ets and sbl: if i were going...

This week and weekend the annual meetings of the Evangelical Theological Society and the Society of Biblical Literature take place in San Diego. This will be the first time in six years or so that I will not be able to attend. But if I were going...

• I would be attending some great sessions and papers, including the Thursday afternoon ETS session and the Saturday afternoon SBL session on Richard Bauckham's Jesus and the Eyewitnesses, the Friday afternoon SBL session on "The Faith of Jesus Christ," and Mark Goodacre's paper at the Monday afternoon SBL Q Section (that's like throwing the sheep among the wolves - or better, the wolf among the sheep!).
• I would be scouring the book exhibits for deals on must-haves like Michael Bird's The Saving Righteousness of God and Oskar Skarsaune and Reidar Hvalvik's Jewish Believers in Jesus.
• I would be meeting up with some old friends and making some new ones, discussing possible publication projects, debating the merits of the new perspective on Paul and the defence of the Calgary Flames, and just re-charging my batteries for another year of academic teaching and research.

Instead, I will have to be content with reading the obligatory reports from the more prolific bibliobloggers out there, like Mark Goodacre, Mike Bird, Jim West, Jim Davila, Chris Tilling, Ben Myers, and more. To all who are going, I wish you all safe travels and stimulating conversations!