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Najib George Awad

(Dr. Phil; Dr. Theol. Habil)

Associate Professor of Christian Theology

Director of the PhD Program

Hartford Seminary, Connecticut

98 Girard Avenue

Hartford, CT 06105

USA

Tele: (+1) 860-987 8048

Emails: nawad@hartsem.edu

najeebawad72@gmail.com

Blog: najeebawad.blogspot.com

Facebook: Najib George Awad

Twitter: @najeebawad

Education

Doctor Theol. Habil. in Historical/Arabic-Oriental Theology (2014)

Philipps Universität, Marburg. Interlocutor: Karl Pinggera.

Thesis: “Orthodoxy in Arabic Terms: A Study of Theodore Abū Qurrah’s

Trinitarian and Christological Doctrines in an Islamic Context”

The thesis studies the theological texts of the 8th/9th centuries Arab Father,

Theoldore Abu Qurrah, which are the first complete theological texts

written in Arabic to explain and defend Christian faith before Islam in the

early Abbasid era. It examines whether, in his attempt at translating the

Greek and Syriac doctrinal terminologies of the doctrines of the Trinity

and Christology, Theodore Abu Qurrah remained within the mainstream

of the doctrinal orthodoxy of the Melkite/ Byzantine Tradition, or rather

compromised some central theological notions and concepts for the sake

of making Christian belief understandable and persuasive for the Muslim

Mutakallims.

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Doctor Phil. in Systematic Theology (2007)

King’s College, University of London. Supervisor: Colin Gunton

Thesis: “Pneumatology and the Defence of the Hypostatic Individuation of

the Holy Spirit: Examining the Validity of Trinitarian Theology on the Basis

of a Comparison and a Scrutiny of Eastern and Western Pneumatological

Perspectives” The thesis defends the personhood of the Holy Spirit in relation to God.

To show that the Spirit is a constitutive person of the Godhead of God, I

argue that viewing the Godhead as a “reciprocal koinonia” offers a

balanced attention to the Spirit’s person and actions. I then show that the

claim that the Holy Spirit is a hypostasis who reveals a particular form of

personhood provides new dimensions for understanding God’s

unfathomable and mysterious personal being in a way that testifies to

God’s relational nature as well as to His beyond-ness.

M.A. Systematic Theology (2001)

King’s College, London. Supervisor: Colin Gunton

Thesis: “Pannenberg’s Theology of Revelation: An Idealist Standpoint?”.

In this thesis I argue that it is insufficient to study Pannenberg’s theology

without focusing on the centrality of his concept of revelation. I then show

that this concept nullifies the conviction that Pannenberg’s theology is

idealist, and more specifically Hegelian; before I finally suggest that the

source of Pannenberg’s theology of revelation is the biblical, apocalyptic

view derived from his early engagement with “Pannenberg Circle”.

B.A. Theology (1997)

Near East School of Theology, Beirut, Lebanon

Research Areas:

Historical Theology and Interreligious Dialogue, with a special interest in the early

Christian-Muslim Kalam of the early Muslim (Umayyad and Abbasid) era. Theology of

Religions, Contextual/Intercultural Theology, with a special interest in Arabic

contextual theology and developing a pneumatico-trinitarian theology of universal

Salvation that exceeds inclusivism and mere general-pluralism.

Teaching and Academic Experience:

Hartford Seminary, CT, Associate Professor of Christian Theology (2012- )

Goettingen University/EL Missionsseminar, Lecturer in Systematic and Intercultural

Theology (2010- 2012)

Yale Divinity School, Yale University, Visiting-Fellow (Aug. 2008-Jul. 2009)

Near East School of Theology, Beirut, Lebanon, Part-time Lecturer in Systematic

Theology & Christian Doctrine (2006-2007).

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Université La Sagesse, Faculté des Sciences Ecclésiales, Beirut, Lebanon, Lecturer on

the Theology of the Reformation (Spring 2006)

Courses Taught:

TH505- Introduction to Christian Theology: The Basic Components of Christian Faith and Life

