World Council of Churches
Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches
Reformed Churches Bern-Jura-Solothurn

Palestine Israel Ecumenical Forum (PIEF)

Church Center Bürenpark, Bern, Switzerland

10 - 14 September 2008

ANNOTATED PROGRAMME

Wednesday, 10 September 2008: Opening Ceremony

Official greetings
Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, WCC General Secretary
H.B. Patriarch Emeritus Michel Sabbah, Jerusalem

Introductory remarks to the conference
Michel Nseir, WCC Programme Executive

Thursday, 11 September 2008: “The Promised Land”

Bible Study (1): Psalm 87
Rev. Dr Yohanna Katanacho, Bible College, Bethlehem

Panel (1): The Promised Land
Moderator: Dr Mary Mikhael, President, Near East School of Theology, Lebanon

Presentations:

•  A Historical Perspective: Fr Dr David Neuhaus, SJ
  Pontifical Biblical Institute, Jerusalem
• Old Testament Perspective: Very Rev. Fr Dr Paul Nadim Tarazi
  St Vladimir Theological Seminary, USA
• Genesis 12 and the Abraham Paradigm: Prof. Dr Ulrike Bechmann
  University of Graz, Austria

Panel (2): Holiness of the Land in Christian Theology
Moderator: Rev. Dr Olav Tveit, Church of Norway

Presentations:

• Rev. Fr Dr Christian M. Rutishauser, sj, Lassalle-House, Switzerland
• Rev. Prof. Dr Adolfo Ham, Presbyterian-Reformed Church in Cuba, Cuba
• Rev. Andreas Goetze, Evangelical Church of Hessen and Nassau, Germany

Panel (3): The Struggle for the Land in Modern Times
Moderator: Mrs Teny Pirri-Simonian, Armenian Apostolic Church

Presentations:

• South African Experience: Prof. Dr Tinyiko Samuel Maluleke
  University of South Africa
• Palestinian Experience: H.E. Archbishop Elias Chacour
  Melchite Catholic Archdiocese of Nazareth, Israel
• Brazilian Experience: Prof. Dr Nancy Cardoso Pereira
  Pastoral Land Commission, Brazil

Working Groups:

(I) Abraham as Placeholder of God’s Promise
Introductory Presentation:
Prof. Dr Harvey Cox, Harvard University, USA

(II) Zionism and the Right to the Land
Introductory Presentation:
Rev. Christoph Jungen, Reformed Churches Bern-Jura-Solothurn, Switzerland

(III) Promise and Prophecy in Christian Zionist Thought
Introductory Presentation:
Dr Johnny Awwad, Near East School of Theology, Lebanon

(IV) Promised Land in the Prophets and the New Testament
Introductory Presentation:
Dr Geries Khoury, Al-Liqa' Center for Religious & Heritage Studies in the Holy Land

(V) Promised Land, a Christian Perspective 
Introductory Presentation:
Prof. Mouchir Aoun, Holy Spirit University, Lebanon

(VI) Christian Zionism, Israel and the Land
Introductory Presentation:
Ass. Prof. Göran Gunner, Church of Sweden, Sweden

(VII) Jesus and the Land
Introductory Presentation:
Dr Merja Merras, University of Joensuu, Finland

(VIII) People of the Land versus Wandering People in the Bible
Introductory Presentation:
Rev. Prof. James Haire, Charles Sturt University, Australia

Friday, 12 September 2008: “The Church and Israel”

Bible Study (2): Galatians 3: 1-7
His Beatitude Patriarch Emeritus Michel Sabbah, Jerusalem

Panel (4): The Covenant with Abraham in the Bible
Moderator: Rev. Carmen Lansdowne, United Church of Canada

Presentations:

• Hermeneutical Implications of the Covenant with Abraham according to Gen. 12-15:
  Dr Nicolas Abu-Mrad, University of Balamand, Lebanon
• The New Testament Reception of the Covenant with Abraham:
  Prof. Dr Jostein Ådna, School of Mission and Theology, Norway
•  The Problem of the Figure of Abraham in the Monotheistic Religions:
  Prof. em. Othmar Keel, University of Fribourg, Switzerland

