WASHINGTON – Alice Ogden Bellis, Ph.D., professor of Hebrew Bible at the Howard University School of Divinity, has won the honor of “Book of the Year” from the Association of Catholic Publishers (ACP) 2019 Excellence in Publishing Awards, which recognizes the best in Catholic publishing.

“I am so thrilled that my Proverbs commentary has won the Association of Catholic Publishers Book of the Year award,” said Bellis, who is also an ordained minister.

Her book, “Proverbs,” published by the Liturgical Press, is a commentary on the biblical book of Proverbs. It is part of a 58-volume collection, titled the “Wisdom Commentary” series, containing current feminist biblical scholarship available in an accessible format to aid preachers and teachers in their advancement toward God’s vision of dignity, equality, and justice for all. Bellis considers the book of Proverbs as a structural unity. She believes that the sages, who were the ancient Israelite scribes of the biblical book of Proverbs, designed it in such a way as to make positive statements about women and to undercut the negative ones that remained. In addition, by grouping Proverbs together around common issues, the reader is called to consider the perennial moral questions of wealth and poverty, diligence and laziness, and integrity and corruption, as well as the relationship among these values. The result is much more complex and has greater depth than the random list of platitudes that most of Proverbs is often thought to be. This wisdom book, therefore, opens up a multi-dimensional, intriguing spiritual puzzle. 

The contributing voices in the “Proverbs” volume, are alumni of Howard University School of Divinity, which include: Charles Redden Butler, Neto*, Sindile Dlamini, Desire P. Grogan, Glenda P. Hodges, Kristy Hunt, Nashieka Knight, Sam Perryman, Niciah Petrovic, Beverly A. Reddy, Alexandrea A. Rich, Lawrence W. Rodgers, Teresa L. Smallwood wisdom tradition, and March M. Wood.

“I share this honor with the ‘contributing voices’ in the volume, including thirteen alumni of the Divinity School, many of whom are rising scholars and all of whom are accomplished spiritual leaders. They each wrote an essay on some aspect of Proverbs. These essays together add breadth, depth, and diversity to the volume,” said Bellis, who dedicated the book to the Howard University School of Divinity community.

She hopes that the book reflects the Divinity School community’s “penetrating insight into the human condition” of which she has been a witness.

“I am especially delighted to be able to honor my community through this award.”

The aim of this commentary series is to provide feminist interpretation of every section of the Bible, in serious, scholarly engagement with the whole text.

Bellis has been a member of the Howard community for almost 50 years, and is a two-time alumna, earning her master of divinity in 1974 and master of business administration in 2013. States Bellis, “having entered its hallowed halls from the segregated South as a young white woman in 1971, Howard has touched me to my core.”

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(Book cover courtesy of Liturgical Press)

*Neto is a suffix used in Portuguese speaking countries to distinguish a grandson from his grandfather when they have the same given name.

About the School of Divinity

Howard University School of Divinity is one of the very few theological schools in the United States connected to a Doctoral University with high research activity. It is the only historically black university of this high research classification with a divinity school offering master and doctoral level degrees in religion. HUSD is recognized nationally as a seminary that is changing the world. As one of Howard University's 13 schools and colleges, HUSD enrolls students from diverse backgrounds and denominations in pursuit of the Master of Arts in Religious Studies, Master of Divinity, and Doctor of Ministry degrees. In line with HUSD's tradition of producing scholarly pastors and religious leaders who are consistently at the forefront of global societal change is the envisioned Ph.D. program designed to prepare scholars for research and teaching in religious studies. The School offers an unparalleled educational experience that not only reflects the African American, African, and African Diasporan cultural and religious tradition, but also the foundations of excellence promoted throughout Howard's history and the unique opportunity afforded by its location in the nation's capital. Upon graduation, HUSD students are well prepared for pastoral ministry, university, hospital and military chaplaincies, teaching, or research vocations. To learn more, visit: divinity.howard.edu

About Howard University

Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university that is comprised of 13 schools and colleges. Students pursue studies in more than 120 areas leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University operates with a commitment to Excellence in Truth and Service and has produced four Rhodes Scholars, 11 Truman Scholars, two Marshall Scholars, one Schwarzman Scholar, over 70 Fulbright Scholars and 22 Pickering Fellows. Howard also produces more on-campus African-American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States.  For more information on Howard University visit www.howard.edu

Media Contact: Imani Pope-Johns, Imani.popejohns@howard.edu                      

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