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Conference 15 October 2026

Hastening the End. Messianisms and International Politics

Date 15 October 2026
Register here

Political messianism and fantasies of redemption are resurging worldwide, from evangelical  providentialism and Iranian eschatological rhetoric to Hamas’s use of Qur’anic themes to justify  violence, and growing calls to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem.

 

This conference explores how messianic beliefs shape political decision-making and conflict, and the tensions they generate between ideological maximalism and the pursuit of peace.

08:45 | Participants registration 

 

09:00 | Opening remarks and introduction 

 

  • Damiano Palano, ASERI Director, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore  
  • H.E. Archbishop Mario Delpini, Archdiocese of Milan 
  • Claudia Sorlini, Vice-President Fondazione Cariplo 
  • Cristiana Mele, Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation 
  • Representative of ENEL S.p.A. (tbc) 
  • Alessandro Banfi, Director of Communication, Oasis International Foundation

 

SESSION I 
Chair: Michele Brignone (Oasis International Foundation) 

 

09:45 | H.B. Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem (online) 


10:00 | When the Nation Becomes Sacred: Religion, Nationalism, and the Politics of Redemption 
Jocelyne Cesari, University of Birmingham and Georgetown University 

 

10:30 | Discussion

 

10:50 | Coffee Break

 

 

SESSION II 
Chair: Paolo Maggiolini (Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore)

 

11:15 | Reading the Gospel in Washington? The Misuse of Christian References in Contemporary U.S. Foreign Policy 
Blandine Chélini, Pont, University Aix-Marseille 


11:45 | The State as Redemption: Religious Zionism and Redemptive Politics in Israel 
Shlomo Fischer, The Jewish People Policy Institute 

12:15 | Discussion
 

12:45 | Lunch

SESSION III 
Chair: Giorgia Perletta (Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore)

 

14:30 | What Remains of the Islamic Revolution? Religion, Politics, and Society in Iran 
Farhad Khosrokhavar, Emeritus Director of Studies, EHESS, Paris 

 

15:00 | A Caliphate for the End Times: The Apocalyptic Thought of the Islamic State 
Aymen Tamimi, Independent scholar 


15:30 | Discussion

16:00 | Coffee Break

 

 

SESSION IV
 Chair: Claudio Fontana (Oasis International Foundation)  

 

16:15 | Jerusalem, Capital of Expectations: Religious Messianisms and Political Conflict 
Martino Diez, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore – Oasis International Foundation 


16:45 | Hamas: Between Pragmatic Politics and Eschatological Imaginaries 
Michele Brignone, Oasis International Foundation 


17:15 | Discussion and final remarks

Free participation (In presence or online) upon registration.

Register here