Southern Portals of Byzantium
Southern Portals of Byzantium: A Concise Political, Historical and Demographic Survey of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchates of Antioch and Jerusalem
by Robert Brenton Betts
The one and a half million Arabic-speaking Greek Orthodox Christians of Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel and the Palestine Authority comprise nearly 40% of the total Christian population (in excess of 3.6 million) of this troubled region which corresponds to the two ancient patriarchates of Antioch and Jerusalem. Heirs to the ancient Byzantine Christian tradition which has its roots in the Church established by Saints Peter and Paul in early first-century Antioch, they are encountered in every sphere of society in these nations and exert an influence in local politics, economics and culture in each far beyond their actual numbers. Prof. Betts' study gives a detailed historical overview of their role in these societies and provides up-to-date statistics relating to their geographical distribution accompanied by two valuable maps. An even larger number of these Arab Christians are found in diaspora, particularly in the Americas, Europe and Australasia.
ISBN-10
095457771X
