It was amazing to learn that the Christian community in Lebanon is as old as Christianity itself!! Understanding the roots of the Maronite Christian faith through Saint Maron and his followers was essential to understanding the bigger picture of Christianity not only in Lebanon, but in the Middle East as a whole. Interestingly, the Maronite faith seems to have created an Arab society that is more tolerant of the West in general. Furthermore, Lebanon’s mix of Christian denominations has produced an extremely diverse and culturally rich country. At the same time, the strong Christian presence has created a theological, social and political stronghold in one of the few countries in the Arab world where Christians are not only free, but also politically active. These facts make it possible for an Arab identity to be detached from Islam. In other words, an Arab does not necessarily have to be Muslim, and Lebanon is there to prove it.
