Religious studies professor wins national award for book

In response to his book "Song and Story in Biblical Narrative," Associate Professor Steve Weitzman has been awarded the Gustave O. Arlt Award in Religious Studies by the Council of Graduate Schools. Weitzman formally accepted the award and its supplementary $1,000 grant at the Council's annual meeting Thursday in New Orleans.\nEstablished in 1971 by the Council's first president, Arlt, the award recognizes scholars who have written books "representing an outstanding contribution to scholarship in the humanities," according to the Council of Graduate Studies. \nDepartmental chairs or directors of graduate study at univerities nationwide nominate candidates. IU's nomination process is completed by members of the Awards and Financial Aid Committee of the IU Graduate Council, said Richard Miller, chairman of the religious studies department.\nTo be considered, a nominee's work must have been published within seven years of the award, and the individual must hold a position in a North American university. Additionally, nominees must have received a doctorate from a North American university within the past seven years.\nWeitzman was nominated by former religious studies department chair Robert Orsi last spring and was notified of the acceptance committee's decision last week. Orsi nominated him because of positive acclaim surrounding "Song and Story in Biblical Narrative," a work based on his 1993 doctoral dissertation at Harvard University and published in 1997.\nThe book focuses primarily on the intermingling in biblical texts of song and story, of prose and poetry, Weitzman said. Distinguishing this practice as pivotal to expression of Jewish and Christian tales alike, Weitzman deems the book his "best attempt to reconstruct what motivated this practice and how it was employed."\nWeitzman said his interest in the topic is twofold. Through the examination of the "art" of biblical narrative, he said he grappled with the logic supporting such an eclectic mix of song and story. This analysis prompted him to investigate the interpretation, especially by early Jews, of such combinations and the subsequent susceptibility of revision to biblical texts.\n"What is most interesting about this topic is what it says about the transformative power of reading, its ability to reshape what it is interpreting," Weitzman said. "The history of reading is central to my scholarship and teaching, and I find it to be one of the most fascinating aspects of human experience. The history of biblical interpretation is an especially rich resource for understanding reading as a religious and cultural act since the Bible has been read in so many different ways by so many different kinds of interpreters."\nWeitzman is the first IU faculty member to receive this prestigious award since Associate Professor Jan Nattier won the competition seven years ago, Miller said. \n"This is the sixth major book award garnered by a religious studies faculty member during the last 10 years," he said. "To the best of my knowledge, our track record has no parallel in other departments of religious studies in the United States. Weitzman's award is another indicator of the creativity and productivity of this department."\nWeitzman succeeded colleague Professor Emeritus Jim Ackerman in the position of Hebrew biblical study. Ackerman noted that Weitzman interviewed before beginning work on his doctoral dissertation, a prerequisite to the position. But the interview was "the best the department has ever seen." As a result, Weitzman spent the next two weeks completing his dissertation proposal, finishing it a year and a half later in what Ackerman called "mind-blowing speed."\nAckerman further praised Weitzman. "One of Steve's most impressive qualities is not only his high intelligence but how quickly he is able to focus and produce research of the top order"