Pro Oriente Studies in the Syriac Tradition

This volume has arisen from the 'Middle East Synod' in Rome in 2010. The articles within focus on the relations of Christians and Churches with their socio-political, religious and ecclesial environments. Ecumenical relations and communion are at stake as well as relationships, witness and dialogue with Jews, Muslims, state entities, and new relations forged in the West through emigration and diaspora.

This volume acknowledges the contributions of Syriac Christians in the fields of culture, education and civil society throughout the history in the Middle East and India, and examines the challenges of living and professing the Christian faith as a minority in a multi-religious and pluralistic society, giving special attention to religious freedom and personal status.

The present volume includes the papers of the first PRO ORIENTE Colloquium Syriacum, which took place in Salzburg, Austria and concentrated on the Syriac Churches’ experiences with Islam. The papers in this volume survey the whole history of these two communities from the times of the Four Caliphs through the Umayyad, Abbasid, and Ottoman periods. Topics include the personal status of Christians under Islam, the ecclesiastical response to the rise of Islam, the Indian experience and the present situation.