TH605-Theology and Contextuality: A Systematic Survey of the Theology-Context Relationship

in Western and Non-Western Contexts

TH606-Looking at Jesus Christ in the Context of The Modern World

TH608-The Triune God: Basic Trends in the Christian Doctrine of God

TH609-Christian-Muslim Dialogues in Early Christian Theology

TH637-Introduction to Theology of Religions

WS611- Longing for God? Christian Spirituality in Theological Perspective

Scholarly Publications

Scholarly Monographs

2015 Orthodoxy in Arabic Terms: A Study of Theodore Abu Qurrah’s Theology in

Its Islamic Context, Berlin & Boston: De Gruyter

2014 Persons in Relation: an Essay on the Trinity and Ontology, Minneapolis:

Fortress Press

2012 And Freedom Became a Public-Square: Political, Sociological and Religious

Overviews on the Arab Christians and the Arabic Spring, Berlin: LIT Verlag

2011 God Without a Face? on the Personal Individuation of the Holy Spirit,

Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck GmbH & Co

2004 God, Man and Evil: a Theologico-Existential Study, Damascus: Codmus

Publishers (Arabic)

2003 The Passion Narrative in the Gospel of Matthew: A Historico-Narrative

Criticism, Cairo: Al-Thaquafa Publishing House (Arabic)

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Theological Articles (Peer-reviewed):

2017 “From Intact Wheat to Processed Bread: Theodore Abū Qurrah, Assaad

Elias Kattan and the Nature of Tradition in Orthodox Theology,” in

Communio Viatorum, LVIII: 2, pp. 191-206

2016 “Is ‘Post-Christendom’ a Relevant Hermeneutical Framework to the

Situation of the Christians in Greater Syria? Towards a Critical Appraisal,”

in Postchristendom Studies Journal, 1, pp. 31-76.

“Understanding the Other From-Within: the Muslim Near East in the Eyes

of Duncan Black Macdonald,” in The Muslim World, 106(3), pp. 523-538.

“‘If His Crucifixion Was Figurative As You Claim, Then So Be It’: How Two

Christian Mutakallims from the Abbasid Era Used An-Nisa᾽ 4:157-158 in

Dialogues with Muslims,” in Journal of Eastern Christian Studies, 68(1-2), pp.

53-80.

2015 “‘Through You, Men Live Endowed with Reason’: Gregory Nazianzen’s

Trinitarian Thinking as a Window to His Personal Character,” in Scottish

Journal of Theology, 2(68), pp. 127-142.

2014 “Is Secularity by Any Means Imaginable? A Reading of the Idea of ‘Civil

State’ in the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood’s Contemporary Political Project

for the Syria of the Future,” in Islamochristiana, 40 (2014) 105– 124

“Religio-phobia; Western Islam, Social Integration and the Resurgence of

Religiosity in Europe,” in The Muslim World, 103(4), pp. 433-447.

“At the Dawn of ‘Practice’ or Re-Thinking the Nature and Role of Theology

and Doctrine in the Church,” in Journal of Reformed Theology, 8(1), pp. 3-34.

2013 “What Has the Jerusalem of Dogmatics to Do with the Athens of Context, Or

How Should One Do Contextual Theology?”, in PLURA:Revista de Estudos de

Religião, 2(3), pp. 198-221.

2012 “Thomas Aquinas’ Metaphysics of ‘Relation’ and ‘Participation’ and

Contemporary Trinitarian Theology”, in New Blackfriars Review, 93(1048),

2012, pp. 652-670.

“Das Ziel ist noch fern – Zwischenbilanz des Aufbruchs in der arabischen

Welt,” in Naher Osten: Christen in Der Minderheit, Jahrbuch Mission 2012,

Hamburg: Missionshilfe Verlag, pp. 14-21.

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“‘Another Puzzle is…the Holy Spirit’: De Trinitate as Augustine’s

Pneumatology,” in Scottish Journal of Theology, 65(1), pp. 1-16.

“The Christians and the Syrian Revolution: Which Fears from the

Rebellion? Which Political System in the Future?” in The Arabic Spring and

the Christians of the Middle East, Mitri Raheb (ed.), Bethlehem: Diyar

Publishers, pp. 113-127 (Arabic).

2011 “Extra Trinitate Nulla Salus: A Comparison between the Trinitarian and the

Christological Language in Scripture,” in Theological Review, 2(32), 2011, pp.

125-152.

“Theology of Religions, Universal Salvation and the Holy Spirit,” in Journal

of Pentecostal Theology, 2(20), pp. 252-271.

“Time/History, Self-disclosure and Anticipation: Pannenberg, Heidegger and

the Question of Metaphysics,” in Sophia, 50(1), 2011, pp. 113-133.

2010 “Is a Perichoresis between Theological Interpretation and Historical

Criticism Possible? toward a Balanced Hermeneutics of Scriptural

Christology,” in Theological Review, 31/2, pp. 152-178.

