Syria

Syrian Christians locate their earliest heritage in the New Testament church of Antioch. Internal denominational divisions date back to the Christological debates of the 4th and 5th centuries and the culture divide between Greek/Byzantine Christians and Syriac Christians. Today the country has 11 major denominations, in which ethnic and religious identity are closely linked. Beginning in the 8th century, Syrian culture was Arabized under Muslim rule. Many Christian leaders today identify as an authentic, integrated “component” rather than a protected “minority” in Syrian society. Since 2011, at least 82 churches have been destroyed, and an estimated 700,000 Christians have emigrated due to sectarian armed conflict. Their share of the population has correspondingly dwindled from 10.5% in 1970 to an estimated 4%. Those who remain hope to participate in rebuilding a tolerant plural society after the war ends.