October 6, 2016

Flush Out your Toxic Thinking about Islam before Election Day!

By Martin Accad As our American friends approach election day this coming November 8, the rest of us around the world are holding our breaths as we consider the implications of that event on the country’s foreign policies. At a time when the question of Islam and Muslims in America […]
September 29, 2016

Is It for the Poor to Seek Justice and Liberation?

By Rupen Das I have been intrigued that nowhere in Scripture does God encourage or exhort the poor to seek justice. [1] Throughout the Bible, the responsibility for social justice and care for the poor and those on the margins of life is on society as a whole, on every individual. […]
September 22, 2016

Can Someone Please Take Out the Trash? A Family Systems Approach to Lebanese Dysfunction

By Robert Hamd Pity the nation that is full of beliefs and empty of religion… Pity the nation that acclaims the bully as hero, and that deems the glittering conqueror bountiful… Pity the nation that welcomes its new ruler with trumpeting, and farewells him with hooting, only to welcome another […]
September 16, 2016

Subjects of Objectification or Kindred Spirits? Images and Stories of Refugees

by Kathryn Kraft* Did you know that many Syrians who flee their country choose not to register with the UN as refugees? There are many reasons for this, but one important reason is that they don’t like the images that the word ‘refugee’ conjures. If they were to officially become […]
September 8, 2016

When Will It All End?

by Elias Ghazal After a year of fruitless negotiations, empty promises, and shady contracts, the garbage crisis is back in Lebanon! Piles of toxic waste have lined streets of towns and villages, emitting harmful gases, contaminating underground water streams, and causing an environmental disaster at a national level. The solution […]
September 1, 2016

Reflections on the Burkini: Symbol of Oppression, Liberation, but mostly Power

by Martin Accad You may be thinking: ‘Not another blog about the Burkini!’ Many of us have grown tired of these divisive issues. The building of minarets in Switzerland, of another mosque in America, or the debate over whether Muslim courts with limited jurisdiction over family affairs should be allowed […]
August 31, 2016

Welcome to The IMES Blog!

Welcome to the Institute of Middle East Studies (IMES) Blog of the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary (ABTS) in Beirut, Lebanon. The IMES Blog aims to provide theological reflections by ABTS voices about pressing matters of faith and witness in the Middle East and beyond. Please enjoy our archive of thoughtful […]
July 14, 2016

Christ, Transforming His Global Church by Meeting Us in Our Syrian Sisters and Brothers: Highlights from Middle East Consultation 2016

Middle East Consultation 2016, held 20 – 24 June at the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary in Beirut, Lebanon, focused on The Refugee and the Body of Christ: Exploring the Impact of the Present Crisis on our Understanding of Church. Recent consultations have explored the challenges and opportunities for discipleship in […]