SIGNATURE EVENTS
The Journal of South Asian and Middle Eastern Stuides has co-sponsored two conferences, cotributing to the important scholarship and discussions around the modern Islamic and non-Islamic societies in South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa.
Nostra Aetate (In Our Time) Conference
Nostra Aetate (In Our Time), the Latin name by which The Second Vatican Council’s Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions is known, formalized an expanded attitude of dialogue and respect toward the major non-Christian religions of the world: Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. Since its promulgation on October 25, 1965, Nostra Aetate has evolved as a result of geopolitical conflicts, which find relations between the various religions and cultures at the axial point of current events. Pope Benedict XVI called the declaration “the Magna Carta of interreligious dialogue.”
In fall 2019, Villanova University hosted the three-day Nostra Aetate conference to explore the ramifications of this vital document, enrich the dialogue, contribute to the scholarship and assess its influence in the modern world. The conference was co-sponsored by the University’s Center for Arab and Islamic Studies, Journal of South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, the Office for Mission and Ministry and the Department of Theology and Religious Studies.
John Borelli, PhD, gave the keynote address, “The Contested, Minimal and Almost Failed Effort to Embrace a Tragedy and Amend Attitudes.” Other speakers included the Rev. Nikodemos Anagnostopoulo, PhD; the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, PhD; the Rev. Kail C. Ellis, OSA; Martin Ganeri, OP; Sidney H. Griffith, PhD; Elizabeth T. Groppe, PhD; Christian Krokus, PhD; the Rev. David Mark Neuhaus, SJ; Anthony O’Mahony, PhD; George Sabra, PhD; the Rev. Richard Sudworth, PhD; Rocco Viviano, SX, PhD.
Christians in the Contemporary Middle East Conference
For more than 2,000 years, Christian communities and other religious minorities have thrived as an important piece of a vibrant Middle East mosaic. These communities share the same rich history and a large part of the cultural heritage of the Muslim majority population. These communities have faced economic and political insecurity and sectarian violence—giving rise to religious radicalism and militant groups that threaten the very existence of religious minorities, especially those steeped in Christian heritage and tradition.
In December 2016, international scholars, government officials, and NGO representatives convened at Villanova University to discuss a thoughtful framing of the Christian cultural and intellectual life in the Islamic Middle East as a shared history of pluralistic and cosmopolitan spaces, and to engage in thoughtful strategies and solutions for the continued existence of Christian and other religious minorities in the region. The conference was co-sponsored by The American University for Science and Technology, Beirut, Lebanon; Bethlehem University, Bethlehem, State of Palestine; Catholic Near East Welfare Association; Catholic Relief Services; College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Villanova University; Center for Arab and Islamic Studies, Villanova University; Office of Mission and Ministry, Villanova University; and the Journal of South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, Villanova University.
Knox Thames, PhD, gave the keynote address, “U.S. and International Efforts to Address the Situation of Religious Minorities in the Middle East.” Other speakers included, Sidney H. Griffith, PhD; Bernard Sabella, PhD; Sami El-Yousef; Tarek Mitri, PhD; Fateh Azzam; Alon Ben-Meir, PhD; General Anthony C. Zinni ’65 VSB; Rami Khouri; Brian Katulis; Elizabeth H. Prodromou, PhD; and Ussama Makdisi, PhD.