Archives de catégorie : Contributions

Heilig Land Stichting: Preaching and heritage diplomacy in post-war Netherlands

Sahar Nazari, MA Middle Eastern Studies

Rijksuniversiteit Groningen

The first official Dutch pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 1905, led by chaplain Arnold Suys, resulted in a unique expression of biblical Orientalism. Suys, upon return, founded the Heilig Land Stichting (‘Holy Land Foundation’, hereafter HLS) in 1915 together with artist Piet Gerrits and architect Jan Stuyt, selectively reconstructing the Holy Land in the city of Nijmegen. Suys believed knowledge of Palestine was crucial for a better understanding of the Bible, and understood the land, its people and its traditions as a ‘fifth Gospel’ that could help illuminate the other four (De Hond 116). Locations important in Jesus’ lifetime, such as Nazareth and Jerusalem, were featured. A Catholic devotional aspect was also central, as visible in the emphasis of the Via Dolorosa, enabling a pilgrimage close to home.

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Islamic Televangelism: A Preliminary Sketch

Matthew J. Kuiper PhD, Hope College, Michigan, USA

While they are not alone among the world’s religions in fostering and encouraging preaching, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are unquestionably “preacher’s religions.” In these faith traditions, the necessity, theology, and practice of preaching are deeply ingrained. While it may be difficult to precisely quantify the spiritual, social, cultural, and/or political impact of preaching within or through these religions, at the least we can say that listening to preaching, not to mention delivering sermons, has been a major feature of the religious experience of Jews, Christians, and Muslims throughout history.

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The BYU Jerusalem Center: informal preaching and religious diplomacy (1989-present)

Article written by Veerle van der Put, MA, Middle Eastern/North-American Studies  Groningen University

Introduction

As Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said during International Education Week 2022,

“International education is simply a crucial part of our diplomacy and our national security” (Blinken). His assertion perfectly captures the intrinsic value of global exchange. This week’s focus on exploration, communication, and understanding is evidence of the transformative power of cross-border education. In this context, American intellectual endeavors overseas have been essential in influencing global interaction. Relevantly, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) established the Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies at Brigham Young University (BYU) on top of Mount Scopus in Jerusalem.

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