Amy-Jill Levine elected first Jewish president of Catholic Biblical Association

Amy-Jill Levine, a prominent Jewish scholar of Christian Scriptures, has been elected as the first Jewish president of the Catholic Biblical Association of America. Levine, a professor at Hartford International University for Religion and Peace and professor emerita at Vanderbilt University, has dedicated her career to fostering interfaith understanding by teaching the Jewish context of Jesus’ life and teachings.

Following the announcement, Levine faced an antisemitic backlash on social media. Critics accused her of being ‘anti-Christian’ or attempting to ‘hijack Catholicism,’ with some comments including anti-Zionist rhetoric. In response, the association’s executive leadership issued a statement defending her appointment, noting that she was elected due to her exceptional scholarship and her significant role in Catholic-Jewish dialogue rather than her religious identity.

In recent discussions regarding her presidency, Levine expressed a vision to promote excellence in biblical studies and work with various denominations to eradicate antisemitic teachings stemming from ignorance. She also indicated an interest in collaborating with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to ensure religious education materials do not promote antisemitic messages.