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The Future of Christian Mission in Lebanon

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The Future of Christian Mission in Lebanon The Future of Christian Mission in Lebanon Norman A. Horner n January 1977 I published an article in the Occasional and business, better educational facilities than existed anywhere I Bulletin of Missionary Research' under the title "The else in the region, and relative economic affluence. It was also the Churches and the Crisis in Lebanon." I had just returned from a one country of the area where Christians and Muslims collabo­ mission of eight years in the Middle East, with primary residence rated more or less harmoniously in the social and political order. in Beirut, and had personally experienced the first eighteen Under the surface, however, there was resentment in other months of the Lebanese civil war. In that article I maintained that Christian communities as well as among the Muslims and Druze this war is basically over social and political issues rather than re­ against the Maronite hegemony. There was also as much resis­ ligious issues as such. I believe that my analysis accurately re­ tance to any change in religious affiliation as existed in the more flected the situation at that time, and I would not now retract any conservative Muslim states of the region. Any increase in the ratio of the statements except for a too-eas y assumption that the coun­ of Christians to Muslims was seen by the Muslims as a further try was even then on the road to recovery. The war has instead threat to the uneasy population balance and to their already sub­ dragged on for seven more years, reaching an intensity that no servient position in the body politic. Hence there were actually one dreamed possible even in the dark days of early 1976, and no less Muslim converts to Christianity in the otherwise liberal real solution has yet been reached. atmosphere of Lebanon than in Iran where the population is 98 I shall here introduce three propositions: (1)The future course percent Muslim . of Christian mission in Lebanon will be conditioned very largely Today the demography of Lebanon has changed. There are by the future of Lebanon itself as an autonomous state-and that probably sixty Muslims and Druze to every forty Christians. An is presently quite unclear. (2) Evangelization, if it is to be authen­ unofficial estimate published on November 5, 1975 in Beirut's tic, must be characterized by genuine outreach to the non-Chris­ prestigious French-language newspaper al-Nahar,» edited by tian population. It can no longer consist of intra-Christian Greek Orthodox Lebanonese Christians, gave a combined Muslim proselytism, of merely winning people who are already at least and Druze total of about 2 million and a Christian total of approx­ nominally Christian from one ecclesiastical allegiance to another, imately 1,200,000. Those numbers would obviously be somewhat a procedure that has too often stained the record of the past. (3) different nearly a decade later, in 1984, but the ratio of Christians The healing of a sorely broken Lebanese society will require an un­ to Muslims has surely not increased on the Christian side, and it precedented measure of collaboration among all the churches rep­ is probable that proportionately more Christians have emigrated resented in the country. If the currently warring factions , during those years of almost continuous warfare. Christian and Muslim alike, are to regain enough mutual trust If Lebanon's confessional system of government is to survive even to coexist peacefully in a common political order, such rec­ in an autonomous state, it is clear that the representation of the onciliation must begin within the household of Christian faith . several religious communities must reflect the actual demographic situation and not that of forty years ago. This would not only I. The Future of Lebanon as an Autonomous mean the end of Maronite hegemony, but it would also require a State more equitable representation of the Shi'ite Muslims who now considerably outnumber the Sunnis. The current Shi'ite unrest is Lebanon is the only country in the Arab East where Christians still in fact caused no less by the intransigence of the Sunni establish­ constitute a large percentage of the total population. No official ment than by that of the Maronite Christians. census of religious affiliation has been taken since 1932, but that There is no evidence to suggest that the confessional system census gave Christians a slight majority over the combined total of of government is doomed. For the first thirty-two years, from in­ Muslims and Druze. The country's full autonomy in 1943 was dependence in 1943 to the outbreak of civil war in 1975, Lebanese achieved largely at the initiative of the Maronites, an Eastern-rite Muslims as well as Christians benefited from that collaboration. Catholic community and the largest of several major Christian They enjoyed more freedom and prosperity than in the tradition­ churches in Lebanon. A unique "confessional system" of govern­ ally Muslim states of the region, and