“The conference is characterized by mutual interfaith study and discussion of texts among Jewish, Christian, and Muslim scholars in the heart of Jerusalem each year. As the violence and tensions between the religious traditions of the world continue to escalate, particularly in the Middle East but also globally, there is no reason whatsoever for this annual gathering to work, and yet, strangely, it continues to do so.… This conference is in my knowledge unique in what it attempts to do and how it attempts to do it. It remains an extraordinary achievement; I see it as a small-scale subversion of apocalypse through the practice of humanity and the extension of self to other.”                               - Prof. Kimberley Patton, Harvard University   The need to articulate a response to the problems of modernity confronts the three major religious traditions; Judaism, Christianity and Islam must all grapple with the gradual loss of faith on the one hand, and rising fundamentalism on the other. Believing that every religious tradition may be challenged and enriched by the doctrines of another, Shalom Hartman Institute’s annual International Theology Conference brings together leading Jewish, Christian and Muslim theologians for a week of tripartite dialogue and interreligious joint study. Through an intimate, respectful and rigorous academic encounter, participants engage in intensive textual study, sharing their beliefs, reflections and dilemmas.   Structure   The International Theology Conference takes place every winter at the Institute's Jerusalem campus, and attracts 70 theologians from dozens of countries. The four-day program comprises lectures, roundtable discussions and small-group studysessions.   The theme of the 2009 conference was, “Living in the Shadow of Death.” The theme of the 2008 conference was “Family: Value, Religious Metaphor, Resource and Challenge.”   Target Population   Participation in the International Theology Conference, which is by invitation only, is reserved for distinguished theologians from universities and centers of religious learning around the world. Public Forum The public is invited to one public forum during each year's conference. The title of the 2009 public forum was: “Holy Envy.” The title of the 2008 public forum was: “Family Under Fire: Contemporary Challenge to Traditional Form.”   Click on the video above to view the 2009 Theology Conference public forum, “Holy Envy.”    Coordinators   The conference is coordinated by Prof. Menachem Fisch, Rev. Dr. David Neuhaus of Pontifical Biblical Institute of Jerusalem, Rev. Dr. Peter Petit of Muhlenberg College, Prof. Paul Ballanfat of University of Lyon, and Adam Afterman.   Reflections     “I simply love that the conference is not about interreligious dialogue, but about joint study. We don’t show off our clever people. We don’t even try to agree on anything. We simply expose the problems of our own tradition to our friends from other religions – benevolent strangers, so to speak – that we may find analogical solutions to analogical difficulties, learning from one another’s experience. It’s a good exercise in intelligence and humility. These meetings are extremely important. You become a better religious person in your own tradition by talking to others.”   - Fr. Olivier-Thomas Venard, École Biblique et Archéologique Française, Jerusalem