Source in the Spotlight
A Syrian Christian Rite for the Baptism of Muslim Children
How could Christian priests baptize Muslim children without converting them to Christianity? A twelfth century Syrian Orthodox rite for the baptism of Muslim children provides a fascinating glimpse into the fraught and fruitful intimacies between Christians and Muslims in Medieval Anatolia.
Latest Case Study
Coproducing Halal, Ribba and Hypocrisy: From the Bible to TikTok
Judaism and Islam have a long and complex history of interaction, tracing back to the very beginnings of Islam itself, and continuing in the present day. Sometimes this history can be illuminated in surprising ways. This case study considers how a tweet can shed light on the history and continuing relevance of the relations between these two religions.
Event: Open Zoom Seminar
Open Seminar with Rebecca Wollenberg (Michigan)
Event: Conference
Conference: The “Excluded Third” in the Co-Production of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
Organized by Mercedes García-Arenal, Katharina Heyden, David Nirenberg, and Davide Scotto
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are often understood as an ensemble of three (‘Abrahamic,’ ‘monotheistic,’ scriptural, or prophetic) religious communities and traditions. But often when adherents of two of these “sibling” religions interact, the third is treated as a figure to be marginalized, stigmatized, or instrumentally exploited vis-à-vis the others. This conference proposes to explore this dynamic of the excluded third.
Click this link for the Call for Papers. Proposals are due by June 1, 2024.
Latest Publication
Co-produced Religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
Harvard Theological Review 118 (2025), 159-180.
About
Who we are
The project is coordinated by Katharina Heyden, Professor for Ancient History of Christianity and Interreligious Encounters at the University of Bern (Switzerland), and David Nirenberg, Leon Levy Professor at the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton (U.S.), and includes a network of collaborators across North America, Europe, and the Middle East.