The Faculty of Religious Sciences at Saint Joseph University, in partnership with Bible Society Lebanon, and in collaboration with the Institute of Abrahamic Relations (IFAR) « Abraham’s Bridge », organized, on the 24th of February 2024, the 4th Intercultural Conference addressing the Sacred Texts’ controversies in Christianity and Islam under the title of “The Sacred Texts and humanism.”
The ceremony began with the inaugural speeches of the President of Saint Joseph University, Father Professor Salim Daccache, the General Secretary of the Bible Society, Dr. Mike Bassous, and the President of the Institute of Abrahamic Relations, Dr. Kurt Richardson.
The lecturers of the international conference were held by Muslim and Christian scholars. The contributors, joined, from Tunisia, Lebanon, and USA, presented their lectures at the USJ hall in Beirut.
The opening session discussed the controversies of Sacred Texts and Humanism. The other research topics were entitled “Human Being in the Sacred Texts”, “Is the Sacred Text a Source of Changing Human Values” and “Humanistic Reading of the Sacred Text.” In the last session, the lecturers gathered around one table to draw conclusions, make summaries, and discuss questions among themselves.
Around 100 individuals were present physically for the lectures, allowing time for questions and answers.
The book from last year’s conference, entitled ‘The History of Sacred Text Readings – Proceedings of the Third Conference on ‘The Sacred Texts’ Controversies in Christianity and Islam,’ was distributed for free to the attendees, as well as the proceedings of the first and second conferences for those who had not previously obtained them.
The lectures were marked by a strictly scientific and academic approaches, while the discussions were carried out with transparency and understanding. And the conference received significant interaction and response from the listeners. All attendees acknowledged that this collaborative research was essential in a country of many religions and cultures.
And the conference was broadcasted on the social media platforms of both Saint Joseph University in Beirut and Bible Society Lebanon.
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