Bern

This conference will explore how biblical figures have been received, interpreted, and transformed across various historical, theological, and cultural contexts. The event is aimed primarily at PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers.
The SNSF Project “The Jewish and Christian Samuel” at the University of Bern focuses on the Jewish and Christian reception of the figure of Samuel. The liminality and complexity of Samuel invite a variety of reception paths. The project analyzes the reshaping of the figure of Samuel in Hellenistic Judaism, Rabbinic literature, and Greek and Latin Christian sources.
The debate between Judaism and Christianity in Antiquity was, in part, an exegetical one: the interpretation of biblical scripture served as a platform where connections and distinctions between the two religions were drawn, developed, and discussed. As a result, the deeply debated questions of “shared worlds” and the “parting of the ways” between Judaism and Christianity are closely tied to the exegesis and reception of the Bible in Antiquity and the Middle Ages.
Biblical figures, in particular, often served as prototypes for both religious communities, making their reception not just a matter of exegesis but also a reflection of the core beliefs of the interpreters. An interreligious study of these figures provides insight into the shared and distinct paths that the many forms of Judaism and Christianity took as they evolved during the first centuries.
This conference seeks to promote academic dialogue among emerging scholars from disciplines such as Theology, Biblical Studies, Patristics, Rabbinic Literature, Religious History, Literature, and Arts.
We welcome papers that explore topics such as:
• The development and interpretation of biblical figures in various religious traditions
• Comparative studies of biblical figures across cultural or historical frameworks
• The role of biblical figures in shaping ancient religious, political, ethical, and social discourses
• Theoretical explorations: defining and understanding “reception” in religious and historical contexts
• Typological interpretations of biblical figures within the tense framework between Judaism and Christianity

Costs for traveling and accommodation cannot be covered.