Dreams, Prophecy and Violence from Early Christianity to the Rise of Islam

 

Dr Bronwen Neil, ACU Historical Theologian, has been awarded a prestigious Australian Research Council (ARC) Future Fellowship for her project, Dreams, Prophecy and Violence from Early Christianity to the Rise of Islam.

 

The project will uncover the common themes in dream literature from pagan and Jewish antiquity to early Christianity and early Islam, aiming to show how dreams and prophecy have been used to increase religious control, and to justify violence since the period of Late Antiquity.

 

Dr Neil said that the project will benefit Australia by building intercultural understanding between contemporary Jews, Christians and Muslims.

 

“It will stress the common cultural roots of Judaism, Christianity and Islam by uncovering the crucial role of dreams and prophecy in increasing the authority of religious leaders, and the use of dreams to justify inter-religious violence.”

 

Frontispiece,

Book of Revelation

Bible of San Paolo Fuori Le Muri c 950