International Academic Conference Series
Religion, Society &
Interreligious Studies
Institute for Hebrew Language and Literature
Belgrade, Serbia
A Permanent International Forum for the Academic Study of Religion
Connecting Scholarship Across Disciplines, Traditions and Countries
Religion remains one of the most influential forces shaping societies, collective identities, political life, law, education and relations between communities. Its study requires sustained academic cooperation across national, disciplinary and religious boundaries.
The Religion, Society & Interreligious Studies conference series was established by the Institute for Hebrew Language and Literature in Belgrade as a permanent international forum for this purpose.
The forum brings together scholars, researchers, theologians and specialists from different countries to examine religion through historical, sociological, legal, political, cultural and theological perspectives. It provides a structured academic setting in which evidence can be distinguished from assumption, complex realities can be examined beyond simplified narratives, and different scholarly interpretations can be discussed openly and rigorously.
Each conference is devoted to a clearly defined theme of lasting academic and public importance. By connecting established scholars, early-career researchers and professional experts, the forum supports new research, international academic cooperation and a more informed understanding of relations among religious communities.
Selected conference papers may be considered for peer-reviewed academic publication, extending the contribution of the forum beyond the conference sessions and making relevant scholarship accessible to a wider international audience.
25–28 January 2027
Christians and Muslims in Israel
Facts, Myths and Lived Reality
Online via Zoom | Working language: English
The first conference in this permanent international series is devoted to one of the most complex and frequently misunderstood subjects in contemporary religious and social research: the position and lived realities of Christian and Muslim communities in Israel.
Over four days, scholars and specialists will examine the historical, religious, demographic, legal, political and cultural dimensions of these communities and their relationships with one another, with Jewish society, with public institutions and with the State of Israel.
The conference is designed to move beyond stereotypes, selective representations and politically driven narratives. Its purpose is to create a serious academic space in which documented evidence, original research and lived experience can be presented, compared and critically discussed.
Wednesday, 27 January 2027 · 15:00–16:00 CET
Shadi Khalloul — Israel
Founder, Israeli Christian Aramaic Association (ICAA)
Christian Arameans in Israel: Identity, Community and Jewish–Christian Relations
Working title — final title to be confirmed · Participation confirmed; final presentation title and abstract pending
Principal Areas of Research
Understanding Communities, Institutions and Lived Realities
Christian Communities in Israel
Historical development, denominational diversity, religious institutions, identity, migration and the contemporary experiences of Christian communities.
Muslim Communities in Israel
Religious life, social change, community leadership, education, citizenship and political and civic participation.
Religion, Law and the State
Religious freedom, legal status, minority rights, public institutions and relations between religious communities and the State of Israel.
Interreligious Relations
Christian–Muslim, Jewish–Christian and Jewish–Muslim relations, including dialogue, cooperation, coexistence and conflict.
Jerusalem, Holy Places and Pilgrimage
Sacred space, religious authority, contested holy places, pilgrimage and sites shared by different religious traditions.
Education, Media and Public Narratives
Religious education, identity formation, media representations, stereotypes and the relationship between public narratives and empirical evidence.
Confirmed Speakers
International Expertise and First-Hand Academic Insight
The confirmed speakers bring together expertise in Islam, Christianity, sacred places, Israeli society, interreligious relations and the public role of religion. Their lectures address central questions at the heart of the 2027 conference.
Prof. Yitzhak Reiter
Chair, Promotion Committee, Al-Qasemi Academic College; Lecturer, Lauder School of Government, Reichman University — Israel
Al-Aqsa, the Temple Mount and the Politics of Muslim Holy Places in Israel
Wednesday, 27 January 2027 | 17:00–18:00 CET
Dr. Ofir Winter
Senior Researcher, Institute for National Security Studies (INSS); Lecturer, Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies, Tel Aviv University — Israel
Islamic Discourses on Israel: Religious Legitimacy, Peace and Muslim Public Debate
Thursday, 28 January 2027 | 17:00–18:00 CET
The Very Rev'd Canon Richard Sewell
Dean, St George's College, Jerusalem — United Kingdom
Christian Pilgrimage and the Living Church: What Visitors Miss about Christians in the Holy Land
Wednesday, 27 January 2027 | 16:00–17:00 CET
Contribute to an International Academic Conversation
Present Research, Exchange Knowledge and Attend from Anywhere
The 2027 conference is intended for established scholars, early-career researchers, theologians and specialists whose work can contribute to a rigorous understanding of religion and society. Because the conference is held entirely online, participants and attendees can join the discussion from any country. The forum is designed not as an isolated event, but as the beginning of a continuing international academic exchange devoted to religion, society and interreligious relations.