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Conferencia de Estudios Interculturales 2024

Toward Respectful Understanding and Faithful Witness Among Muslims

The 2024 Intercultural Studies Lectures
Hosted by the School of Mission and Theology
October 16–18, 2024

Registration

General Registration – $50
Alumni and Non-Fuller Students – $25
Fuller Students, Staff, and Faculty – $0

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Thank you to our Sponsors!

The 2024 Intercultural Studies Lectures

Hosted by Fuller’s School of Mission and Theology, the 2024 Intercultural Studies Lectures will offer global intercultural reflections on Islamic traditions and diverse Muslim communities. “Toward Respectful Understanding and Faithful Witness Among Muslims” will bring together scholars, activists, and practitioners from around the world to engage this vital topic for joining in God’s heart of love for all.

Islam is the second largest religion in the world and is projected to become the largest in just a few decades. As the locus of Christianity has shifted, two-thirds of Christians now live in the Global South, which is also home to 97 percent of Muslims. At the same time, globalization and immigration have brought Muslims to the Global North, where they are neighbors, colleagues, and fellow citizens. As a result, Christians and Muslims, whether in the Global South or North, must engage with one another.

Unfortunately, Christians and Muslims have frequently misunderstood each other over the centuries, leading to discrimination, violence, and even war. For example, the Crusades and European colonization of the Muslim world crippled Christian-Muslim relationships. Even in the modern era, Christian theologians have too often approached Islam as a monolithic tradition, overlooking its rich diversity and failing to contextualize the good news of Jesus within this varied and multifaceted landscape. Followers of Jesus have frequently failed to discern and participate in the Holy Spirit’s activity within Muslim communities.

Nevertheless, Fuller Theological Seminary has a rich history of approaching Islamic Studies with intellectual rigor and of engaging Muslims in a manner that reflects the love and character of Jesus Christ. This commitment to scholarship and faithful witness among Muslims is embodied by the legacy of Dr. Dudley Woodberry, a world-class Islamic scholar and dean emeritus of Fuller’s School of Intercultural Studies. Additionally, Fuller honors the memory and contributions of Dr. Evelyne Reisacher, the late associate professor of Islamic Studies and intercultural relations. Building on their legacies, we hope to foster a thoughtful and constructive conversation aimed at deepened humility and broadened understanding in the church’s witness among Muslims.

The conference will be in a hybrid format for the first day and a half, offering both in-person and online sessions, while the remaining three days will be fully online.

The Intercultural Studies Lectures will tackle the following questions:

  • What is a post-Orientalist approach to Islamic Studies, and what are its implications?
  • How can we engage the diversity of Muslim communities in a manner that reflects the love and character of God?
  • How can Christians join with Muslims in addressing public issues of common concern, including but not limited to climate change, peacemaking, homelessness, and drug abuse?
  • How do Christians and Muslims respectively understand and respond to issues of modernity, secularism, democracy, immigration, and hospitality?
  • How can Christians grow in trauma-informed witness among Muslims?
  • What are the differences in approach to gender between Muslims and Christians, and can there be common ground?

 

Speakers

Martin AccadMartin Accad is professor of Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations at the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary, and affiliate associate professor at Fuller Theological Seminary. Dr. Accad was recently elected as the eleventh president of the Near East School of Theology, an interdenominational Protestant theological seminary located in Beirut, Lebanon. He is founder of Action Research Associates, a new initiative that uses research to apply a multiple narrative approach to political mediation, dialogue, and national reconciliation. He earned his PhD from the University of Oxford in 2001.

Andees Abraham DuncanAndrés Dúncan, together with his wife, has worked globally for more than 30 years in humanitarian medical work, discipleship, and formation of communities of disciples. Dr. Dúncan is a physician specializing in emergency health management and has postgraduate studies in New Testament, contextual theology, anthropology of religion, and global health. He has contributed to several books on topics such as complex humanitarian emergencies, anthropology, theology, and missiology. The purpose of his family is to honor Jesus Christ in all the world and in all things.

Sofia Lund holds a PhD in Islamic Studies and is a licensed counselor in private practice with a focus on trauma therapy. She works with clients from various cultural and faith backgrounds and has nearly two decades experience of life, work, and research in Muslim majority countries. Together with her husband, she is dedicated to building strong professional and personal relationships across cultures
and religions and is devoted to supporting her fellow human beings in healing and deepening their connection to themselves, others, and God.

Christine MallouhiChristine Mallouhi lived in North Africa and the Middle East for more than 30 years and currently resides in Australia. She and her husband co-founded Al-Kalima, a group of Christians and Muslims seeking to bring reconciliation to the two communities by working with scholars, artists, and religious leaders to make the Bible and other important texts of faith and spirituality accessible and relevant to Arabic speakers. Her books are translated into six languages.