“The Influence of John Chrysostom’s Hermeneutics on John Calvin’s

Exegetical Approach to Paul’s Epistle to the Romans” in Scottish Journal of

Theology, 63: 4, 414-436.

“Personhood as Particularity: John Zizioulas, Colin Gunton and the

Trinitarian Theology of Personhood,” in The Reformed Journal of Theology,

4(1), pp. 1-22.

2009 “Where is the Gospel, What Happened to Culture? The Reformed Church in

Syria and Lebanon,” in Journal of Reformed Theology, 3(3), pp. 288-306

(English).

2008 “How the Church Fathers Read the Gospel of Mark as a Reliable Text? A

Comparison between Early and Modern Scholarship,” in Theological Review,

XXXIX, pp. 83-114 (English).

“Does God Save the Non-Christians? On the Universality of the Divine

Salvation”, In Toward a Contemporary Arabic Theology, George Sabra (ed.),

Cairo: Dar-Althaqafa, pp. 341-445 (Arabic)

“Should We Dispense with ‘Sola Scriptura’? Scripture, Tradition and

Postmodern Theology,”in Dialog: Journal of Theology, 47: 1, pp. 64-79

(English)

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“Futural Ousia or Eschatological Disclosure? A Systematic Analysis of

Pannenberg’s Trinitarian Theology, in Kerygma Und Dogma, 54: 1, pp. 37-52

(English)

2007 “Between Subordination and Koinonia: toward a New Reading of the

Cappadocian Theology”, in Modern Theology, 32: 2, pp. 181-204 (English)

“The Holy Spirit will Come upon You: The Doctrine of the Incarnation and

the Holy Spirit,” in The Theological Review, 28: 1, pp. 23-45 (English)

2005 “Revelation, History and Idealism: Re-examining the Conceptual Roots of

Wolfhart Pannenberg’s Theology”, in The Theological Review, XXVI/2, pp.91-

110 (English)

Chapters in Anthologies:

2015 “Unmasking Leviathan: Theology, the Public Square and the Issue of

Human Rights,” in Begegnungen in Vergangenheit und Gegenwart: Beiträge

dialogischer Existenz, Claudia Rammelt; Cornelia Schlarb and Egbert Schlarb

(eds.), Berlin: LIT Verlag, pp. 504-516.

2013 “When Identity is Constructed on a Procrustean Bed: ‘Arab Christianity’

and the Missionary-Planted Churches in the Eyes of Muslim Authors,” in Zur

Situation der Christen in der Türkei und in Syrien: Exemplarische Einsichten,

Martin Tamcke (ed.), Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, pp. 201-214.

2012 “Is Christianity from Arabia? Examining Two Contemporary Arabic

Proposals on Christianity in the Pre-Islamic Period,” in Orientalische Christen

und Europa Kulturbegegnung zwischen Interferenz, Partizipation und

Antizipation, Martin Tamcke (ed.), Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, pp. 33-58.

Book Reviews:

Early Christian-Muslim Debate on the Unity of God: Three Christian Scholars and

their Engagement with Islamic Thought 99th Century C.E.), by Sara Leila

Husseini, Leiden: Brill, 2014, in Interpretation Journal, 2016.

Envisioning Islam: Syriac Christians and Early Muslim World, by Michael Philip

Penn, Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2015, in The Muslim World

Journal, 2016.

God the Revealed, Christology, by Michael Welker, translated by Douglas W. Stott,

Grand Rapids, Mich/ Cambridge, UK, W.B. Eerdmans Publishing Company,

2013, in Interpretation Journal,

Early Arabic Christian Contributions to Trinitarian Theology: the Development of the

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Doctrine of the Trinity in an Islamic Milieu, by Thomas W. Ricks, Minneapolis:

Fortress Press, 2013, in Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations, 25(3), 2014.

(English).

The Other Hand of God: The Holy Spirit as the Universal Touch and Goal, by

Killian McDonnell, Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 2003, in International Journal

of Systematic Theology, Vol. 6, N. 4, Oct. 2004. (English)

God: An Open Question, by Anton Houtepen, John Bowden (trans.), London & New

York: Continuum, 2003, in, Near East School of Theology Theological Review,

Vol. XXV, N.1, Apr. 2004 (English).

Holy Trinity, Perfect Community, by Leonardo Boff, Phillip Berryman (trans.),

Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 2001,in International Journal of Systematic Theology,

Vol.5, N.2, July. 2003 (English)

The Christian Faith: An Introduction to Christian Doctrine, by Colin E. Gunton.

Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, ltd. 2002, in, Near East School of Theology

Theological Review, Vol. XXIV, N.2, Apr. 2003 (English)

In Search for Ecumenical Dialogue: Theological, Evangelical Essays, by George

Sabra, Beirut: An-Nafeer Publishing, 2001, in, Alnashra, Beirut, N.29, May.2002.

(Arabic)

Other Scholarly Articles in Arabic:

- since 2011, I published over 40 Arabic articles in various Arab newspapers,

magazines and websites on the Arab Spring, the Syrian crisis, Christians in Syria

and the Arab World, and Interreligious Life in the Middle East. Most of them can

be found online. A good bunch of them is collected from their main publication

mediums and gathered in http://syria.alsafahat.net/category/%D9%83%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%A8-

%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AB%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%A9-

%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A9/%D9%86%D8%AC%D9%

8A%D8%A8-%D8%AC%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%AC-%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%B6/

Some other Arabic publications are published on other online links as follows

“Is the Clash of Civilizations a War-Declaration Against Islam? Re-Reading the

Thesis of Samuel Huntington,” in al-Jadeed Magazine,

www.aljadeedmagazine.com N.25, p. 16, 01/02/2017

“Reforming Religion or Religious Reform: Which One is Needed in the Arab

World?” in al-Jadeed Magazine, www.aljadeedmagazine.com N.24, p. 10,

01/01/2017

“Between Ontology and the Text: Jacque Derrida and the Deconstruction of the

Theological Discourse,” in Thaqafat Journal,

www.thaqafat.com/2016/11/69413/ , 2017

“Changes of the Religious Imagination: from the Collectivist into the privative and

Individualist is it is Manifested in the Islamist Radical and Terrorist

Movements,” in al-Jadeed Magazine, www.aljadeedmagazine.com N. 21, p. 14,

01/10/2016 (Arabic).

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“Politics and Islamophobia: a Contextual Reading of the United Kingdom’s Exit

from the European Union,” in al-Jadeed Magazine,

www.aljadeedmagazine.com N.19, p. 32, 01/08/2016 (Arabic).

“Secularized and Civil Societies? Is this Possible, or is it an Unachievable Dream?”

in al-Jadeed Magazine, www.aljadeedmagazine.com N.11, p. 48, 01/12/2015

(Arabic).

“Jeehad is the Essence of ‘Hizbullah’ and Weapon is its Tool,” in www.assafir.com ,

the page of political issues, N. 11342, 13/07/2009 (Arabic).

“Where Does the Palestinian Spirit of Sacrifice Come From? We Need to

Understand Ourselves,” in www.assafir.com , The Cultural Page, N. 11215,

06/02/ 2009 (Arabic)

“I Fear a Deity, the Fear of Whom Does Not Lead to Wisdom,” in www.assafir.com,

The Cultural Mulhak, N. 11156, 21/11/2007 (Arabic).

“The Culture of Vengeance,” in www.assafir.com , the Cultural Mulhak, N. 10829,

19/10/2007 (Arabic).

“More than Mere Terrorization”, in www.annahar.com , the Cultural Mulhak, N. 708,

2/10/2005 (Arabic).

“Under the Shadow of Being: The Self between Relationship and knowledge in

Postmodernity”, in www.annahar.com , the Cultural Mulhak, N. 694, 26, June,

2005 (Arabic).

“From Inside or from Outside? The Intellectual and the Reading of History: Francis

Fukuyama as a Case Study”, in Alam Alfkr, Vol. 33. 4, June. 2005, pp. 39-53

(Arabic).

“A Political Reading in the Light of Charles Malik’s Israel, America and the Arabs:

Reading in Half a Century”, in www.rezgar.com, The Modern Dialogue,

N.1080, 16/1/2005 (Arabic).

“Martin Heidegger and the Ontology of Poetry”, in www.annahar.com, the Cultural

Mulhak, N. 683, 10, April 2005 (Arabic).

“The Eucharist in the Reformed Theology”, in Awrak Ruhbaniaah, Kaslik, N. 82/83,

2005, pp. 109-132 (Arabic).

“Beyond Dialogue: Is the Dialogue for Religious Co-existence Enough?” in Alnashra

of the Royal Institute for Religious Studies, Jordan, N. 35, 2005, pp. 4-9 (Arabic).

“The Forum of Dialogue in NEST: Exceeding Diplomacy Toward a Serious

Christian-Muslim Dialogue”, in www.annahar.com, Beirut, October. 2005

(Arabic).

“Meditations on the Christian Theology of Hope”, in www.annahar.com Beirut,

August. 2005 (Arabic).

