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 28, 2016

Listening, Visiting, and Engaging Arab Christians (Part 2): Considering Arab Christian Perspectives on Palestine

by Wissam al-Saliby* In my May blog post on the generalized regression of human rights in the Middle East and North Africa, I concluded by promising a follow up blog post on what role the global Church can play to counter this regression. Last week, I began a reflection on […]
February 4, 2016

Islam Means Peace? A brief etymological reflection

By Martin Accad ‘Islam Means Peace!’ So affirmed the flyer of a conference organized in the US that remains etched in my memory. And so affirm many books and websites you will find by simply googling the phrase. You will also find an equally large number of websites and books […]
October 30, 2014

A Kingdom Reality-Check in the Middle East Crisis

Jesus was all about his kingdom. The first declaration of his public ministry was “Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand.” He communicated the nature of it in parable and story. His miracles demonstrated its authority over every sphere of life and he called his disciples to abandon […]
September 11, 2013

Remembering Rightly: A 911 Reflection from the American at IMES

As the American at IMES, I feel compelled to share with you the following prayer: Remembering once again the lives lost in the sick tragedy of 12 years ago today, my prayers are with all of the friends and families still suffering from the loss of their loved ones. Yet, […]
September 6, 2013

IMES Joins Worldwide Call to Prayer and Fasting for Syria

According to the Catholic News Agency, on September 1, Pope Francis called on people of all faiths and of no faith, “all people of good will,” to spend September 7 in prayer and fasting for the situation in Syria. The World Evangelical Alliance has already responded to this call. We are […]