Embedded Files
A joint venture of The Tuohy Center for Interreligious Understanding (John Carroll University), the Center for Comparative Theology and Cultural Studies (ZeKK), and the Institut für Evangelische Theologie (Paderborn University). The public lectures are held at Paderborn University with one or two in-person meetings at John Carroll University every semester.
A joint venture of The Tuohy Center for Interreligious Understanding (John Carroll University), the Center for Comparative Theology and Cultural Studies (ZeKK), and the Institut für Evangelische Theologie (Paderborn University). The public lectures are held at Paderborn University with one or two in-person meetings at John Carroll University every semester.
All the lectures are open to online participation via Zoom.
All the lectures are open to online participation via Zoom.
Upcoming Lectures (2026-2027)
Upcoming Lectures (2026-2027)
November 11 - Artists in Conversation: Aaron Rosen with Siona Benjamin and Gabriela Boros
November 11 - Artists in Conversation: Aaron Rosen with Siona Benjamin and Gabriela Boros
Sarah and Hagar are central figures in the shared religious heritage of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Their stories raise timeless questions about faith, motherhood, identity, belonging, power, and exclusion. Through the creative perspectives of contemporary artists, this conversation will explore how visual art can offer fresh interpretations of these ancient narratives and open new possibilities for interreligious understanding.
Join Us!
Join Us!
Whether you are interested in art, religion, cultural identity, or interfaith dialogue, this online conversation offers an opportunity to discover how artistic imagination can bring new meaning to stories shared across religious traditions.
Date: Wednesday, November 11, 2026
Time: 1:00–2:30 PM EST / 7:00–8:30 PM Paderborn CET
Location: Online via Zoom
Aaron Rosen
Aaron Rosen
Aaron Rosen, the conversation moderator, is Professor of Religion and Visual Culture and Director of the Henry Luce III Center for the Arts & Religion at Wesley Theological Seminary. An art historian, curator, and author, Rosen specializes in the intersections of religion, contemporary art, and interfaith dialogue. His publications include Art & Religion in the 21st Century and Imagining Jewish Art. His work explores the potential of visual art to create spaces for meaningful encounters across religious traditions.
Siona Benjamin
Siona Benjamin
Siona Benjamin is an Indian-American Jewish artist whose vibrant, multicultural paintings explore identity, migration, gender, and religious narratives. Born in Mumbai and raised in the Bene Israel Jewish community within a predominantly Hindu and Muslim society, Benjamin draws inspiration from Indian and Persian miniature painting, Jewish iconography, and contemporary visual culture. A two-time Fulbright Fellow, she has exhibited internationally and is known for her Finding Home series, which reimagines traditional religious and mythological figures through a transcultural lens.
Gabriela Boros
Gabriela Boros
Gabriella Boros is an Israeli-born American visual artist whose work encompasses woodblock prints, painting, handmade books, and multimedia art. Drawing on her European family heritage, Israeli childhood, and American experiences, she creates narrative-driven works exploring cultural memory, identity, and the natural world. Her artwork has been exhibited nationally and internationally, and she is particularly known for her expressive printmaking and book arts.
January 27 - Amalia Osuga: Franz Schubert's "Hagar's Klage"/Hagar's Lament - Performance and Discussion
January 27 - Amalia Osuga: Franz Schubert's "Hagar's Klage"/Hagar's Lament - Performance and Discussion
Dr. Amalia (Maya) Osuga is a soprano, scholar, and Assistant Professor of Voice at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. An accomplished concert soloist and chamber musician, she has performed throughout the United States and Great Britain, specializing in art song and contemporary vocal music. She is the founder of Her Art in Song, a project dedicated to highlighting women's musical and poetic voices through performance, education, and research. Her doctoral research at the University of Oregon explored representations of women's voices in Franz Schubert's songs. Osuga holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Oregon.
Date: Wednesday, January 27, 2027
Time: 1:00–2:30 PM EST / 7:00–8:30 PM Paderborn CET
Location: Online via Zoom
February 10 - Syafaatun (Shafa) Almirzanah: "Boundless Mercy, Shared Mothers: Ibn ‘Arabī’s Metaphysics of Universal Empathy in the Horizons of Sarah and Hagar"
February 10 - Syafaatun (Shafa) Almirzanah: "Boundless Mercy, Shared Mothers: Ibn ‘Arabī’s Metaphysics of Universal Empathy in the Horizons of Sarah and Hagar"
Prof. Dr. Syafa'atun Almirzanah is Professor of Religious Studies at Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic University in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. She holds a Ph.D. and a Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) degree, with doctoral studies at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. Her research focuses on comparative religion, Islamic mysticism, spirituality, religious pluralism, and Christian–Muslim dialogue. A scholar committed to advancing interreligious understanding, she has published extensively on Islamic thought, comparative theology, and the intersections of spirituality and religious diversity. Her work explores how religious traditions can foster mutual understanding, ethical engagement, and meaningful dialogue across faith communities.
Date: Wednesday, February 10, 2027
Time: 6:00–7:30 AM EST / 12:00–1:30 PM Paderborn CET / 6:00–7:30 PM Jakarta WIB
Location: Online via Zoom
March 10 - Dominik Höink: "Du, Gott, siehest mich" / "You, God, see me": Hagar in Nineteenth-Century German Oratorio
March 10 - Dominik Höink: "Du, Gott, siehest mich" / "You, God, see me": Hagar in Nineteenth-Century German Oratorio
Prof. Dr. Dominik Höink is Professor of Musicology and Head of the Musicology Seminar Detmold/Paderborn at Paderborn University, Germany. He is also a member of the Center for Comparative Theology and Cultural Studies (ZeKK). His research explores the intersections of music, religion, politics, and cultural identity, with particular emphasis on sacred music and oratorios of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. He is the author of Oratorium und Nation (1914–1945) and co-editor of Music and Religions in the 21st Century (2024). His scholarship has received several distinctions, including the International Handel Research Prize (2014) and the Hermann Abert Prize (2019).
Date: Wednesday, March 10, 2027
Time: 1:00–2:30 PM EST / 7:00–8:30 PM Paderborn CET
Location: Online via Zoom
Page updated
Report abuse