The Catholic Biblical Association of America (CBA) has elected for the first time in its 90-year history a Jewish president. Biblical scholar Amy-Jill Levine, a specialist in the New Testament and a member of the association since 1988, will serve as president for the 2026-2027 term. Her appointment is particularly significant given that the organization’s statutes require its work to be carried out in accordance with Catholic Magisterium and that it provides counsel to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
Levine has previously advocated for reconsidering the full proclamation of the Passion according to Saint John on Good Friday and has held positions on the contemporary application of certain biblical texts related to homosexuality that differ in some respects from Catholic moral teaching. She now intends to collaborate with U.S. bishops on biblical guidelines for preaching and catechesis, as well as to strengthen resources for clergy and religious educators.
The election took place on July 20 during the 88th annual meeting of the Catholic Biblical Association, held at Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore. The association later confirmed that Levine will hold the presidency for the 2026-2027 term.
Levine had served as vice president during the previous term and had previously been a consultant to the executive council and held editorial responsibilities with The Catholic Biblical Quarterly. The CBA currently identifies her as its president.
Specializing in the Gospels and the Jewish context of early Christianity, Levine was in 2019 the first Jewish scholar to teach New Testament at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome. The CBA also highlights that she held three audiences with Pope Francis and her decades of work in Jewish-Christian relations.
Levine continues to practice Orthodox Judaism and has expressly stated that she does not recognize Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. At the same time, she has devoted much of her academic career to the study of the New Testament and particularly to situating the words and actions of Christ within their Jewish context.
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