Center for Christianity
and Scholarship
Spring '25 Et Religio Banner Final
Believing in “The Holy Land”: Religion in the Israel-Palestine Conflict

April 9, 2025 6:30-8:30 pm

Fitzpatrick Atrium, The Duke University Pratt School of Engineering

The current war and humanitarian crisis in Gaza has a long history. Over centuries of conflict, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim peoples have laid claim to the land they all understand as holy. In the last year and a half, religious rhetoric has been used to justify and escalate violence. It can be difficult to talk about these contentious and emotionally charged issues. However, we can move forward by engaging in thoughtful conversations with peers from diverse political and religious backgrounds.

At this semester’s et Religio Symposium, we’ll hear from three experts on the role of religion in the current Israel-Palestine conflict. Coming from Muslim, Jewish, and Christian backgrounds, these guests also bring expertise on political science, public policy, and religious leadership. We'll ask: What does the Israel-Palestine region mean for these three different religious traditions? How do religion, ethnicity, and nationality interact in Israeli and Palestinian identities? How much of the conflict is religious, and how much is political? And how do Christian beliefs about the Jewish people and Israel influence United States foreign policy. We’ll examine ways that religion contributes to conflict as well as religious resources for peace and reconciliation.

Meeting over a meal, we aim to foster civil, constructive conversations about these complex issues, listening to diverse religious and nonreligious perspectives. No matter what you believe, you’re welcome at the table.

Speakers
Abdullah Antepli

Abdullah Antepli is Associate Professor of the Practice of Interfaith Relations at Duke Divinity School and Associate Professor of the Practice at Sanford School of Public Policy. He previously served as Duke University's first Muslim chaplain and director of the Center for Muslim Life. He is also a senior fellow on Jewish-Muslim Relations at Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem.

Kyle Beardsley

Kyle Beardsley is Professor of Political Science at Duke, co-director of the International Crisis Behavior data project, and the Director of the Triangle Institute of Security Studies (TISS). His research focuses on the causes and consequences of armed conflict around the world. He is also a board member of the Center for Christianity and Scholarship.

Rabbi Daniel Greyber

Rabbi Daniel Greyber is the rabbi of Beth El Synagogue in Durham, NC. He is a Senior Rabbinic Fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem and an Adjunct Faculty Member at Duke Divinity School. He has also written a memoir, Faith Unravels: A Rabbi’s Struggle with Grief and God, as well as articles and teshuvot.

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