-26, 2006. In attendance were thirty-five biblical scholars, including those who work and live in various parts of Asia, and Asian scholars who are in diaspora in different corners of the world. In addition to the presentation of eleven academic papers, an inaugural address, entitled, “Future Imperfect: Asia, The Bible and Biblical Interpretation,” was delivered by Professor R. S. Sugirtharajah of the University of Birmingham (UK).

The purpose of the Society is to foster Asian Biblical Studies and Interpretation. To that end, we have the following vision:

• Create opportunities for members to share and exchange research and scholarship in Asian Biblical studies and interpretation, foster mutual support, intellectual growth, and professional development as teachers, interpreters and scholars
• Facilitate a broad and open discussion from a variety of perspectives, particularly that of the minorities and the marginalized in Asia
• Encourage study and interpretation of biblical literature and related literature using traditional and diverse methods and approaches in the varied Asian cultural and lingual contexts
• Collaborate with educational institutions and other appropriate organizations to support contextual biblical scholarship, interpretation and teaching
• Develop and publish resources for diverse audiences, including students, religious communities and the general public in both English and the vernacular languages
• Discuss and develop a viable biblical curriculum in the cultural setting of Asia

SABS has met every two years and has focused on a theme pertinent to the Asian context.

• 2008 – Methodist Theological University in Seoul, Korea (14-16 July) – “Mapping and engaging the Bible in Asian Cultures”
• 2010 – Chung Chi College of Divinity, CUHK, Hong Kong (14-16 June) – Ecology, Economy and Asian Biblical Interpretation
• 2012 – Sabah Theological Seminary, Sabah, Malaysia (13-15 June) – Migration, Diaspora: Asia and the Bible
• 2014 – 75th Anniversary Building, CCT, Chiang Mai, Thailand (23-25 June) – Violence in the Human and Earth Community
• 2016 – Methodist Theological University, Seoul, Korea, (2-7 July) – Moving Margins: Biblical Studies in 21st century Asia
• 2018 – Sekolah Tinggi Filsafat Teologi Widya Sasana Malang, Indonesia (17-19 July) – Bible and Empire in Asia: Past and Present
• 2020-2024 - The COVID Pandemic required that we cancel the 2020 meeting that was to be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and the 2022 meeting
• In 2024 – Yu-Shan Theological College and Seminary, Hualien, Taiwan (10-15 July) - Biblical Hermeneutics in Indigenous Perspectives

SABS affirms the reality of, and the connection between, labour and migration. It also recognizes that biblical passages have often been used to justify and resist labour exploitation and/or the movement of people (whether forced or voluntary). For this coming meeting we will therefore be hearing papers and reflections (over a hundred) on the theme: "Bible, Labour and Migration," engaging two critical questions with special attention to Asia and the Asian diaspora:

• What does the Bible have to do with labour and migration in Asia and beyond?
• How might realities of labour and migration in Asia (and beyond) lead to alternative readings of the Bible and the practice of biblical interpretation?

There will be three plenary lectures, delivered by Dr. Agustinus Setiawidi, Jakarta Theological Seminary, Indonesia; Dr. Lydia Lee, Zhejiang University, China; and Dr. Ekaputra Tupamahu, Portland Seminary, United States of America.

We are meeting from the 23-28 June 2026 at:

Sekolah Tinggi Filsafat dan Theologi Jakarta (Jakarta Theological Seminary),
Proklamasi No. 27, Central Jakarta, Indonesia,
Tel: +6281288462915,
Web Page: https://stftjakarta.ac.id

Please find further details of the conference in the Conference Information document: https://www.sabs-site.org/docs/instructions-final.pdf

Regular participants and paper presenters in the SABS meetings have found the experience invaluable. They have appreciated the opportunity to meet and network with others in the field from the vast region that is Asia and those who are in diaspora, and others, but all with a keen interest and commitment to promote Asian interpretations and reflections on the Bible. We look forward to your participation in the meeting in Jakarta! Monica Jyotsna Melanchthon, PresidentSociety of Asian Biblical Studies