“Don’t Throw the Baby with the Bathing Water: Which Inside and which

Outside?” in www.elaph.com, 15,9,2004 (Arabic).

“Human Rights, Political Reformation and Civil Society”, www.all4syria.org 1, 3,

2004; www.rezgar.com 26, 2, 2004 (Arabic).

“The Trinitarian God who Saves Non-Christians”, in www.annahar.com Beirut,

January. 2004 (Arabic).

“Iraq Between Optimism and Pessimism: Is Democracy Opposite of Resistance?” www.elaph.com 23, Sept.2003, search word: Najeeb Awad (in Arabic letters)

(Arabic)

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“On Change and Stability in Syria”, in www.elaph.com, December, 2003 (Arabic).

“Theology Between Pietism and Catechism: The Meaning and Value of Theological

Education”, (series of articles), in, Alnashra, Beirut, June 2003 onward (Arabic).

“The Missionaries and Their Role in the Middle East: Conspiracy, or Cultural

Intercourse?” in, Al-Nahj, Damascus, spring, 2002 (Arabic).

“The problem of Evil: Which Question?” in, Alnashra, Beirut, N.26, Feb.2002

(Arabic).

“Is Theology for Common Believers?” in, Alnashra, N.18, Jun. 2001 (Arabic)

“Let us Narrate Theology”, in, Alnashra, Beirut, N.12, Jen.2000 (Arabic).

“Theological Education and Nurturing: Disengagement”, in Alnashra, Beirut, V.10,

Oct.1999 (Arabic).“The Destinies of philosophy: Apology, or Offence?” in, Al-

Adab, Beirut, Fall.1999 (Arabic).

Poetry (Selected):

The Fall is of My Acquaintances, Rome/Beirut: Al-Mutawassit Publications, 2016

I Carry No Angel’s Name, Beirut: Athar Press, 2012

On My Lips A Kiss I Will Not Get, Beirut: Al-Ghaoon, 2009

Barefoot Rituals, Damascus: Kana’an Publishing House, 2003

Selected Conference Papers and Invited Lectures

“The Syrian Crisis: Yesterday and Today,” a lecture in Christ Episcopalian Church,

Vienna, Austria, 2016.

“The Refugee Crisis: Deciphering the Genome of ‘Crisis’ in the ‘Refugee Crisis’,

Toward a Hermeneutic Tripod,” two lectures in the Expert Meeting II, Vrije

Universiteit, Amsterdam, Holland, 2016.

“Toward a Crystalization of a Scholarly Agenda to the Arab Region,” a

contribution to the UNDP’s & KAICIID’s conference on The Dialogue of Inter-

Religious Diversity, Amman, Jordan, 2016.

“The Syrian Christians and the Question of the Future Role in Post-War Syria: Any

Role Whatsoever?” a public lecture in the Evangelical School of Theology,

Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic, 2016

“‘Wa Yabqā Wajhu RabbikaZū al-Jalāli Wal-īkrām’; ‘Wajh’ as a Qur᾽ānic Term in

the Kalām of Theodore Abū Qurrah on the Trinity” a paper read in the

X Congress of Arab-Christian Studies, Rome, Italy, 2016

“‘Supposedly Encountered an Arian Monk’: Where Did Muḥammad Derive his

Ideas from, according to John of Damascus’s De Haeresibus, Chapter

100/101?” a paper read in the North American Patristic Society (NAPS) Annual

Conference, Chicago, IL, 2016.

“Interreligiosity as a Realist Learning Engagement,” a paper read in New England

Maritime Regional AAR Conference (NEMAAR), Boston College, MA, 2016

“Christians in Contemporary Syria: What Does Minority Mean?” a public lecture in

Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding

(ACMCU), Georgetown University, Washington, DC, 2015.

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“Need the Crucifixion Happen? An-Nisāʼ 4:157-158, Theodore Abu Qurrah and His

Muslim Interlocutors in al-Māʼmūn’s Court.” A paper read in the American

Oriental Society (AOS) 24th Annual Meeting, Phoenix, AZ, 2014.

“‘Min al-‛Aql wa Laysa min al-Kutub’: Scriptural Evidence, Rational Verification

and Theodore Abu Qurrah’s Apologetic Epistemology.” A paper read in the

Conference on Exegetical Crossroads: Understanding Scripture in Judaism,

Christianity and Islam in the Medieval Orient, Friedrich-Alexander-University

Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany, 2014.

