Philippians 2:6–11 from Diverse Methodological Perspectives

Philippians 2:6–11 is a well-known New Testament passage that has generated a wide range of interpretations based upon various interpretive methods applied to it.

This is a call for papers for a one-day in-person and livestream conference to explore diverse interpretive methods applied to Philippians 2:6–11. Those wishing to participate should submit a 250 word abstract to the conference organizers by September 15, 2026 via the form below.

Potential contributors are asked to identify a definable method and to apply it to interpretation of Philippians 2:6–11. The method must be explicit, identified, and defined (at least briefly) in the abstract, along with describing anticipated and ideally new and specific interpretive outcomes. The method may be a traditional (form, source, etc.) or an innovative (social identity theory, New Historicism) method or even a new (disability studies) or hybrid (Continental discourse analysis) one, but it must be explicit in its features and application. The scope of the paper may be broader than Philippians 2:6–11 so long as this passage remains central.

Proposals that do not identify and define their method will not be accepted, nor will proposals that state (or imply) that they are “simply” exegeting or interpreting the passage. To maximize the chance of acceptance, proposals should be clear and specific rather than vague or general. We desire to have as many different methods utilized as possible, with minimal overlap, but we do recognize that some overlap between papers is inevitable.

Successful proposals will be identified within one month, with participation in-person or online required. All papers presented will qualify for submission for possible publication in the inaugural volume of the Biblical Texts and Methods Series by Brill of Leiden and under the editorship of Professors Jermo van Nes, Stanley E. Porter, Jacobus (Kobus) Kok, and Mark J. Boda. Papers for publication should be 8,000-10,000 words in length and follow SBL2 style, with footnotes. Paper presentation sessions will be around thirty minutes in length, with additional time for question and answer.

Further details will be provided to those whose paper proposals are accepted. Please contact Dr. Stanley Porter for further information for potential contributors.

This conference, co-sponsored by McMaster Divinity College and ETF Leuven, and supported by the Bingham Colloquium, will run from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm (ET) on Thursday, February 25, 2027, with some single and some parallel sessions. Registration fee is CDN$ 50 for in-person (including lunch) and CDN$ 25 for online participation (including presenters). Registration will open later in 2026.

This is the first of a continuing series of conferences. The 2028 conference is scheduled for Leuven, Belgium on Isaiah 53, with a similar focus upon method in interpretation.