Bible and Empires: 22nd Conference on Theology at Comillas

The conference was inaugurated by the rector of the university, Antonio Allende SJ, who emphasised that "participating in events organised by the Faculty of Theology takes us back to the origins of the university and the intuition that gave birth to it: to form people for the world based on faith. The Faculty of Theology was the first to begin its journey, and since then we continue to be animated by the same intuition that guides us, facing today's challenges with critical thinking and social commitment, even in times of digitalisation, artificial intelligence and global crises".

For his part, the dean of the Faculty of Theology, Ángel Cordovilla, stressed that "the Bible was born in the shadow of many empires, sometimes against policies of oppression and at other times under the protection of their rulers; most of the time, influenced by both situations. Our aim in this conference is to analyse how these forces shaped the biblical texts and how their strategies of resistance and adaptation can help us today to confront the new empires of our time, always from the perspective of the suffering and hope of the victims".

For two days, teachers, researchers and students shared their views on how the biblical texts were written in contexts of power and oppression, exploring passages such as the Exodus, the Beatitudes and the Apocalypse, always from the memory of the victims and the hope that springs from faith.

Within the framework of the Jubilee of Hope, the conference offered a reflection that invites us to understand power, resistance and faith as tools to face contemporary challenges, reinforcing the mission of training people capable of transforming reality with commitment and social awareness.