“Is Secularity by Any Means Imaginable? A Reading of the Idea of ‘Civil State’ in

the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood’s Contemporary Political Project for the

Futural Syria,” a paper read in the IIIT’s Summer Conference for Researchers,

Virginia, 2013.

“What is Going on in Syria: Analysis of the Situation and of Escaping Movements,” Session contribution and discussion in a conference titled, “After the Rebellion?

State and Future of Christians in Syria,” of the Evangelische Akademie Loccum

and the German Federal Foreign Office, Loccum, Germany, 2013.

“The Future Arab World,” speech contribution and public discussion on Democracy,

Civil Society and Role of Religion in the ‘Arab Spring’, in the 34th Deutscher

Evangelischer Kirchentag, Hamburg, Germany, 2013.

“How Do the Christians Envision the Future of Interreligious Relationships in the

Post-Assad Syria? Public Lecture in Hartford Seminary, CT, 2012

“The Arabic Spring in Syria: Destructive Present Transformation, Difficult Futural

Questions,” A talk presented in the Social Ethics Network Fall Gathering,

Auburn & Union Theological Seminaries, New York, 2012.

“The Arabic Spring, Inter-religious Dialogue and the Christians in Syria,” a paper

for the conference Primavera Araba: Verso un nuovo patto nazionale,

Communita di Sant’Egidio, Rome, 29, February. 2012.

“On the Uprisings in the Arab World and the Situation of the Eastern Christians:

How is the Present? What Can the Future Be?” A Block-Seminar to the

Intercultural Theology and Euroculture Programmes, Göttingen University, 19,

May. 2011.

“Is Christianity from Arabia? Examining Two Contemporary Arabic Proposals on

Christianity in the Pre-Islamic Period,” a paper for the symposium

Orientalische Christen und Europa. Kulturbegegnung zwischen Interferenz,

Partizipation und Antizipation, Gӧttingen University, 25th-26th, June, 2010.

“Unmasking Leviathan: Theology, the Public Square and the Issue of Human

Rights,” a paper for the Consultation on Child Rights: A Theological

Ecplorations, by Gurukul Theological College & Research Institute, Chinnai and

EL Missionsseminar, Germany, occurred in Chinnai, India, 15-17, November

2010.

“What Has the Athens of Dogmatics to Do with the Jerusalem of Context, Or How

Should One Do Contextual Theology?” a public lecture for the inauguration of

the academic year in Missionsseminar, Hermannsburg, 26. Oct. 2010.

“Where is the Gospel? What Happened to Culture? the Reformed Church in the

Near East,” a public lecture in The Overseas Ministries Study Centre (OMSC),

New Haven, CT. USA, 21, March. 2009.

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"Building the Bridges, or Uncovering Them? Islamic and Christian Chant at a

Crossroads in the Middle East," A Group Lecture with Tala Jarjour & Lejla

Damiri presented in the National Graduate Conference for Ethnomusicology: New

Directions in Music Studies, organized by Music Faculty, University of

Cambridge, England, July. 2006 "Religious Inclusivisim, Universal Salvation and the Holy Spirit”. A public lecture

presented at the Near East School of Theology (NEST), Beirut, Lebanon,

February. 2006.

“Theology of Religions,Universal Salvation and the Spirit.” a short paper presented

in the Conference of Theology and the World Religions, organized by SST, the

Society for Studying Theology, Leeds, England, April. 2006.

“Salvation between the Son and the Spirit: A Brief Study of a Biblical Trinitarian

Attestation”, a Seminar Paper presented at the seminar on Trinity and

Christology at the conference Theology and the World Religions, organized by

the Society for the Study of Theology (SST), Leeds, England, 2006.

“Between Subordinationism and Koinonia: A Reading in the Cappadocian

Trinitarian Theology” presented in the conference Monotheism and

Trinitarianism; scheduled held in the Center for Arabic Christian Studies, St.

Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon, April. 2006.

“The Promise of Gregory Nazianzen’s Pneumatology: Toward a New Perichoretic

Reading of the Cappadocian Theology”, presented at King’s College Research

Center for Systematic Theology, December, 2003.

“The Historicity of the Incarnational Narrative: A Brief Reading in Chapter Eight

of Stephen Evans, The Historical Christ and the Jesus of Faith: The

Incarnational Narrative as History”, presented at King’s College Research

Center for Systematic Theology, Spring, 2001.

“Judaism and Jewish Religion”, a lecture in World Religions course (Fall 2001) in

American University of London, UK.

“Scripture V/S Quran”, a lecture in Understanding Islam course (Spring 2000),

Crowther Hall Center for Mission Education and Training, Selly Oak,

Birmingham.

