CONTROVERSIAL FILM SATAN’S GUIDE TO THE BIBLE TO SPARK DEBATE AT THE SOCIETY OF BIBLICAL LITERATURE’S ANNUAL MEETING (NOV 23-26) IN SAN DIEGO

“It’s 9,000 dudes in blue suits,” says Zeke Piestrup, director of the animated film SATAN’S GUIDE TO THE BIBLE, in his colorful description of the Society of Biblical Literature’s annual meeting. The SBL is the oldest and largest organization dedicated to critical biblical scholarship. Held in conjunction with the American Academy of Religion (AAR), the SBL typically draws around 10,000 scholars, students, and religious professionals from around the globe. The host city for the event rotates, with this year’s fest coming to sunny San Diego.

The SBL meeting will feature a panel discussion on the popular YouTube movie, SATAN’S GUIDE TO THE BIBLE. Piestrup collaborated on the film with animation filmmaker Tim Johnson (ANTZ, OVER THE HEDGE, HOME). Exploring the intersection of Biblical history and modern morality, the film has already made waves online, amassing 1.3 million views, over 25,000 comments, and dozens of response videos. Its bold thesis, summarized as “no book needed,” argues that ancient religious texts like the Bible and the Quran should no longer serve as moral guides in our modern world. The “surprisingly funny documentary” has drawn both praise for its scholarly depth and criticism from more conservative audiences.

With two exclusive screenings and a panel discussion featuring many scholars who appear in the film, fans will get a rare chance to dig deeper into the “genre-bending” film. “No, the fans won’t exactly get a chance,” Piestrup jokes. “Day passes are $265 – ouch. This is the ivory tower of biblical studies. Full of academic snobbery, but I love it. I have a deep faith in expertise.”

SATAN’S GUIDE TO THE BIBLE does critique this “ivory tower” on one front, however. The “standard stuff” of biblical scholarship that Christian seminaries and Catholic divinity schools produce is not reaching parishioners. “Many pastors who go to seminary don’t share what they learned with their congregations. What biblical scholars uncover often clashes with the traditional Christian narrative, and pastors know it could cost them their jobs.”

Maybe the biblical scholars who attend the Society of Biblical Literature’s annual meeting are simply “evil atheists deconstructing the Bible.” Far from it, the film points out. The vast majority of biblical scholars are Christian. Dr. Ronald Hendel (U.C. Berkeley) who appears in the film and will be a panelist, situates biblical studies. “Modern biblical scholarship is the product of a secular impulse within Christianity,” says Hendel. “The SBL began in that impulse, but it also now includes Jews, atheists, Muslims, and others.”

Piestrup counts himself among a small group of atheists regularly attending the SBL. “This will be my seventh SBL,” Piestrup reflects. “But it’ll be Tim’s (Johnson) first! And as pricey as it is, once in your life you gotta make it to an SBL – especially if you’re hyped on understanding the scholarly arguments around these ancient texts. We made SATAN’S GUIDE TO THE BIBLE to be a one-stop shop for that. Because many pastors who attend SBL aren’t sharing what scholars have long been saying.”