In light of developments within the Church and African society, the ITCJ has heeded the calls made in the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation *Verbum Domini* to ecclesiastical institutions of higher education to promote a deeper understanding of the Holy Scriptures.
We have set out to address this need. The initiative to organize periodic Bible Conferences reflects our desire to create a new space for interaction among specialists in the Holy Scriptures, colleagues, faculty, and students at the ITCJ. In this way, we hope to broaden the horizons of our academic community to include researchers and students in biblical studies.
The 8th edition was held on February 23, 2022, with the theme: “The Migration Issue: Left or Right? Lot and Abram in Genesis 13.” Migration is a natural phenomenon in the growth of peoples. In the Bible, it has several meanings. Through a narrative analysis of Genesis 13, the contrast between Abram’s choice and Lot’s was highlighted. Lot is guided by appearances, driven by greed and the desire to possess everything. In contrast, Abram, the model presented by the narrative, is open to the otherness of God and that of others. This lecture was presented by Professor André Kabasélé of the Catholic University of Congo (UCC – Kinshasa).
La 9ème The event took place on October 22, 2022, with the theme: “ Ps 120:7: I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for war ", led by Rev. Dr. Michael MENSAH of the University of Accra / GHANA. Peace has always been a challenge for the African continent. A study on maintaining peace is highly relevant today due to the rise of violent religious extremism, political instability, and growing threats to the safety of women and children in society. One factor that can exacerbate these ills is the misuse of religious or sacred texts and the exploitation of their language to fan the flames of violence. This presentation demonstrated that biblical texts such as Psalm 120 contain lessons on the proper use of religious language to defuse conflicts and preserve peace. Through the application of an African biblical hermeneutic, this study engages the biblical text in dialogue with the Adinkra, a type of indigenous sacred text from Africa. It suggests considering how this complementary engagement of the two textual traditions increases the chances of transforming violent language as well as those of receiving and communicating the language of peace on the continent.
La 10ème The event took place on March 15, 2023, with the theme: “ Moses’ collaboration with others during the Exodus: Choice and/or compulsion ", led by Rev. Dr. Alexandre NGANDU. Moses received a divine mandate to go and free his people, who were living in bondage in Egypt. Among his objections to carrying out his mission was, for example, his emphasis on his personal limitations in communication. As a solution, God gave him Aaron, who was gifted with eloquence, to be his spokesman (cf. Ex 4:10–17). What followed showed that Aaron assisted him effectively. After the people’s liberation, on the way to the land of Canaan, he encountered opposition from Amalek, who had come out to fight against the people (cf. Ex 17:8–16). He chose Joshua to lead the battle against Amalek, since he himself was unable to do so. Meanwhile, he himself, accompanied by Aaron and Hur, was on the mountain. When he held his hand raised, holding the staff, Israel was strong and won the war. He understood that without him, the battle was lost in advance. Because of physical fatigue, to remain victorious over Amalek, he was forced to be supported by the two. In governing the people, he had understood that he was the sole appointed judge. However, personal fatigue and the slowness in hearing the cases that came before him compromised the proper functioning of the administration. During the visit of his father-in-law Jethro, he was criticized for the way he ran the judicial system (cf. Ex 18:13–27). He willingly accepted the proposal to appoint subordinate judges based on pre-established criteria to assist him in his various tasks. This resulted in satisfaction for all. By divine command, after the conclusion of the covenant, he went up the mountain to receive the tablets of the Law and the statutes, and appointed Aaron and Hur to manage day-to-day affairs (cf. Ex 24:12–18). Warned on the mountain by YHWH that the people he had left behind had become corrupt by making a calf out of molten metal, he came down and found that Aaron had not been able to fully assume the responsibility entrusted to him. He had yielded to the pressure of the people. This time, the collaboration did not bear the expected fruit. In short, in the exercise of his office, Moses was compelled to collaborate with others due to his limitations, his physical weaknesses, and his unavailability on the one hand; on the other hand, he freely chose to cooperate with others because of the necessity of the moment.
