Collection Studi arabo-islamici del Pisai n° 22: Raḥma. Muslim and Christian Studies in MERCY.

“From the very first Sunday of his pontificate, it was clear that Pope Francis wanted our interaction to be shaped by Mercy: on 17^th March 2013, just before the Noon Angelus, he revealed to the people gathered on St. Peter’s Square − … − that he had just read Walter Kasper’s book on Mercy. Francis famously hastened to add “but do not think I am promoting my cardinals’ book!” The pontiff’s point was: mercy changes the world”.

These words open the preface by the Editor of the publication of the proceedings of the Rahma conference, Raḥma. Muslim and Christian Studies in Mercy, in a new issue of the Pisai Arabic-Islamic Studies Collection. At the convention organized by PISAI at the Pontifical Urbaniana University from 13 to 15 October 2016, a number of Christian and Muslim theologians and academics from different parts of the world took part, and the theme aroused the interest of many participants. The new publication in the Arabic-Islamic Studies of Pisai No. 22 gathers together the opening speeches of Cardinal Walter Kasper and the theologian Mouhanad Khorchide, and the three testimonies of Mgr Michael L. Fitzgerald, Adnane Mokrani and Carol Cook Eid. Following this are the voices of Christian and Muslim moderators and speakers who took turns in the six workshops: I. Mercy Revealed; II. Qur’anic Studies; III. Social Ethics of Mercy; IV. Mysticism of Mercy; V. Mercy as Theological Problem; VI. Cultural Impact of Mercy.
The concluding speech was given by Prof. John Borelli of the Georgetown University, Washington D.C.