Tuesdays at Tantur

Tuesdays at Tantur is a weekly public lecture series that opens the doors of the Tantur Ecumenical Institute to the wider public. Held on Tuesday evenings, the series offers a space for learning, dialogue, and encounter, bringing together people from diverse backgrounds to engage with thought-provoking topics in theology, history, culture, and current issues of the Holy Land.

Each week, local and international speakers—scholars, clergy, practitioners, and cultural voices—share their insights in an accessible format, followed by open discussion and conversation. Beyond the lectures themselves, Tuesdays at Tantur fosters community through the simple act of gathering, providing opportunities for dialogue across traditions and perspectives in a welcoming and ecumenical spirit. Whether you are a local resident, a student, or a visitor, you are warmly invited to join us in this ongoing exploration of ideas and experiences that shape life in the Holy Land and the world beyond.

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The Delegation of the Holy Land at the Council of Nicea

A list of 199 bishops attending the Council of Nicaea records that 18 of them came from the “eparchy of Palestine.” This was the second largest delegation, after that of Coele-Syria. Among the Holy Land bishops, one claimed authorship of the Creed adopted at the council, while another returned with the mandate to build the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Marie-Armelle Beaulieu is a reporter who has worked for the past 20 years with the Franciscans of the Custody, running the French edition of The Holy Land Review: Terre Sainte Magazine. The range of stories she pursues, like the brushstrokes of a pointillist painter, sketches a history of the Holy Land – past and present.

Nostra Aetate: Looking Back to Look Forward – 60 Years Later

This talk marks the 60th anniversary since the publication of Nostra aetate, the declaration of the Church on non-Christian religions. Looking back at the Second Vatican Council, it will examine the processes that led to this astounding development in the Church's teaching in order to recapture a dynamic that can lead us forward in seeking understanding, dialogue and collaboration with our neighbors who belong to different religious traditions, especially Jews and Muslims.

In the Footsteps of Pilgrims before the Crusades

Based on the evidence of pilgrimage texts, a standardized route connected the principal sites of Christian Jerusalem during the Late Byzantine and Early Islamic periods. Previewing his forthcoming book, Walking the Jerusalem Circuit (Cascade Books), Rodney will discuss the sources, route, and stations of the pilgrim circuit of pre-Crusader Jerusalem. Following the route that Christian pilgrims took through the Holy City centuries ago, the purpose of the book - and the focus of the presentation - is to resource a modern iteration of the ancient practice.

A Theology of Hope

In the shadow of war, hardship, and uncertainty, it may seem audacious to speak of hope, but that is precisely what we must do. As Christians, hope is not optional; it is the cornerstone of our faith.But how do we cultivate this hope when war ravages our lands, when we see injustice perpetuated, and when suffering is not abstract but all too personal? Today, I want to explore what a theology of hope looks like for those of us living under constant strain—particularly in the Palestinian context but also relevant to the global church.

Ascending to Paradise, Muslim Sensory Experience in Jerusalem

For Muslims, the concept of paradise is not a theological abstraction, but a tangible reality that can already be experienced in the earthly realm. Nowhere is the permeability between the earthly and the heavenly more perceptible than in Jerusalem, in its traditions, architecture, sounds, and smells. From the smells and colours on the Haram al-Sharif, to Qur’anic inscriptions and sounds in the Old City to the divine light on Mamilla cemetery, this lecture will offer insights into Muslim passages to the gates of Paradise.

BEYOND THE HYPE: Archaeology and the Bible in 2021

Fr. Briffa will share with us what's been happening in the area of Biblical Archaeology in the Holy Land and what the current trend is regarding sites that may be getting more attention as important in the area of archaeology.