Offering an authoritative study of the plural religious landscape in modern Syria and of the diverse Christian and Muslim communities that have cohabited the country for centuries, this volume ...considers a wide range of cultural, religious and political issues that have impacted the interreligious dynamic, placing them in their local and wider context.
Combining fieldwork undertaken in government-held areas during the Syrian conflict with critical historical and Christian theological reflection, this research makes a significant contribution to understanding Syria's diverse religious landscape and the multi-layered expressions of Christian-Muslim relations. It discusses the concept of sectarianism and how communal dynamics are crucial to understanding Syrian society. The complex wider issues that underlie the relationship are examined - including the roles of culture and religious leadership - and it questions whether the analytical concept of sectarianism is adequate to describe the complex communal frameworks in the Middle Eastern context. Finally, the study examines the contributions of contemporary Eastern Christian leaders to interreligious discourse, concluding that the theology and spirituality of Eastern Christianity, inhabiting the same cultural environment as Islam, is uniquely placed to play a major role in interreligious dialogue and in peace-making.
The book offers an original contribution to knowledge and understanding of the changing Christian-Muslim dynamic in Syria and across the region, and therefore should be a key resource for students, scholars and readers interested in religion, current affairs and the Middle East.
The emergence of large language models (LLMs) and assisted artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have revolutionized the way in which we interact with technology. A recent symposium at the Walter ...and Eliza Hall Institute explored the current practical applications of LLMs in medical research and canvassed the emerging ethical, legal and social implications for the use of AI-assisted technologies in the sciences. This paper provides an overview of the symposium's key themes and discussions delivered by diverse speakers, including early career researchers, group leaders, educators and policy-makers highlighting the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead for scientific researchers and educators as we continue to explore the potential of this cutting-edge and emerging technology.
Christianity in Syria Ashdown, Andrew W.H.
Christian-Muslim Relations in Syria,
2021, 2020, Letnik:
1
Book Chapter
This chapter presents a brief survey of the history and diverse ecumenical expressions of the Christian presence in Syria. It introduces the important role that Christianity has played through its ...encounter with Islam, in establishing and rooting within Syria a culture of religious and social plurality which continues to offer hope for the future, despite the trauma unleashed by the recent conflict. The chapter explores the historical background is essential to understanding the contemporary religious context and its relevance to the wider contemporary Christian-Muslim dynamic. It outlines a brief history of Christianity's encounter with Islam in the region and the significance of relevant developments in the 20th century. The religious and cultural identity of Syria is profoundly influenced by the history of Christianity. The Protestant Churches are numerically small in Syria and in the region, but due to their commitment to the building of educational, health and social welfare institutions, their influence is significant.
This chapter examines some uniquely Eastern Christian approaches to the Christian-Muslim interface in the region, in the light of past and presents cultural and religious contexts and of the trauma ...inflicted by the Syrian and other regional conflicts. It considers, through the lens of a number of key Christian theologians in the Antiochene paradigm, how the Christian community has responded to those forces, bringing distinctly Syrian ideas and thought into the discourse. The chapter explores the place of the Protestant Churches within the ecumenical and interreligious dynamic and their potential as a "bridge" between East and West and concludes that in an ecumenical rediscovery of the theology and spirituality of Eastern Christianity lie profound resources for improved engagement with Islam and for bridge-building and peace-making within the cultural and religious complexities of the Arab world. The existence of a specifically eastern discourse with Islam has long been under-recognised and under-studied in the west.
Muslims have always been the less enthusiastic interlocutors when it comes to Christian-Muslim dialogue in the Middle East. Muslims have often regarded dialogue as being a western Christian ...initiative in which Christians have set the agenda. The "Common Word" document was clearly an invitation to Christian leaders to engage in dialogue and find a common ethic. Christian-Muslim relations have found positive expression for centuries in Syria, but before continuing, it is necessary to re-emphasise the sensitivity of raising the subject in Syria. Some Syrians suggest that even to discuss Christian-Muslim relations is to impose a "sectarian" dimension into a religious landscape that is not sectarian by nature. Women registered as Muslim were not allowed to marry non-Muslims - a restriction with which many citizens have expressed dissatisfaction. Christians and Muslims who remain, though deeply hurt and affected, have remained true to this strategic vision despite a profound fracturing of trust.
This chapter considers some of the unique cultural contexts that influence Christian-Muslim relations. It focuses on the status of the Christian presence within the Arab world, and how "being ...Christian" as "modelled" in a Muslim-majority society is crucial to understanding the interreligious dynamics of the region. The chapter examines the nature of the important religious and political roles that religious leadership has played in preserving the stability of this complex cultural and religious landscape of sometimes competing identities. It also considers the extent to which "sectarianism" plays a role in Syrian society. Fiona McCallum identifies several factors that explain the continued relevance of the churches in the region. The churches "provide and maintain the identity of the specific group, and are often the only organisations which include all members of the community". Christian leaders in the region have indeed been criticised for supporting authoritarian leaderships.
Islam in Syria Ashdown, Andrew W.H.
Christian-Muslim Relations in Syria,
2021, 2020, Letnik:
1
Book Chapter
This chapter describes key elements within the Muslim landscape in Syria, the history, nature and evolution of which has profoundly affected the Christian-Muslim dynamic. It explores the importance ...of the rise of Salafism and political Islam in the 20th century, and identifies different expressions of Islam within the country. The chapter focuses on recent developments in Sunni thought amongst opposition figures, contrasted with a publication by the Awqaf aimed to challenge takfiri and extremist ideology in Syria, helps inform the context in which post-conflict inter-religious dynamics might develop. Louis Massignon was instrumental in introducing Salafiyya theology to a western audience, as an intellectual movement that was committed to modern reform in the Islamic world. Religious landscapes are also impacted by political developments. Alawites represent the largest and most important minority Shi'ite group in Syria. Significant Alawite communities exist across Northern Lebanon, the Syrian coastal mountains and plain, Turkey and into Syria.