they would be reluctant to ment was established, the distribution of representation based on see it disappear. There is even now no Widespread popular objec­ the 1932 census. By gentlemen's agreement rather than constitu­ tion to retaining a Maronite as president of the republic,' so long tional mandate, the president of the republic would always be a as other Christians as well as Muslims and Druze are equitably Maronite Christian and the prime minister a Sunni Muslim . represented in the decision-making process. This leads the pres­ Although the Shi'ite and Druze communities were represented ent writer to speculate that Amin Gemayel, a Maronite Christian in parliament according to their presumed numerical size, and in and the current president of Lebanon, will survive politically. Un­ the less sensitive ministries, the major political, economic, and like his brother, Bashir, who was assassinated only weeks after as­ military power remained in Christian hands. suming the presidential office, Amin has not been as identified The result was outwardly spectacular. Lebanon came to be with the right wing of the predominantly Maronite Phalangists called " the Switzerland of the Middle East," with a free economy, and has shown himself to be more politically astute in dealing freedom of the press, a favorable climate for international banking with both Lebanese Muslims and the Syrian government. Ifa po­ litical structure based on Christian-Muslim collaboration fails, it will be because external forces oppose it and not because it is ob­ Norman A. Horner, associateeditorofthis journal during 1976-82, is nowretired in Louisville, Kentucky. From 1968 to 1976 heservedasa Presbyterian missionary jectionable to the Lebanese population as a whole. in theMiddleEast, with residence in Beirut. In 1983he returnedtotheMiddle East Two outside powers in particular currently threatened the Le­ forsix months of research on a Walsh-Price Fellowshipfrom Maryknoll. banon political experiment: Syria and Israel. Lebanon was a part 146 International Bulletin of Missionary Resear ch of Syria until 1943, and the Syrians have never been fully recon­ International Bulletin ciled to Lebanese independence. One factor among others is Syr­ of Missionary Research ia's eagerness to retain unlimited access to the port of Beirut. A glance at the map will help one to understand this. Beirut, a first­ class seaport, is less than 100 miles from Damascus via a good Established in 1950 as Occasional Bulletin from the Missionary highway. Latakia, on the other hand-a decidedly second-class Research Library. Named Occasional Bulletin of Missionary port and Syria's only shipping alternative-is a much longer and Research 1977. Renamed International Bulletin of Missionary more circuitous journey from the capital city. Research 1981. The Israeli opposition to a free and united Lebanon is of an entirely different order. A successful Christian-Muslim political Published quarterly in January, April, July and October by the alliance would be perceived by the Israelis as a threat to the se­ Overseas Ministries Study Center curity of their own Jewish state. Hence the willingness of Maron­ e~t~emists par~ition 6315 Ocean Avenue, Ventnor, New Jersey 08406, U.S.A. ite to Lebanon in order to create an exclusively Chnstian preserve IS unquestionably encouraged and supported Telephone: (609) 823-6671 b~ Israel. The relatively. conciliatory stance of President Gemayel with regard to more representation of Muslims and Druze in gov­ Editor: Associate Editor: ernment affairs, and his negotiations with the Syrian authorities to Gerald H. Anderson James M. Phillips that end, are thus regarded unfavorably by the Israelis. Moreover, Contributing Editors: Israeli territorial designs on Lebanon south of the Litani River, known in Israel as "northern Galilee," have long been of concern Catalino G. Arevalo, S.J. Lesslie Newbigin to the Lebanese. David B. Barrett C. Rene Padilla R. Pierce Beaver Thomas F. Stransky, C.S.P. Western Christian missionaries, both Protestant and Roman Catholic, enjoyed a freedom of entry and movement in independ­ Norman A. Horner Charles R. Taber ent prewar Lebanon unmatched elsewhere in the Middle East. Mary Motte, F.M.M. Desmond Tutu Anastasios Yannoulatos Mission-founded schools, hospitals, and other institutions had a notable impact not only on the Lebanese population but on the re­ Books for review and correspondence regarding editorial matters gion at large. I shall argue that certain safeguards are needed to should be addressed to the editors. Manuscripts unaccompanied prevent the abuse of such freedom, but its very existence in the by a self-addressed, stamped envelope (or international postal future will depend upon a restoration of full autonomy to an un­ divided nation. The hope that neighboring Muslim states will ul­ coupons) will not be returned. timately permit such restoration lies in a Widespread recognition Subscriptions: $14.00 for one year, $26 for two years, and $37 for that the Middle East needs a Lebanon much in the way East Asia three years, postpaid worldwide.
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