Berlin: Jesuits Among Muslims Meeting 2024

In June 2024, a group of 24 Jesuits gathered at the Katholische Akademie in Berlin for the Jesuits Among Muslims Meet. The event, which took place from June 30th to July 6th, was skillfully organized by Jean-Marc Balhan SJ, Felix Koerner SJ and his team.

The opening event was a specialised guided tour through Berlin under the question how the city symbolises the (un)making of democracy.

In the first session, Mansur Dogan, a German doctoral student with Turkish roots, provided a sociological overview of Muslims in Germany.

Subsequent sessions led by German Muslim scholars delved into the development and expansion of 'Islamic Theology' in Germany. Professor Serdar Kurnaz discussed the framework of Islamic theology in the German-speaking world, while Professor Mira Sievers emphasized the significance of historical-critical analysis in her research. Additionally, Professor Tuba Isik shed light on the transmission of contemporary Islamic theology through religious instruction in schools and mosques. These presentations set the stage for the Study Day, which revolved around the current state of Quranic Studies in Germany.

The in-depth conversations we engaged in during our study day following the lectures on Qur'anic research by Professor Angelika Neuwirth and Dr. Tugrul Kurt shed light on the valuable lesson of respecting the sacred texts of others, such as the Holy Qur'an, as originating in the context of an interaction with other holy texts.

Studying the intertextuality between Bible and Qur'an reveals an opportunity to understand both scriptures more profoundly without imposing judgments of superiority or inferiority. This approach allows for a comprehensive exploration of shared origins while acknowledging the distinctiveness of each text.

The concept of intertextuality implies that no text, be it the Bible or the Qur'an, exists in isolation. Instead, each text is an intricate tapestry of references, allusions, and influences from other religious claims, as well as from social and cultural contexts.

Thus it became clear that some of today's Western Qur'anic research does not undermine the spiritual significance of Islam's holy book but elucidates it, especially by studying how the Qur'an interacts with Christian and Jewish testimonies.

In the next session 'Encountering Muslims - Encountering Islam' members of JAM from different Conferences shared their experiences. At the heart of their conversation one recognised the Jesuits sent Among Muslims as Christ's conscious collaborators are deeply aware that their mission opens up in the threefold function of koinonia (fraternal communion), diakonia (humble service) and kerygma (witnessing to the good news) among Muslim brothers and sisters around the world.