Conference Presentation
Christianity on Mount Zion: Monastic Presence, Interreligious Tensions and the Meaning of Staying
Working Title — Subject to Speaker Approval
Speaker
Abbot Dr. Nikodemus C. Schnabel OSB
Date & Time
Monday, 25 January 2027
19:00–20:00 CET
Format
Live Online via Zoom
English
Abbot Dr. Nikodemus C. Schnabel OSB
Abbot, Dormition Abbey and Priory of Tabgha
Director, Jerusalem Institute of the Görres Society
Jerusalem, Israel
Presentation Details
Monday, 25 January 2027
19:00–20:00 CET
Christians and Muslims in Israel — Facts, Myths and Lived Reality
Religion, Society & Interreligious Studies
International Academic Conference Series
Institute for Hebrew Language and Literature
Belgrade, Serbia
Live online via Zoom
English
About Abbot Nikodemus C. Schnabel OSB
Abbot Dr. Nikodemus C. Schnabel OSB is a German Benedictine monk, theologian and the Abbot of Dormition Abbey on Mount Zion in Jerusalem and the Priory of Tabgha on the Sea of Galilee. He was elected Abbot of Dormition Abbey in February 2023, following an earlier period of service as Prior-Administrator from 2016 to 2018.
Born in Stuttgart in 1978, he studied philosophy and theology in Fulda, Munich, Münster and Jerusalem. He earned his doctorate at the University of Vienna with research on the liturgical veneration of Old Testament saints in the Latin Church.
He entered the Benedictine community of Dormition Abbey in 2003, made his temporary profession in 2004 and solemn profession in 2009, and was ordained to the priesthood in 2013.
His academic work encompasses Christian liturgy, Eastern Christianity and the historical and contemporary religious life of Jerusalem. He also serves as Director of the Jerusalem Institute of the Görres Society, an academic institution focusing on the Churches of the East, their history, theology, liturgy and contemporary presence in the Holy Land.
Before his election as abbot, Schnabel served as Patriarchal Vicar for Migrants and Asylum Seekers in the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
Through his monastic leadership on Mount Zion, he is directly involved in the religious and social life of Jerusalem, including ecumenical and interreligious encounters. His work and public reflections address the Christian presence in the Holy Land, dialogue between religious communities and the challenges of monastic life during periods of conflict.
Official and institutional sources
Presentation Overview
Editorial Summary — Provisional, Pending the Speaker's Abstract
The proposed presentation addresses Christianity on Mount Zion through the experience of Benedictine monastic life at Dormition Abbey in Jerusalem.
Its provisional thematic framework includes the continuity of Christian monastic presence in the Holy Land, encounters between religious communities, the challenges of remaining in Jerusalem during periods of political and interreligious tension, and the spiritual and social significance of maintaining a Christian presence at a historically important sacred site.
Mount Zion is a place of deep historical and religious significance, associated with Christian traditions and located within the complex religious landscape of Jerusalem. The presence of monastic communities provides a distinctive perspective on the relationship between sacred space, religious identity, interreligious encounters and everyday coexistence.
The working title invites reflection on what it means for a monastic community to remain rooted in a place through changing historical circumstances, uncertainty and conflict.
Important editorial note: This is a provisional editorial overview based on the proposed working title and the speaker's documented professional background. It is not an abstract submitted or approved by Abbot Schnabel. Replace it with the speaker's official abstract when received. No specific arguments, quotations, conclusions or unpublished research findings are attributed to the speaker.
Areas of Expertise
- Benedictine Monasticism
- Christianity in the Holy Land
- Eastern Christianity
- Christian Liturgy
- Jerusalem and Mount Zion
- Ecumenical Relations
- Interreligious Dialogue
- Religious Communities and Sacred Places
- Christian Presence in Times of Conflict
Conference Participation
Abbot Dr. Nikodemus C. Schnabel OSB is scheduled to present the working-title lecture "Christianity on Mount Zion: Monastic Presence, Interreligious Tensions and the Meaning of Staying" at the Religion, Society & Interreligious Studies International Academic Conference Series on Monday, 25 January 2027, from 19:00 to 20:00 CET.
The conference, "Christians and Muslims in Israel — Facts, Myths and Lived Reality," is organised by the Institute for Hebrew Language and Literature, Belgrade, Serbia, and takes place live online via Zoom.
Attend Abbot Schnabel's Presentation
Join Abbot Dr. Nikodemus C. Schnabel OSB for his live online conference presentation on Monday, 25 January 2027, at 19:00 CET. The session is scheduled for one hour, including the presentation and audience discussion.