Conference organized by Oasis International Foundation and ASERI on 15th October 2026
Ultimo aggiornamento: 29/09/2026 15:05:19
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.
Organized by Fondazione Internazionale Oasis and ASERI – Alta Scuola di Economia e Relazioni Internazionali, the conference brings together scholars and experts to explore the resurgence of political messianism and fantasies of redemption worldwide.
Conference organized with the support of Fondazione Cariplo as part of the project “Italy and the Middle East after Gaza: Amid Political Tensions, the Urgency of Dialogue”.
Official sponsor: Enel
Registration is required to attend the conference, both in person and online. Please register using this link.
Provisional program
8:45–9:00 a.m. Participants registration
9:00–9:45 a.m. Opening remarks and introduction – working language: Italian
Damiano Palano, Director of ASERI;
H.E. Msgr Mario Delpini, Archbishop of Milan;
Claudia Sorlini, Vice-President Fondazione Cariplo;
Cristiana Mele, Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation TBC;
Alessandro Banfi, Director of Communication, Oasis International Foundation
SESSION I – Chair: Michele Brignone (Oasis International Foundation)
Working language: English*
9:45–10:00 a.m. H.B. Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem – video message
10:00–10:30 a.m. When the Nation Becomes Sacred: Religion, Nationalism, and the Politics of Redemption, Jocelyne Cesari (University of Birmingham and Georgetown University)
10:30–10:50 a.m. Discussion
10:50–11:15 a.m. Coffee break
SESSION II – Chair: Paolo Maggiolini (Catholic University of the Sacred Heart)
Working language: English*
11:15–11:45 a.m. Reading the Gospel in Washington? The Misuse of Christian References in Contemporary U.S. Foreign Policy, Blandine Chélini-Pont (Università Aix-Marseille)
11:45 a.m.–12:15 p.m. The State as Redemption: Religious Zionism and Redemptive Politics in Israel, Shlomo Fischer (The Jewish People Policy Institute)
12:15–12:45 p.m. Discussion
12:45–2:30 p.m. Lunch
SESSION III – Chair: Giorgia Perletta (Catholic University of the Sacred Heart)
Working language: English*
2:30–3:00 p.m. What Remains of the Islamic Revolution? Religion, Politics, and Society in Iran, Farhad Khosrokhavar (Emeritus Director of Studies, EHESS, Paris)
3:00–3:30 p.m. A Caliphate for the End Times: The Apocalyptic Thought of the Islamic State, Aymen Tamimi (Independent scholar)
3:30–4:00 p.m. Discussion
4:00–4:15 p.m. Coffee break
SESSION IV – Chair: Claudio Fontana (Oasis International Foundation)
Working language: English*
4:15–4:45 p.m. Jerusalem, Capital of Messianic Expectations, Martino Diez (Catholic University of the Sacred Heart – Oasis International Foundation)
4:45–5:15 p.m. Hamas: Between Pragmatic Politics and Eschatological Imaginaries, Michele Brignone (Oasis International Foundation)
5:15–5:45 p.m. Discussion and concluding remarks
*Italian translation will not be provided