December 19, 2019

Confronted by Hope… A Revolutionary Lesson in Resisting Cynicism and Despair

By Martin Accad I arrive to a road block on my way to work in the Greater Beirut area. Young men are manning it, feeding the black smoke emerging from burning tires. Other iron and wood materials are strewn around randomly across the road. Cars and scooters dot the site […]
December 13, 2018

Death in the Shadows of Displacement: forced migration, deathliness, and the hope for life

By Brent Hamoud How do we share a world with over 68 million victims of displacement?  This is a defining question of the 21st century as unprecedented numbers of individuals have been uprooted from their homes and thrust into precarious existences on the fringes of our global systems.  The phenomenon […]
March 22, 2018

Waiting: The Challenge of the Silence of God الانتظار: تحدي صمت الله

By Rupen Das I often find Holy Week a turmoil of emotions. It starts with the euphoria of Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. As the week progresses, there is a growing sense of dread. There is a sadness and confusion that permeates the Last Supper, followed by […]
March 15, 2018

Reflections from a Social Psychologist تأملات من وجهة نظر علم النفس الاجتماعي

(Photo: Murr Tower, used by militia fighters from various factions during the Lebanese Civil War) by Thia M. Sagherian-Dickey “Why are you asking us Christians about Shias? We don’t have a problem with them. The tensions are between Sunnis and Shias. You should be asking them such questions.” I was […]
February 8, 2018

When the Lights go Down in the City: A Reflection on the Season’s Passing عندما تخفت الأضواء في المدينة فهذا انعكاس لانصرام موسم في حياتها

By Chaden Hani It was an abiding sense of desperation, frustration and repression which led Lebanese journalist and professor of history Samir Kassir to speak in 2004 of the “Arab malaise.” For as long as I can remember we have barely had a moment of our history lacking in conflict […]
June 30, 2017

How Can the Church Be Prophetic in Today’s Disorienting Times? Highlights from Middle East Consultation 2017

From June 19 to 23, 200 participants from over 20 nationalities participated in our annual Middle East Consultation (MEC) titled The Church in Disorienting Times: Leading Prophetically through Adversity. Each of the first 4 days of MEC focused on one theme. This year, morning sessions began with a theological keynote, […]
January 5, 2017

Middle East Consultation 2017 – Apply Today!

Click Here to Apply The Institute of Middle East Studies is pleased to announce that we are now accepting applications to attend Middle East Consultation 2017 – The Church in Disorienting Times: Leading Prophetically through Adversity. Please click on the above link to apply. Disorienting Times We live in disorienting […]
November 17, 2016

Middle East Consultation 2017 – The Church in Disorienting Times: Leading Prophetically through Adversity

19 – 23 June 2017 We live in disorienting times. This is a reality for the church in many parts of the world today, not least the church of the Middle East. Many factors, historical and social, have reduced the church to the status of minority, in which persecution and […]