The 2013 International Gathering of the Ecclesiological Investigations Network was held in the city of Belgrade, Serbia from June 19-22. At this conference entitled “Religion, Authority and the State: From Constantine to the Secular and Beyond,? Hartford Seminary Professor Dr. Mahmoud Ayoub gave a keynote lecture, “The Christian Church and the Muslim Ummah: From Religious Persecution to Religious Authority.” (see photo above). Also presenting was Hartford Seminary Ph.D. student Nicolas Memejian. For more information on the conference, visit http://belgrade2013.ei-research.net

Dr. Ayoub is a Faculty Associate for Interfaith Studies at Hartford seminary. He is also an authority in both the scholarship and comparative study of Islam and Muslim-Christian relations, as well as inter-religious dialogue, as demonstrated by the national and international recognition he has received. His academic standing is also reflected by his numerous local and overseas scholarly engagements. Additionally, since 1999, Dr. Ayoub has participated in the United States? Department of State?s program, serving as one of its ambassadors to various parts of the Middle East and S.E. Asia, commenting on American society and institutions, inter-religious dialogue and Islam in America.

At the international Conference in Belgrade, Dr. Ayoub also participated in a panel discussion with other distinguished professors. He is pictured above with Dr. Elizabeth Clark of Duke University.

Hartford Seminary students were also represented at this conference. Nicolas Memejian, a Ph.D. student at Hartford Seminary, presented a paper, ?Sharing Jesus, Sharing Christology: How a Shared Christological Understanding of Jesus Can be Seen Between Shi?ism and Christianity.?

The conference photo above shows Dr. Peter Phan of Georgetown University (left) with Dr. Ayoub (center) and Dr. Elizabeth Clark (right).