The Fourth Lateran Council, convened at Rome in November 1215 by Pope Innocent III, outshone every other medieval religious assembly in significance and ceremonial, with more than one thousand members of the higher clergy, imperial and royal envoys, and representatives of the rulers of Christendom in attendance. At the council’s closing session, delegates approved seventy constitutions and called for the Holy Land to be set free by a new crusade, the Fifth. Among the conciliar decrees, a new profession of religious faith and points of dogma were laid down, aiming to halt the spread of heresy, reform clerical morals, and impose discipline and regulation not only on lay Christians but on Jews and Moslems, as well.

As part of the weeklong, international conference, “Concilium Lateranense IV: Commemorating the Octocentenary of the Fourth Lateran Council of 1215” (Rome, November 23–29, 2015), the American Academy in Rome will host a day of sessions examining interfaith relations before and after 1215. A special focus will be the implementation, diffusion, and impact of Canon 70 on Jews and Moslems who were living in a predominantly Christian society.

To participate in this conference, please register at lateraniv.com.