Chapel Speaker

Joseph CummingJoseph Cumming rejoined Fuller Seminary in 2022, having previously served on Fuller’s faculty from 2001 to 2008, teaching courses in Islamic Studies. He returns to Fuller from Yale University, where he served in a variety of positions, including as Director of the Reconciliation Program at the Yale Center for Faith and Culture, as an Instructor teaching courses at Yale Divinity School, and as pastor of the International Church at Yale.

Special Session and Panel Speakers

Salim Munayer is the founder and Senior Consultant of Musalaha Vision of Reconciliation. Salim holds a BA in History and Geography from Tel Aviv University, an MA from Fuller Theological Seminary,graduate studies in New Testament at Pepperdine University, and earned his Ph.D. from the Oxford Center of Mission Studies in the UK. Salim has authored several books on reconciliation. He served as the academic dean of Bethlehem Bible College from 1989 to 2008. Additionally, he is an adjunct professor at Pepperdine University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Salim also serves as the Coordinator for the PRN NENA Region on behalf of the WEA.

 

Dr. Amir Hussain is Professor of Theological Studies at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, where he teaches courses on Islam, focusing on contemporary Muslim societies in North America. His academic degrees (BSc, MA, PhD) are all from the University of Toronto where he received a number of awards, including the university’s highest award for alumni service. He served as President of the American Academy of Religion in 2023. From 2011 to 2015, Amir was the editor of the Journal of the American Academy of Religion, the premier scholarly journal for the study of religion. He was an advisor for the television series The Story of God with Morgan Freeman, and appears regularly on Ancient Aliens, History’s Greatest Mysteries with Laurence Fishburne, and The UnXplained with William Shatner. In 2008, he was appointed a fellow of the Los Angeles Institute for the Humanities. The author or editor of 5 books, he has also published over 60 book chapters and scholarly articles about religion.

Conference Organizers

Jose Abraham, Associate Professor of Islamic Studies, Fuller Theological Seminary
Kirsteen Kim, Associate Dean for the Center for Missiological Research and Paul E. Pierson Chair in World Christianity, Fuller Theological Seminary

Schedule

 Please note: All times are listed in Pacific Time. Main sessions and panel discussions will be translated into Spanish and Korean.

Wednesday, October 16, 2024

Day 1 (IN-PERSON at Travis Auditorium and ONLINE)

10:00 am Fuller Chapel Service: Joseph Cumming

11:30 am Session #1

Welcome by David Goatley
Introducing the theme: Jose Abraham
Moderators (Q&A): Jose Abraham, Kirsteen Kim

Session #2: Understanding Islam

Keynote: “Christians and Muslims Working Together for a Better World”: Martin Accad
Respondent: Amos Yong
Small group conversations with practitioners and sponsors

1:00 pm Lunch Break (1 hr)

2:00 pm Session #3: Witness

Keynote: Andres Alonso Duncan
Respondent: Enoch Kim

3:15 pm Break

3:30 pm Session #4: Questions & Opportunities Related to Ministry Among Muslim Women

Keynote: “Reciprocal Hospitality”: Christine Mallouhi
Respondent: Veli-Matti Karkkainen

4:45 pm Break

5:00 pm Panel 1: Islam & Muslims in North America

Panelist: Amir Hussain
Respondent: David Johnston

 

Thursday, October 17, 2024

Day 2 (ONLINE ONLY)

Moderator/Chair: Jose Abraham, Kirsteen Kim

10:30 am Welcome by Alexis Abernethy

Session# 5: Respecting Muslims
Keynote: “Attaching to the Transcendent One: An Attachment Perspective on Shi’i Doctrine”: Sophia Lund
Respondent: Christin Fort

Noon Break

1:00 pm Special Session: “How the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Impacts
Faithful Witness Among Muslims.”

Keynote: Salim Munayer

2:30 pm Panel 3: “Woodberry: Witness, Word, Spirit, and Culture”

Jay Travis
Moderator: Alexander S. Lee

4:00 pm Panel 4: Philippines

Noel Burias
Nissa Kudyapi
Carla Grace

Friday, October 18, 2024

Day 3 (ONLINE ONLY)

Moderator/Chair: Jose Abraham, Kirsteen Kim

10:00 am Welcome by Ryan Bolger

Panel 5: Ghana
Christian Tsekpoe
Emmanuel Tettey
Dieudonne Komla Nuekpe
Patricia Akpene Tegbe-Agbo

11:45 am Panel 6: Believers of Muslim Background’s Perspectives on Understanding Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations

Parsa Zarin Ghalam
Patrick Brittenden
Hicham M.E.

1:00 pm Lunch Break

1:30 pm Panel 7: Live podcast recording of their podcast, “Zealots at the Gate

Matthew Kaemingk
Shadi Hamid

2:45 pm Break

3:00 pm Panel 8: Recording of Plenary Wednesday Speakers’ Discussion

4:30 pm Networking Session: Online

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