“Revelation from Below: A Brief Display of Pannenberg’s Concept of Revelation”,

presented at King’s College Research Center for Systematic Theology,

November, 2000.

“The Concept of Poverty: ‘God is on the Side of the Poor’ fails to Do Justice to the

Message of the Bible”, presented in the course on Mission and the Bible at

Crowther Hall Centre for Mission Education and Training, Selly Oak,

Birmingham, Spring, 2000.

“Christianity in the Middle East”, presented at Crowther Hall Centre for Mission

Education and Training, Selly Oak, Birmingham, Spring, 2000. “Proselytism or Dialogue? Study in Acts17: 16-34”, presented in the course on

Mission and the Bible at Crowther Hall Centre for Mission Education and

Training, Selly Oak, Birmingham, Spring, 2000.

“Muslims &Christians in the Near East: The Case of Syria &Lebanon”, presented at

Crowther Hall Centre for Mission Education and Training, Selly Oak,

Birmingham, Winter 2000.

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Other Church-Related Talks and Invited Lectures

“A Message from the Middle East…to Scotland”, a short word I presented as the

Delegate of the Middle East Council of Churches (M.E.C.C) to the Church of

Scotland’s General Assembly, Edinburgh, Spring, 2003.

“Christianity in the Middle East, Past, Present and Future”, presented at Augustine

United Church, Edinburgh, Spring 2003.

“Between Faith and Knowledge: When Culture Challenges Faith”, a series of

lectures presented at the conference of the National Evangelical Synod of Syria

and Lebanon for University Students, Dhur Shower Conferences Center,

Lebanon, Summer 2003 (Arabic)

“Music, Worship and Christian Church”, two-parts lecture presented at the National

Evangelical Synod of Syrian and Lebanon’s conference on Church Music, Dhur

Shower Conferences Centre, Summer 2003 (Arabic).

“Gospel and Culture: Faith in Relation to History”, series of lectures presented at the

National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon’s Conference to University

Students, Dhur Shower Conferences Centre, Summer 2002 (Arabic)

“Christian Ethics and Contemporary Social Issues: Freedom, Abortion, Execution,

Ecology and Sexuality”, a series of lectures presented at the National

Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon’s conference for University Students,

Dhur Shower Conferences Centre, Lebanon, Summer 2001 (Arabic)

“The Philosophy of Perception and Christian Leadership”, two-parts lecture

presented at the Youth Leadership Training Conference of The Fellowship of the

Middle East Evangelical Churches (F.M.E.E.C), Dhur Shower, Lebanon, Summer

1999.

“Science and Religion”, Series of taught lectures for lay people on the relation between

science and religion, National Presbyterian Church of Lattakia, Syria. Spring

1999.

Other Professional Activities:

Moderator and Editor in Chief Alnashra Theological Magazine of the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and

Lebanon, Beirut, Lebanon (April. 2005- Aug. 2008, Sept. 2009- Jan.2010)

Reviewer and Script Liaison Officer

OCI-SAT7 TEACH Pilot Project, in SAT7 Christian Space Channel, Beirut,

Lebanon (Feb. 2008- Jul. 2008)

Director of Youth Ministry

The Reformed Churches of Syria; the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and

Lebanon (Sept.1998- Dec. 1999).

Chair Person of the Religious Work Committee

The Religious Work Committee for the Reformed Churches in Syria, the National

Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon (Feb. 1997- Dec. 1999)

Co-Moderator of Elementary School

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The Evangelical Elementary School; the National Reformed Church of Alhaskeh,

Syria (Apr.1997-Aug.1998)

Church Senior Minister

Alhaskeh National Presbyterian Church (Apr. 1997- Aug. 1998)

Director of Religious Activities

Aljazerah Province, North-East of Syria, The National Evangelical Synod of Syria

and Lebanon (Apr.1997- Aug. 1998)

Professional Organizational Membership and Services:

-Present Memberships:

North American Patristic Society (NAPS)

The American Oriental Society (AOS)

The American Academy of Religion (AAR),

The Society for the Study of Theology (SST)

Association for the Study of the Middle East and Africa (ASMEA)

The European Society for Intercultural Theology and Interreligious

Studies (ESITIS)

-Past Memberships:

The Fellowship of Langham Scholars (FLS)

The World Association for Christian Communication (WACC)

The Media and Publication Committee in the National Evangelical

Synod of Syria and Lebanon

Delegate for The Middle East Council of Churches to the Church of Scotland’s

General Assembly, Edinburgh (Spring, 2003).

