In the wider Middle East, Christians make up 4 percent of the population, according to the Pew Foundation Report on Global Christianity 2011. Tradi- tionally estimated between 6 (as officially stated by the monarchy) and 4 percent of the population, the Pew Report states that Christians in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan now make up 2.2 percent of the total population (30,000 Catholics; 20,000 Protestants; 90,000 Greek-Orthodox; less than 1,000 belong- ing to other Christian churches) (http://pewresearch.org/pubs/2151/). However, despite the demographics, the Christian presence in Jordan is quite important and carries a certain social and economic weight, also benefitting by political guarantees such as a precise number of reserved seats in the Assembly of Repre- sentatives. Moreover, since the 19th century, Christian missionaries and ecclesias- tical institutions have developed an organized network of religious, social and education institutions (H. Kildani, 1993: 221-222). Education has been particu- larly strategic in consolidating and defining community borders and an effective pass key to accessing and playing an important role within the whole of Jordanian society. In fact, it has allowed Christian institutions to make large contributions to the development of the country, creating a positive climate of coexistence among Jordanian citizens (M. Haddad, 2001: 40). At the same time, the Christian pres- ence within Jordan suffers both from some specific and overall problems that both Muslims and Christians experience within the region. On the one hand, emigration swells the Jordanian brain-drain, with numerous Christians seeking career opportunities abroad. This weakens their presence. On the other, there are still-unresolved issues related to religious holidays, inheritance, mixed mar- riage and the non-inclusion, in public school curricula, of Christians’ historical role and presence in the country. These still raise some questions regarding the real extent of the concept of equality and, therefore, of full citizenship for Christians within Jordan (G. Khoury, 1996: 9; M. Haddad, 2001: 3).
Maggiolini, P. M. L. C., Christian Churches in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Citizenship, ecclesiastical identity and the political role of Christian communities within the Jordanian political field, <<ARCHIVES DE SCIENCES SOCIALES DES RELIGIONS>>, 2015; (n 171, issue 3): 37-58 [http://hdl.handle.net/10807/93546]
Autori: | |
Titolo: | Christian Churches in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Citizenship, ecclesiastical identity and the political role of Christian communities within the Jordanian political field |
Data di pubblicazione: | 2015 |
Abstract: | In the wider Middle East, Christians make up 4 percent of the population, according to the Pew Foundation Report on Global Christianity 2011. Tradi- tionally estimated between 6 (as officially stated by the monarchy) and 4 percent of the population, the Pew Report states that Christians in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan now make up 2.2 percent of the total population (30,000 Catholics; 20,000 Protestants; 90,000 Greek-Orthodox; less than 1,000 belong- ing to other Christian churches) (http://pewresearch.org/pubs/2151/). However, despite the demographics, the Christian presence in Jordan is quite important and carries a certain social and economic weight, also benefitting by political guarantees such as a precise number of reserved seats in the Assembly of Repre- sentatives. Moreover, since the 19th century, Christian missionaries and ecclesias- tical institutions have developed an organized network of religious, social and education institutions (H. Kildani, 1993: 221-222). Education has been particu- larly strategic in consolidating and defining community borders and an effective pass key to accessing and playing an important role within the whole of Jordanian society. In fact, it has allowed Christian institutions to make large contributions to the development of the country, creating a positive climate of coexistence among Jordanian citizens (M. Haddad, 2001: 40). At the same time, the Christian pres- ence within Jordan suffers both from some specific and overall problems that both Muslims and Christians experience within the region. On the one hand, emigration swells the Jordanian brain-drain, with numerous Christians seeking career opportunities abroad. This weakens their presence. On the other, there are still-unresolved issues related to religious holidays, inheritance, mixed mar- riage and the non-inclusion, in public school curricula, of Christians’ historical role and presence in the country. These still raise some questions regarding the real extent of the concept of equality and, therefore, of full citizenship for Christians within Jordan (G. Khoury, 1996: 9; M. Haddad, 2001: 3). |
Lingua: | Inglese |
Rivista: | |
Citazione: | Maggiolini, P. M. L. C., Christian Churches in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Citizenship, ecclesiastical identity and the political role of Christian communities within the Jordanian political field, <<ARCHIVES DE SCIENCES SOCIALES DES RELIGIONS>>, 2015; (n 171, issue 3): 37-58 [http://hdl.handle.net/10807/93546] |
Appare nelle tipologie: | Articolo in rivista, Nota a sentenza |