The Martin Distinguished Professorship in Religious Studies Lecture Series is presenting a series of talks titled “Holy Lands in Classical Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.” Each of the speakers will examine one of the three western religious traditions concerning the development of the notion of a holy land or lands. All the lectures in the series begin at 7 p.m. in the UTC University Center Auditorium. These lectures are free and open to the public.
On Tuesday, February 1, Jeremy Cohen, Abraham and Edita Spiegel Foundation Professor of European Jewish History at Tel Aviv University will discuss the development of the concept of a holy land in classical Judaism. “Strange as it may seem, the notion that Israel is a—or the—holy land has no firm foundation in the Hebrew Bible, which pays far more attention to specific holy places (like Beth El) or holy cities (like Jerusalem),” Dr. Irven Resnick, Professor and Chair of Excellence in the UTC Department of Philosophy and Religion.
On Wednesday, February 2, Robin Darling Young, Professor of Theology at University of Notre Dame, will expand on the idea of a holy land in early Christianity. “Robin Darling Young will explore the theme from the standpoint of early Christian communities which, in the first three to four centuries, sought to transfer the Jewish concept of holy place or holy land to a heavenly, spiritual realm in order to emphasize the universal nature of the Christian community, which was not to be tied too closely to a single place or geography,” Resnick said.
On Thursday, February 3, Suleiman A. Mourad, Professor of Religion and Faculty Director of the Global Studies Center at Smith College, will explore the notion of a holy land from the standpoint of early Islam. “Although is generally well-known that Islam venerates Jerusalem as its third most holy city, after Mecca and Medina, Professor Mourad will explain when and why Jerusalem came to such prominence in the Islamic religious consciousness,” Resnick continued.
