Community and Connection at AAR/SBL 2025

Fuller Seminary had a joyful gathering at the recent American Academy of Religion (AAR) and Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) Annual Meetings held in Boston, Massachusetts, on November 22–25. Fuller is proud of the annual showing of its faculty, alumni, and students at the two conferences and is thankful for the opportunities for connection, encouragement, and reflection the gatherings offer.

This year, Fuller was represented by 18 of our faculty, many of whom presented—on topics ranging from AI’s place in theological education and diasporic readings of Exodus to trauma and humor in prophetic literature and K-Food as a lens for biblical interpretation—along with a number of alumni, students, and doctoral candidates, who also participated as conference presenters and panelists.

Alumni Relations hosted a special breakfast that gathered nearly 80 students, alumni, faculty, and staff for community and connection. Drs. Peter Altmann and Kirsteen Kim shared from the Center for Advanced Theological Studies (CATS) and the Center for Missiological Research (CMR) in a gathering that Stacy Follis-Wiens, director of alumni relations, said “reminded us of the deep bonds within the Fuller community and the shared commitment to advancing theological scholarship and ministry.”

At the breakfast, School of Mission and Theology Dean Jeffrey Keuss also shared a word of encouragement on 1 Kings 18—Elijah rebuilding the altar of the LORD, who then brought fire from heaven before the prophets of Baal. Dr. Keuss recalled Fuller’s founding vision of a commitment to pairing serious scholarship and serious faith, reminding Fuller’s community of scholars not to make idols of scholarly accolades or academic achievement but to center ourselves on following God, adding, “Here is the good news: when we build the altar rightly, when we call on the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, when we do our work in obedience to his word and for his glory… God shows up.”

Fuller celebrates, with thankfulness, our students, faculty, and alumni committed to advancing faithful scholarship for the church and world.