Portland Public Library

The last Christians, stories of persecution, flight, and resilience in the Middle East, Andreas Knapp ; translated by Sharon Howe

eng

Includes bibliographical references

illustrations

no index present

non fiction

The last Christians

bibliography

970684625

Andreas Knapp ; translated by Sharon Howe

stories of persecution, flight, and resilience in the Middle East

Inside Syria and Iraq, and even along the refugee trail, they're a religious minority persecuted for their Christian faith. Outside the Middle East, they're suspect because of their nationality. A small remnant of Christians is on the run from the Islamic State. If they are wiped out, or scattered to the corners of the earth, the language that Jesus spoke may be lost forever along with the witness of a church that has modeled Jesus' way of nonviolence and enemy-love for two millennia. The kidnapping, enslavement, torture, and murder of Christians by the Islamic State, or ISIS, have been detailed by journalists, as have the jihadists' deliberate efforts to destroy the cultural heritage of a region that is the cradle of Christianity. But some stories run deep, and without a better understanding of the religious and historical roots of the present conflict, history will keep repeating itself century after century. Andreas Knapp, a priest who works with refugees in Germany, travelled to camps for displaced people in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq to collect stories of survivors and to seek answers to troubling questions about the link between religion and violence. He found Christians who today still speak Syriac, a dialect of Aramaic, the language of Jesus. The uprooted remnant of ancient churches, they doggedly continue to practice their faith despite the odds. Their devastating eyewitness reports make it clear why millions are fleeing the Middle East. Yet, remarkably, though these last Christians hold little hope of ever returning to their homes, they also harbor no thirst for revenge. Could it be that they, along with the Christians of the West, whose interest will determine their fate? hold the key to breaking the cycle of violence in the region?

Introduction : giving a voice to the voiceless -- Looking death in the eye -- Please help us! -- A graveside reunion -- Last respects -- A waiting game -- When they persecute you -- A life's work in ruins -- A bishop in exile -- Nothing new under the crescent moon -- Within sight of the Islamic State -- The decline of the Christian Orient -- A rocket in the roof -- Garo's odyssey -- Remembrance is the secret of redemption -- The death of a language -- See these little hands -- Blessed are the meek -- Easter comes early -- Giving of our best -- Epilogue : the gift of home