Pontificio Istituto Biblico, Roma

We are pleased to announce the conference “Discourses about the Divine: Language about Transcendence, Language Transcending Borders,” which will take place on April 22–23, 2026, at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome.
We will examine how ancient Jewish and Christian texts in Koine Greek address the challenge of expressing the divine through human language. By exploring both canonical and extracanonical writings, we aim to shed light on the development of theological discourse and its cultural contexts. We invite you to join us in this exploration and to share your reflections!

Our conference on "Idolatry: How a God Becomes an Idol" came to a conclusion yesterday, after a third day of sessions. A total of 19 papers presented over 9 session, bringing together speakers from 12 academic institutions. Works now starts on preparing the proceedings of the conference for publication.

Pontificia Università Gregoriana
Centro Cardinal Bea per gli Studi Giudaici

The conference "Idolatry: How a God Becomes an Idol" continued with two sessions this morning, in the Aula Magna of the Collegium Maximum. Tomorrow, the conference resumes, with two sessions in the morning and two in the afternoon in the Aula Paulina of the Pontifical Biblical Institute.
The full programme can be found on:https://www.biblico.it/file/conferenze/idolatrydigital_2026.pdf

Pontificia Università Gregoriana
Centro Cardinal Bea per gli Studi Giudaici

The first day of the conference on "Idolatry: How a God Becomes an Idol" has come to an end. Tomorrow morning, the conference continues in the Aula Magna of the Collegium Maximum in the main building of the Pontifical Gregorian University.
The full programme can be found on:https://www.biblico.it/file/conferenze/idolatrydigital_2026.pdf

Pontificia Università Gregoriana
Centro Cardinal Bea per gli Studi Giudaici

The first session of the 3-day conference on "Idolatry: How a God Becomes an Idol" is just underway, starting with introductory remarks by Rev. Prof. Peter Dubovský SJ, President of the Pontifical Biblical Institute, and Prof. Prof. Massimo Gargiulo, Pro-Director of the "Cardinal Bea" Centre for Judaic Studies.

Pontificia Università Gregoriana
Centro Cardinal Bea per gli Studi Giudaici

More details on:
https://www.biblico.it/file/conferenze/idolatrydigital_2026.pdf

Idolatry: How a God Becomes an Idol
3-day conference starting tomorrow.

https://www.biblico.it/file/conferenze/idolatrydigital_2026.pdf

Idolatry is a term with a long and controversial history, having been applied rather vaguely to disparate religious phenomena, frequently as a pretext for intolerance and violence. In a literal sense, the word idolatry refers to the ritual worship (λατρεία) of an idol (εἴδωλον), i.e., an image or material object. Yet, historically speaking, it is in opposition to the notion of “true religion” that the term will surface as a category, coming to equate idols with false deities and idolatrous practices with false worship.
The international conference “Idolatry: How a God Becomes an Idol,” organized by the Pontifical Biblical Institute and the Cardinal Bea Center for Jewish Studies for March 10-12, 2026, aims to explore the emergence of the concepts of “false gods” and “mistaken worship.” How does a god become an idol? What rhetorical strategies allow authors and artists to deconstruct a god’s divine claim and portray it as inconsequential? When does worship become inappropriate or erroneous? What makes it blameworthy?
Guided by these questions, the conference will discuss the rhetoric and politics of “idolatrization” across a vast corpus of textual and visual sources ranging from the Iron Age to Late Antiquity, including Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, Hellenistic and Roman Literature and Iconography, the Hebrew Bible, Early Jewish Writings and Mishnaic and Talmudic Literature, the New Testament and Early Christian Literature. The contributors will be asked to apply the outlined questions to the analysis of a particular text, corpus, image, or group of images while considering the historical context that gave rise to the polemics against idolatry.

Idolatry: How a God Becomes an Idol
3-day conference starting tomorrow.

Idolatry is a term with a long and controversial history, having been applied rather vaguely to disparate religious phenomena, frequently as a pretext for intolerance and violence. In a literal sense, the word idolatry refers to the ritual worship (λατρεία) of an idol (εἴδωλον), i.e., an image or material object. Yet, historically speaking, it is in opposition to the notion of “true religion” that the term will surface as a category, coming to equate idols with false deities and idolatrous practices with false worship.
The international conference “Idolatry: How a God Becomes an Idol,” organized by the Pontifical Biblical Institute and the Cardinal Bea Center for Jewish Studies for March 10-12, 2026, aims to explore the emergence of the concepts of “false gods” and “mistaken worship.” How does a god become an idol? What rhetorical strategies allow authors and artists to deconstruct a god’s divine claim and portray it as inconsequential? When does worship become inappropriate or erroneous? What makes it blameworthy?
Guided by these questions, the conference will discuss the rhetoric and politics of “idolatrization” across a vast corpus of textual and visual sources ranging from the Iron Age to Late Antiquity, including Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, Hellenistic and Roman Literature and Iconography, the Hebrew Bible, Early Jewish Writings and Mishnaic and Talmudic Literature, the New Testament and Early Christian Literature. The contributors will be asked to apply the outlined questions to the analysis of a particular text, corpus, image, or group of images while considering the historical context that gave rise to the polemics against idolatry.

https://www.biblico.it/file/conferenze/idolatrydigital_2026.pdf

idolatry middleorient ancientcivilization ancientcultures

🗿 Idolatry is a term with a long and controversial history, having been applied rather vaguely to disparate religious phenomena, frequently as a pretext for intolerance and violence. In a literal sense, the word idolatry refers to the ritual worship (λατρεία) of an idol (εἴδωλον), i.e., an image or material object. Yet, historically speaking, it is in opposition to the notion of “true religion” that the term will surface as a category, coming to equate idols with false deities and idolatrous practices with false worship.

🗓️ The international conference “Idolatry: How a God Becomes an Idol,” organized by the Pontifical Biblical Institute and the Cardinal Bea Center for Jewish Studies for March 10-12, 2026, aims to explore the emergence of the concepts of “false gods” and “mistaken worship.” How does a god become an idol? What rhetorical strategies allow authors and artists to deconstruct a god’s divine claim and portray it as inconsequential? When does worship become inappropriate or erroneous? What makes it blameworthy?

📜 Guided by these questions, the conference will discuss the rhetoric and politics of “idolatrization” across a vast corpus of textual and visual sources ranging from the Iron Age to Late Antiquity, including Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, Hellenistic and Roman Literature and Iconography, the Hebrew Bible, Early Jewish Writings and Mishnaic and Talmudic Literature, the New Testament and Early Christian Literature. The contributors will be asked to apply the outlined questions to the analysis of a particular text, corpus, image, or group of images while considering the historical context that gave rise to the polemics against idolatry.

🔗https://www.biblico.it/file/conferenze/idolatrydigital_2026.pdf

In data 17 dicembre 2025 il M.R.P. Arturo Sosa S.J., Vice Gran Cancelliere dell’Università, ha nominato il Rev. P. Pino Di Luccio S.J., Direttore del Pontifical Biblical Institute - Jerusalem della Pontificia Università Gregoriana a decorrere dal 1° settembre 2026. Il P. Di Luccio rimarrà in carica come Presidente del Collegium Maximum fino al 31 agosto 2026.

👉 https://www.unigre.it/it/eventi-e-comunicazione/comunicazione/notizie-e-comunicati/nomine-direttore-del-pontifical-biblical-institute-jerusalem/