Arab Christians

Arab Christians
source
Group	Arab Christians
Population	10–15 million
Regions	Levant, Egypt, Iraq, Diaspora
Languages	Arabic, Aramaic, French, English
Religions	Christianity (Eastern Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant)
Related	Arabs, Assyrians, Copts, Maronites

Arab Christians are ethnically Arab adherents of Christianity, forming indigenous religious minorities across the Middle East and North Africa. Their historical presence significantly predates the Arab conquests and the subsequent rise of Islam, with communities tracing their origins to the earliest centers of the faith in Antioch, Alexandria, and Jerusalem. Today, they belong to various Eastern Christian traditions, including Eastern Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant churches, and have made substantial contributions to the Arab world in fields from politics and literature to science and commerce.

History

The history of Christian communities in the Arabian Peninsula and the Levant is ancient, with the Ghassanids and Lakhmids serving as prominent pre-Islamic Arab kingdoms allied with the Byzantine Empire and the Sasanian Empire, respectively. Following the Muslim conquest of the Levant in the 7th century, these communities, alongside others like the Nabateans, generally continued under dhimmi status, contributing to the intellectual and cultural flourishing of the Umayyad Caliphate and the Abbasid Caliphate, with scholars from the House of Wisdom in Baghdad often being Nestorian Christians. The Crusades created complex tensions, while later periods like the Mamluk Sultanate and the Ottoman Empire saw varying degrees of autonomy under the millet system, particularly for churches like the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch and the Maronite Church. The 19th and 20th centuries witnessed significant events such as the 1860 Mount Lebanon civil war, the Nahda cultural renaissance led by figures like Butrus al-Bustani, and the rise of Arab nationalism which many Arab Christians, including Michel Aflaq, co-founded.

Demographics

Contemporary Arab Christian populations are primarily concentrated in the historical region of the Levant, with significant communities in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine, and Israel, as well as in Egypt, Iraq, and the Gulf states. The Lebanese Civil War and subsequent conflicts like the Syrian Civil War and the Iraq War have driven substantial emigration, creating a large diaspora in Brazil, Argentina, the United States, Canada, Australia, and across Europe. Precise numbers are difficult to ascertain due to migration and assimilation, but estimates suggest a total population between 10 to 15 million globally, with Lebanon hosting the highest proportion relative to its national population. Major urban centers with historic Arab Christian quarters include Beirut, Damascus, Jerusalem, Cairo, and Baghdad.

Denominations

Arab Christians are divided among several ancient ecclesiastical traditions, primarily within the umbrella of Eastern Christianity. The largest communion is the Eastern Orthodox Church, represented chiefly by the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch, which uses the Byzantine Rite in Arabic. The Catholic Church presence is diverse, encompassing Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See, such as the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, the Maronite Church (which is exclusively Levantine), the Syriac Catholic Church, the Chaldean Catholic Church, and the Coptic Catholic Church. There are also smaller communities of Protestants, often resulting from 19th-century American and British missionary work, and ancient Oriental Orthodox Churches like the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria and the Syriac Orthodox Church, whose adherents may identify ethnically as Copts or Assyrians alongside or distinct from an Arab identity.

Culture and identity

Arab Christian identity is characterized by a dual heritage, deeply rooted in both Arab culture and the Christian faith, with the Arabic language serving as a central unifying element, notably through the translation of religious texts during the Abbasid Caliphate. They have been pivotal in the modern Arab Renaissance or Nahda, contributing foundational works in Arabic literature, journalism, and political thought. Liturgically, many churches maintain ancient rites in Aramaic or Greek, while using Arabic for scripture and preaching. Cultural traditions are often shared with Muslim neighbors, celebrating holidays like Eid al-Fitr and Christmas, with unique local customs such as Holy Fire ceremonies in Jerusalem and Marian pilgrimages to sites like Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa. In the diaspora, institutions like the Maronite Catholic Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn help preserve communal ties.

Notable Arab Christians

Prominent figures span history and fields, including early theologian Saint John of Damascus, physician and philosopher Hunayn ibn Ishaq, and modern pioneers like physician and writer Widad El Maqdisi. In politics and leadership, notable individuals are former UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, former Lebanese Prime Minister Michel Aoun, Palestinian politician Han Ashrawi, and former Jordanian Prime Minister Omar Razzaz. The arts feature literary giants like Khalil Gibran, poet Adonis, novelist Elias Khoury, and singer Fairuz. In science and business, contributions come from figures like space scientist Charles Elachi of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and entrepreneur Carlos Slim.

Category:Arab Christians Category:Christianity in the Middle East Category:Ethnic groups in the Middle East