Chair Person of The Religious Work Committee of the Presbyterian Churches of

Syria (1997-1999)

The Association of the Theological Institutes in the Middle East

(ATIME) (1993-1995)

Delegate for The Middle East Council of Churches to the United Nations’ Youth

Summit, New York (Summer, 1995)

Scholarships and Grants

John Stott Ministries (Sept. 2008-July. 2009)

Received a one-year grant of $10,000 for visiting fellowship in Systematic

Theology at the Divinity School, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.

Langham Trust Research Scholarship (Sept, 2001- April, 2005)

Received half a scholarship of ₤ 9000 per year for my doctoral studies in

Systematic Theology at King’s College, London

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All Saints Educational Trust (Sept, 2001- Sept, 2004)

Received a grant of ₤ 5,500 towards fees for my doctoral studies in Systematic

Theology at King’s College, London

International leadership Development Scholarship, the Presbyterian Church (USA)

(2002-2004). Received an International Leadership Scholar Grant of $ 3,000.00

per year for my doctoral Studies in Systematic Theology at King’s College,

London.

L'Action chrétienne en Orient, through the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and

Lebanon (2001-2004) received a grant of ₤ 4,500 per year for my doctoral

Studies in Systematic Theology at King’s College, London.

Church Mission Society Scholarship (CMS) (January, 2000- Sept, 2001)

Received a grant of ₤ 8,000 for the Master Degree Studies in Systematic

Theology at King’s College, London.

MA & PhD Research Supervision

Master Theses

Bernard Bamfo-Bosompem, “Reflection on Some

Ghanaian Traditional Religious and Cultural Values and their Enculturation

in Christian Worship,” Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, 2010-2011.

Katie Tanner, “Christian Service in a Multi-Religious

Setting: The Joint Christian Committee for Social Service in Lebanon,” Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, 2011-2012.

Hans Abdel Harmakaputra, “From Religious Polemics

into Comparative Theology: Ibn Taymiyya and Theodore Abu Qurra on the

Trinity as a Case Study,” Hartford Seminary, CT, 2012-2013.

Mario R. Monero, “The Origin of Evil as the Axis of

Theosis,” Hartford Seminary, CT, 2012-2013.

Luthfi Rahman, “The Personality and Virtue of Joseph in the Hebrew Bible and the

Qur’an,” Hartford Seminary, CT, 2014-2015.

Patrice Kelly Elis, “Julian of Norwich: A Theologian to the 21st Century,” Hartford

Seminary, CT, 2016-2017.

Doctoral Dissertations

Robert Meditz "The Dialectic of the Holy: The

Development of Paul Tillich's Understanding of Judaism," Hartford Seminary,

CT, 2014

Jane Ellingwood, “God as One, Trinity, and Creator and

Relations between God and Creation,” Hartford Seminary, CT, 2016

Nationality: -Syrian

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- Permanent resident in the United States of America (Green Card holder)

Language Competency:

Arabic: native speaker

English: fluent

German: intermediary (speaking), good (reading)

Koine Greek: basic knowledge and reading ability

Biblical Hebrew: basic knowledge

Academic References

Prof. Dr. Christoph Schwӧbel

Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen

Institut für Hermeneutik und Dialog der Kulturen

Liebermeisterstr. 12

Raum 322

Deutschland

Tel: 07071/29-72066

Email: christoph.schwoebel@uni-tuebingen.de

Prof. Murray Rae Department of Theology & Religious Studies

University of Otago,

P.O.Box:56, Dunedin, New Zealand

Tele: (64) 3 4795393

Email: murray.rae@otago.ac.nz

Prof. Gavin D’Costa

University of Bristol

3 Woodland Road,

Bristol BS8 1TB, UK

Tel: + 44 (0)117 331 7010

Email: Gavin.DCosta@bristol.ac.uk

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Prof. Sidney H. Griffith

Institute of Christian Oriental Research

35 Mullen Library

The Catholic University of America

620 Michigan Ave., NE

Washington, DC 20064, USA

Tel: (202) 319-5084

Email: Griffith@cua.edu

Prof. Dr. Assaad Elias Kattan Centre for Religious Studies, University of Münster

Rosenstrasse 9

48143, Münster, Germany

Tel: + 49 - (0)251 - 8326104

Email: kattan@uni-muenster.de

Prof. Mahmoud Ayoub

Hartford Seminary

77 Sherman Street,

Hartford, CT 06105, USA

Tel: (860) 509-9537

Email: mayoub@hartsem.edu