The American Academy of Religion, in concert with the Sakai Foundation, has envisioned a scholarly use of the new Sakai Open Academic Environment open-source software. Currently working under the title "Biosphere," the program would put a rich collection of collaborative tools in the hands of AAR members, their colleagues in related scholarly societies, and interested parties outside academe. This article explores the history of the "Biosphere" vision and enumerates several challenges the project may face.