Slides and discussion questions are included with the purchase
by the Syria Lebanon Partnership Network | Special to Presbyterian News Service
The Syria Lebanon Partnership Network of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has developed a new study guide for churches.
LOUISVILLE — The Syria Lebanon Partnership Network of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has developed a study guide for churches called “The Burden of Memory and the Hope of the Gospel,” a four-week series that includes relevant slides and other resources.
Part One of the 60-page guide details the history of Syria from World War I to the beginnings of the “Arab Spring” in March 2011. Part Two focuses on the Arab Spring and the civil war. Part Three creates a theological framework and suggestions for the church’s response. Part Four includes a framework for adult education, along with suggested questions to spur discussion. Maps and pictures are also included.
In the “Church’s Response” section, the guide asks for prayers, advocacy on the basis of confessed complicity, care for refugees and internally displaced persons and the need to build personal links and stay connected.
“I was amazed by the content of this marvelous and comprehensive study guide,” said Joseph Kassab, General Secretary of the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon. “It is a credible document that tells the truth, besides keeping the welfare of your Presbyterian partners of Syria in your mind and thoughts. I already started to distribute the hard copies we have to people inside and outside of our circles … One day, our coming Presbyterian generations will read it and know all the facts about what happened in this unjust war and how our churches and partners react(ed) to it.”
NESSL is a long-time PC(USA) global partner. In 1956, the Mission Society of Syria and Lebanon encouraged and helped develop national leadership in the two countries, and the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon was established. The National Synod now is responsible for all churches, schools and hospitals that were under the mission.
While the guide focuses primarily on Syria, it also documents the impact of Western colonial involvement in the Middle East generally. The “Burden of Memory” speaks to participants as they learn about how the West has impacted Arab countries, including Iran, Lebanon, Iraq, Libya and Turkey.
The guide also distinguishes between the theological framework of the Christian faith and the U.S. government.
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