Panel (5): The Church and Israel
Moderator: Rev. Fr Dr Gabriel Hachem, University of the Holy Spirit, Lebanon

Presentations:

• A Dutch Perspective:
  Prof. Dr Leo J.  Koffeman, Protestant Theological University, the Netherlands
• A German Perspective:
  Rev. Dr Michael Volkmann, Fortbildungsstätte Kloster Denkendorf, Germany
• A Palestinian Perspective:
  Rev. Fr Dr Jamal Khader, University of Bethlehem

Panel (6): The People of God 
Moderator: Prof. Dr Paschalis Kitromilides, University of Athens, Greece

Presentations:

• Romans 9-11:
  Dr Daniel Alberto Ayuch, University of Balamand, Lebanon
• How Problematic is “People of God” Discourse?:
  Prof. Dr Jesper Svartvik, Lund University, Sweden
• Children of Abraham: Interfaith Perspective:
  Rev. Dr Jean-Claude Basset, University of Lausanne, Switzerland

Working Groups:

(IX) First and Second Testaments as the One Bible of the Church: Or Paul, Bridge of Faiths
Introductory Presentation:
Prof. Dr Petros Vassiliadis, University of Thessaloniki, Greece

(X) God’s Covenant with Israel
Introductory Presentation:
Rev. Dr Karen Hamilton, Canadian Council of Churches, Canada

(XI) Israel in the Bible and the State of Israel 
Introductory Presentation:
Rev. Dr Henri Velduis, Protestant Church in the Netherlands

(XII) The Election of Israel and the Church
Introductory Presentation:
Rev. Dr Marc Schoeni, Evangelical Baptist Church, Switzerland

(XIII) Inter-religious Dialogue: a Biblical Perspective
Introductory Presentation:
Prof. Dr Mihai Valentin Vladimirescu, University of Craiova, Romania

(XIV) The People of God: Ethical and Moral Implications
Introductory Presentation:
Prof. Dr Mammen Varkey, Vichara Center, India

(XV) The Great Commandment and the “neighbor”
Introductory Presentation:
Rev. Dr Pradit Takerngrangsarit, Payap University, Thailand

Saturday, 13 September 2008: “Justice and Peace”

Bible Study (3): Isaiah 11: 1-9, “Justice and Peace for the Beasts?”
Prof. Dr  Silvia Schroer, University of Bern, Switzerland

Panel (7): The Commitment of the Church to the Quest of a Just Peace
Moderator: Rev. Julie Kandema, Faculty of Theology of Butare, Rwanda

Presentations:

• A North American Experience:
  Rev. Dr Walt Davis, San Francisco Theological Seminary, USA, and Rev. Robert Smith, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America - Global Mission, USA
• A Middle Eastern Perspective:
  Rev. Fadi Diab, Anglican Church in Palestine
• An Asian Perspective:
  Rev. Dr Sungkook Park, Christian Conference of Asia, Thailand

Panel (8): The Commitment of the Church to the Quest of a Just Peace (continued)
Moderator: Mag Viola Raheb, Austria

Presentations:

• A Latin American Perspective:
  Bishop Emeritus Aldo Etchegoyen, Iglesia Evangélica Metodista, Argentina
• An African Perspective:
  Rev. Dr Elieshi Mungure, Makumira University College, Tanzania
• A European Perspective:
  Rev. Andreas Maurer, Association of Churches and Missions in South Western Germany (EMS)

Panel (9): The Commitment of the Church to the Quest of a Just Peace (continued)

Presentations:

• An Orthodox Approach:
  Rev. Dr Emmanuel Clapsis, Holy Cross - Greek Orthodox School of Theology, Boston, USA
• A Catholic Approach:
  Rev. Fr Dr Fadi Daou, Université Saint Joseph, Lebanon
• A Protestant Approach:
  Rev. Dr Isaac Makarios Kamta, Evangelical Church of Cameroon, Cameroon

Sunday, 14 September 2008

Closing Ecumenical Ceremony

Bern Perspective - Final Document of the conference