Why Church Leaders Discourage Christians from Leaving Jordan: An Anti-Emigration Perspective

Lucy Schouten

doi:10.1163/1572543x-12341573

Abstract

Abstract Migration and refugee displacement are some of the most pressing issues facing the contemporary Middle East. Regional church leaders have cautioned against Christian emigration from ancient Middle Eastern churches to countries outside the Middle East; even Christian refugees who have already been displaced internally within the region are often discouraged from leaving. This article surveys some of the public statements that discourage Middle Eastern Christians from leaving the region, as presented from various denominational perspectives. Building on fieldwork conducted in Amman, Jordan, in 2018 and 2019, the article then argues that the attempts by Arab Anglican leaders in Jordan to dissuade church members from emigrating are based on a particular self-understanding of Middle Eastern Christianity that emphasizes an active, continuing Christian presence within the Middle East, as well as practices of unity among different Christian communities and longstanding coexistence with Muslim neighbors.

Highlights

The Middle East is an important context for World Christianity studies of migration, as it is a region where Christianity has a long history, even though the churches have become numerically small because of past conversions and via free accessSchouten migration.[1]
Building on fieldwork conducted in Amman, Jordan, in 2018 and 2019, the article argues that the attempts by Arab Anglican leaders in Jordan to dissuade church members from emigrating are based on a particular self-understanding of Middle Eastern Christianity that emphasizes an active, continuing Christian presence within the Middle East, as well as practices of unity among different Christian communities and longstanding coexistence with Muslim neighbors
This article goes deeper than the public statements of the Middle East Council of Churches and other church leaders who discourage Middle Eastern Christian emigration, and instead, with a case study, it examines how Anglican leaders justify an anti-emigration stance on the ground

Summary

Introduction

The Middle East is an important context for World Christianity studies of migration, as it is a region where Christianity has a long history, even though the churches have become numerically small because of past conversions and. The case study draws on fieldwork in Amman, Jordan, in 2018 and 2019 that shows how local Anglican leaders encourage local members and Syrian and Iraqi Christian refugees to remain in Jordan.[6] The article argues that this drive to discourage migration stems from a distinct self-understanding of Middle Eastern Christianity. This understanding is based on three elements, which will be addressed in detail in sections 4, 5, and 6. Schouten on an active Christian presence in the land where the faith was founded; second, a functional unity among the various Christian groups in the Middle East, despite longstanding differences; and third, a sense that ongoing coexistence alongside a Muslim majority is a positive achievement of the Middle Eastern Christian experience

Background on Middle Eastern Christianity

13 Synod of Bishops

Conclusion