Abstract
Based on the centennial experience of state-building in Lebanon, this chapter discusses several strategic options to secure the survival and empowerment of local Christian communities in a turbulent, quickly changing regional environment. The chapter addresses this topic historically by discussing the Maronite community of Lebanon and its relationship with the state of Lebanon. Since the 2000s, accelerated by the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, the challenges of the “Arab Spring”, and the dramatic rise of Sunni Islamism all over the region, a creeping shift of strategic priorities in favor of ethno-communal survival can be observed. Indicators of this process include a reinforcement of millet-like mentalities in local Christian politics, a rapprochement with the regimes of Syria and Iran, balanced by ecclesiastic efforts to improve sub-state relations with pro-Western actors in the region. The chapter discusses the risks of these policies for Lebanon’s cohesion, security, and sovereignty.
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Scheffler, T. (2020). Between Communalism and State-Building: Lebanon’s Christians and the New Arab Disorder. In: Stetter, S., Moussa Nabo, M. (eds) Middle East Christianity. The Modern Muslim World. Palgrave Pivot, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-37011-4_3
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