Syria: The Burden of Memory and the Hope of the Gospel
The Study Guide, Syria: The Burden of Memory and the Hope of the Gospel, focuses on Syria's history and present experience of war and the role of proxy groups who added to the destruction. It concludes with a focus on Gospel hope, both for Syrians and for those of us whose governments have been complicit in the violence.
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Leader’s Guide for Discussion
The Study Guide was written by four members of the Syria-Lebanon Partnership Network of the Presbyterian Church, USA. We felt strongly that the views of our partners in the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon, and Syrians generally, are not being heard in the U.S. We hope it will help our church understand the background and current situation in which the Middle East finds itself.
The Study Guide is in three parts:
Part I: History and background of Syria in the context of the broader Middle East. The major political, economic, and religious forces at work in the region are reviewed, and their impact on the life of the church there.
Part II: This is a summary of the events of the Arab Spring (March 2011) and the aims of U.S. foreign policy and other countries' interests in Syria.
Part III: A theological exploration of Christ's call to be His ambassador in the world.
Note: We believe that the broad pattern of events in Syria over the past century is strongly at odds with God's plan for the people of Syria. We believe that God's plan is for their welfare and not their harm, a future filled with hope (Jeremiah 29:11). We believe that God laments over the suffering of the Syrian people and yearns for it to end. There are many dimensions to God's purpose and plan, which we summarize with the phrase, "Hope of the Gospel." Our discussion in Part III explores some of those dimensions.
Secondly, we believe it is incumbent upon Christians in the U.S. to understand how our government's actions have contributed to the suffering of millions of Syrians and the destruction of much of their country. As followers of the Prince of Peace, we cannot be indifferent to the suffering of others, especially when much of their suffering came about as a result of our actions. We describe this intentional commitment to understand and recognize our complicity in that humanitarian crisis as "Taking on the Burden of Memory."
Throughout this study guide, we ask the reader to listen for God's Word to the Church in the midst of great human suffering.
We suggest you schedule a four-week study plan, and that you split Part I into two segments, using A., B., and C. the first week and following with D., E. and F. the second week. Suggested questions are found in the documents below and they can be downloaded and printed for distribution to the class.
The Endnotes, found in the document on pages 52-54, are also found below, with live links to sources for easy access.
Additional materials may be posted to this page as they become available.
Week One Study Guide
Week Two Study Guide
Week Three Study Guide
Endnotes for the book
PowerPoint Presentations for the Study Guide
Syria, the Burden of Memory and The Hope of the Gospel was developed to aid your presentation of the Study Guide and your group discussion.
Syria Overview can help you explain the publication and the study series to groups that are considering embarking on this study.
Each of these PowerPoint presentations will play directly from this website. To open and play, click on the symbol at the bottom right of the image (looks like 4 arrows) to enlarge and open the file. To move through the pages, press the down arrow on your computer.
Syria Visual
Syria Overview
Resources: Articles
Western sanctions push war-weary Syrians deeper into poverty. AP News; August 2, 2019
Trump reportedly considering stopping all refugee admissions. The Christian Century, August 8, 2019
Refugee cuts affect persecuted Christians. The Christian Century, August 8, 2019
Long reach of U.S. sanctions hits Syria reconstruction. Reuters, September 2, 2018
Cardinal Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir’s life tells the story of Lebanon. The Christian Century, August 12, 2019
Father Frans van der Lugt, by Jordan Denari Duffner. The Christian Century, August 15, 2019
The climate emergency makes Zionism obsolete, but Judaism could help save the planet. Writing from the Edge, September 21, 2019
Winners and losers from Trump throwing Syrian Kurds under the bus. Juan Cole, Informed Consent, October 8, 2019
Resources: Maps
Click on items in the list to access a PDF of the map.
Maps of Syria: Syria in relationship to other countries in the region; Syria’s major cities
Map showing location of the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon (NESSL) Churches
Parties to the Syrian Conflict
Maps and Charts from Joshua Landis
Dr. Joshua Landis was the keynote presenter at the SLPN Annual Gathering held in Atlanta in September 2019. Dr Landis is Director of the Center for Middle East Studies and Professor at the University of Oklahoma’s College of International Studies. He was a Senior Fulbright Scholar in Syria in 2005 and is considered to be among the top scholars in the United States in this field.
These maps and charts from Dr. Landis’ presentation are of interest. These are in PDF form and can be downloaded.
Lebanon was Dominated by Christians, a map showing percentages of Christians and other religious groups in Lebanon, 1932 and 2010.
Religious and Ethnic Map: Syria
ISIS Area of Control at its Largest, 2015