Buṭrus al-Bustānī
Between Secularism and Christianity
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 3893361 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Muhammad Abu Samra (Arab Culture Program, David Yellin College, West Jerusalem, Israel, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Pages | 1-27 |
| Publication date | 2023-05-04 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Die Welt des Islams (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0043-2539 • E-ISSN: 1570-0607 |
| Publisher | Walter de Gruyter GmbH (PUBLISHER • DE) |
| DOI | 10.1163/15700607-20230015 |
| OpenAlex | W4376142422 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 1 |
The vast majority of studies on Buṭrus al-Bustānī (1819-83), a leading intellectual of the Arab Nahḍa, have focused on his intellectual "transitions" from the Maronite church to Protestantism and then to various secular pursuits, such as fostering a Syrian national identity, the separation of religion and politics, and supporting a political culture based on equal rights and religious ecumenism. The present article contends that the extant literature confers undue precedence to the secular over the religious in Bustānī's intellectual biography. A balanced portrayal requires giving due weight to his engagement with religious matters, such as: a defense of Protestantism as the sole true faith; the divine character, textual integrity, and veracity of the Bible; and the rejection of Darwinism's contradiction of aspects of his faith. The study also elucidates his explicit prejudices against Catholicism and Islam that were concomitant with his defense of freedom of conscience and support for revival of classical Arabic culture. The study shows that Bustānī strove to balance his loyalties to multiple intellectual orientations, creating tension within his own thought
Christianity · Conscience · Faith · Political science · Politics · Protestantism · Secularism · Sociology · Theology · Islamic Finance and Banking Studies · Islamic Studies and History · Law · Medieval and Classical Philosophy · Philosophy · Religious studies
| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2023 - 2025 (3) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |