Religion in Contemporary Society
The core of the Academy, this project brings together scholars to discuss a range of issues relevant to Religion's contribution to and impact upon society, considered from the perspective of interreligious collaboration. The specific projects are determined by the Academy's board of religious leaders.
Projects to date have included:
Contemporary Theologies of World Religions
The objective of this project is to provide the theological background in light of which interreligious dialogue can gain depth and substance. All religions are challenged to reconsider their views of other world religions in the context of the changing landscape of interreligious relations and of the world at large. The project is realized through the creation of multiple teams of scholars, each representing a different religious tradition. This is therefore an intra-religious, rather than interreligious, project. Several conferences have brought together Jewish scholars from around the world to discuss the issue from a Jewish perspective. The initiative is leading to courses and programs that are being held in several participating seminaries as well as to publications that are underway. Work towards a "Contemporary Muslim Theology of World Religions" is currently supported by a grant from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. A major conference was held in Morocco at the University of Ifrane in May 2007 and teams of scholars are continuing to work on issues relevant to the Muslim track. Plans exist for launching similar tracks of theological reflection within other religious traditions.
Jewish-Muslim Relations
The Elijah Interfaith Institute created a Muslim-Jewish Think Tank in preparation for the First Congress of Imams and Rabbis for Peace, which took place in Brussels in January 2005. The event's proceedings, proudly facilitated by the Elijah Interfaith Institute, were based on the preparatory concept paper, developed by the Think Tank. The concept paper is available in Arabic, English, French and Hebrew (below).
Planned Projects |
