Prof. John Berry from the Faculty of Theology convened the first Religion and Society Conference at the University of Malta from 30 to 31 May 2024.
Titled 'Bridging Worlds: Society, Religion, and Cultural Confluence,' this event was organised in collaboration with Nicolaus Copernicus Superior School (Szko艂a G艂贸wna Miko艂aja Kopernika) in Warsaw, Poland. The conference brought together 38 scholars from various academic disciplines, including philosophy, sociology, anthropology, public policy, law, theology, and more. Participants at the conference examined how the dynamic interactions between society, religion, and cultural confluence shape contemporary narratives of identity, belonging, and meaning.
Prof. John Berry and the Dean of the Faculty of Theology, Rev. Prof. Stefan Attard, delivered the opening speeches. Pro-Rector Prof. Joseph M. Cacciottolo gave a welcome address on the intersection of religion and science, while Rev. Dr Joseph Ellul delivered the keynote lecture on religion鈥檚 prophetic role in contemporary society.
Seven UM academics participated in the Religion and Society Conference, each presenting on topics relevant to their expertise. The titles of their presentations are as follows:
- Prof. John Anthony Berry on 'Religious Citizens: Responsibilities for the Present and Future'
- Rev. Dr Nicholas Doublet on 'Iconic Elegance: Cultural Religious Heritage as the Timeless Tapestry of Beauty and Harmony'
- Dr Therese Comodini Cachia on 'Religious Symbols: An Expression of Religious Freedom or Cultural Tradition?'
- Rev. Dr Kevin Schembri on 'Leadership in Defending the Vulnerable: Pope Francis on Safeguarding Matters'
- Rev. Prof. Hector Scerri on 'From Suspicion to Friendship, From Diffidence to Collaboration: The Dynamics of Ecumenism in Malta (1964-2024). A Case Study'
- Dr Ibtisam Sadegh on 'Mixed, but Not Mixed: Negotiating Interreligious Marriages in Ceuta's Convivencia'
- Rev. Dr Mark Zammit on 'The Interplay of Religion and Culture: Exploring Identity Formation
The conference featured ten plenaries covering various topics such as the foundation of religious identity, historical and contemporary perspectives on religion, philosophical and theological engagements, challenges to secularism and modernity, social and political dimensions of religion, interfaith and ecumenical dialogue, education for social cohesion, legal and ethical considerations, cultural and artistic perspectives, and social harmony and community development.
Alongside Professor John Berry, the scientific committee included Professors Ambrogio Bongiovanni (Rome, Italy), Dyron Daughrity (Pepperdine, USA), Kov谩cs Guszt谩v (P茅cs, Hungary), Piotr Roszak (Toru艅, Poland), Joachim Klose (Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, Berlin), Wojciech Szczerba (Cambridge, UK), and Sa拧a Horvat (Rijeka, Croatia).
