The Levant, traditionally a refuge for persecuted religious groups, has proved a safe haven for all three Armenian denominations – the Apostolic, the Catholic and the Evangelical. Their continued viability despite the turmoil of the Lebanese Civil War and the subsequent continuing political instability presents interesting questions for research.
The present lecture is both historical and contemporary in nature. On the one hand, it traces the historical development of the “Armenian religions’” presence in Lebanon. On the other, it identifies the percentages of Lebanese citizens who belong to each of the three denominations, and describes the spatial location of their churches and affiliated institutions. The final section of the lecture is devoted to a discussion of the situation of the Armenian religions vis-à-vis the broader context of Lebanon’s “confessionalist” political system, and presents some conclusions regarding the community’s continued survival over the long-term.
The research for this project is based on a close reading of written sources and on a series of semi-structured interviews conducted in Beirut and its environs over the course of the spring and summer of 2013.
Lecture by Dr. Irina du Quenoy.
Start: 6pm