In a historic appointment, Old and New Testament scholar Amy-Jill Levine has been elected as the first Jewish president of the Catholic Biblical Association of America (CBA). Elected by members at the organization’s annual general meeting for a one-year term, Levine—a member of the CBA since 1988 who previously served as vice president—expressed gratitude and surprise at her selection. While the association welcomes scholars of all faith backgrounds, its presidency has traditionally been held by Catholics. Despite her own Orthodox Jewish faith, Levine has a long history of engagement with Catholic institutions, including being the first Jewish person to teach a New Testament course at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome.
During her tenure, Levine aims to advance several key initiatives outlined in the CBA’s strategic plan. Her focus includes strengthening international engagement, expanding bilingual programming, providing professional development for biblical scholars, and creating updated educational resources for clergy and religious educators. Additionally, she plans to partner with local churches and bishops to offer public programs and guidance on lectionary preaching and catechesis. While the CBA operates independently of Church governance, its academic work adheres to the Magisterium and directly informs the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) on scripture translation and faith formation.
Levine emphasized that her scholarly work does not seek to question Catholic doctrine, but rather to foster meaningful dialogue and support grounded scriptural understanding within contemporary faith communities. She noted that her primary concern is ensuring sacred texts are never weaponized to make individuals feel unloved or unrecognized as beings created in the image of God. Having grown up in a predominantly Catholic neighborhood where early experiences with antisemitism sparked a lifelong commitment to interfaith relations, Levine approaches her new leadership role as an opportunity to deepen mutual understanding and strengthen Catholic-Jewish dialogue.