The International Dialogue Centre (KAICIID) welcomed Dr. Lucian Reinfandt of the Austrian National Library’s Papyrus Department to speak as the latest speaker in the Centre’s ‘Religions in Dialogue’ (Religionen im Dialog) monthly lectures series. Dr. Reinfandt introduced Greek and Arabic papyri from the 7th century, shining a new light on the Arab conquests of the time while opening new opportunities for interreligious dialogue today.
As an expert in Middle Eastern studies, papyrologist and a scholar of early Islamic history, Dr. Reinfandt explained that Vienna is home to a rich treasure: with over 160,000 historical artefacts, the Austrian National Library’s Papyrus Department and Museum hosts the world’s largest Arabic papyri collection.
As basis for his lecture, Dr. Reinfandt proposed four theses and anti-theses on how to view religion from a historian perspective:
To conclude the presentation, Dr. Reinfandt drew three conclusions for a fruitful interreligious dialogue:
Following a lively Q&A session, the interested public engaged Dr. Reinfandt in dialogue at a reception concluding the evening. The catering was provided by ‘Habibi & Hawara’, a social enterprise in Wipplingerstrasse providing refugees with an opportunity to work.