[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” max_height=”200px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”|||7px||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” content_en_us=”<\/p>\n
For the next few months, I will be living and studying at the Near East School of Theology (NEST). NEST is the oldest theological training institute in the Near East. Officially founded in 1932\u2014though its precursors date back about a hundred years\u2014 its foundation precedes by more than thirty years the American University of Lebanon and played a key role in the university\u2019s establishment.<\/p>\n
The scientific optimism of the 19th century also affected missionaries, who hoped to convert both Catholics and Orthodox as well as Muslims. Their hopes were quickly dashed It was necessary to settle in the long term with the prospect of remaining a tiny minority, this also on an ecumenical and theological level. It is estimated that today Protestants represent about 0.5% of the country\u2019s population. Evangelical, Baptist, Pentecostal and other churches have more members than the three %22historical%22 churches: the National Evangelical Church, the Presbyterian Church (NESSL) and the Armenian Evangelical Church. These statistical realities are also the result of this country\u2019s tragic history, as it has been plagued by regional conflicts for over a century. So the question makes sense: How does one engage in Protestant theology in such a context?<\/p>\n
The problem is evident in NEST\u2019s current situation. Today, it is an institution that seeks to enhance its flexibility, responsiveness, and its ambition for to quality. But it also seeks to break free from Western theology, which\u2014depending on whom you ask\u2014is described as either too foreign to the local context or colonialist in its claim to the highest standards of scientific rigor. However, even though more than 80% of the pastors and leaders throughout the region have been and are being trained here, the churches\u2019 resources are insufficient to finance such a faculty. It is necessary to innovate, offer training programs of varying scope and intensity, and move beyond traditional academic frameworks for engagement and communication. It is also necessary also address current issues or topics that are more accessible to a broader audience, (re)create synergies and partnerships, secure funding through services or infrastructure rentals, and so on. All of this also has a theological foundation. Here are a few aspects of it:<\/p>\n
Of course, it is necessary to equip pastors in ways that are relevant to our times and train church leaders who represent the NEST (in addition to the three churches already mentioned), we must include the Lutheran Church of Palestine and the Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem, which covers not only Israel and Palestine but also Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. Together with twelve other evangelical communities, they form the Supreme Council of Protestant Churches in Lebanon and Syria. The quality of education provided by Protestants has been\u2014and continues to be\u2014a hallmark recognized and appreciated by the entire population. But is the traditional model of the parish pastor sustainable, given the small size of these communities? Women are admitted to the ministry, but many are reluctant to embark on such an adventure without any other guarantees. Some men would also like to be able to combine secular work with church ministry. Each church defines its own ecclesiology and theology of ministry. But the exchange among the various members of these churches within the NEST stimulates reflection on the future.<\/p>\n
Theology also helps set the church apart from other churches. Faced with a majority Orthodox tradition\u2014as well as the Maronite Catholic tradition, which is primarily ritual-oriented\u2014Protestant theology, with its focus on the biblical text and its critical and scientific approach, has earned a certain degree of recognition from other churches. Similarly, its responsiveness and institutional flexibility enable NEST to play a pioneering role in new initiatives. But this focus solely on the biblical text also challenges Protestant theology to take a stand on \u201creplacement\u201d theologies and Christian Zionism, which are very prevalent among Western Protestants. The same applies to the anti-Arab racism hidden within the rejection of Islam. The decolonization of Protestant theology is now a matter of course for the NEST.<\/p>\n
The traditional values of Protestantism lead NEST to pursue a meaningful relationship with Islam and to help Protestants (but not only them!) engage with Muslims in a theological way. Rejecting the typically Western, lamenting, and vaguely paternalistic label applied to Protestant churches in the region\u2014\u201ca minority among minorities\u201d\u2014Protestant theology fights against this depressive and disparaging self-definition, which has the real consequence that Protestants do not feel part of this region. By challenging this line of thinking, Protestant theology and the Protestant churches position themselves as part of the majority of Lebanese citizens and believers\u2014those who desire and work toward a just, tolerant, and peaceful society. Without idealizing or demonizing other communities, and by remaining critical without becoming controversial, the Protestant theology of the NEST aims to be constructive; it promotes and actively pursues an inclusive social and cultural commitment for the entire community.<\/p>\n
These assumptions are put into practice in very concrete ways in the NEST program, as it operates as a residential campus, offering all services on site\u2014including spiritual life, social activities and engagements, and recreational opportunities\u2014in order to foster a sense of community from the very beginning.<\/p>\n
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Serge Fornerod, 12.09.2026<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n ” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n Pour les prochains mois, je vis et j\u2019\u00e9tudie \u00e0 la Near East School of Theology (NEST). La (NEST) est le plus ancien institut de formation th\u00e9ologique du Proche Orient. Fond\u00e9 officiellement en 1932, mais avec des pr\u00e9curseurs remontant environ cent ans plus t\u00f4t, sa fondation pr\u00e9c\u00e8de de plus de trente ans celle de l\u2019Universit\u00e9 Am\u00e9ricaine Libanaise, qu\u2019il a contribu\u00e9 \u00e0 cr\u00e9er. <\/span><\/p>\n L\u2019optimisme scientifique du 19e<\/sup> si\u00e8cle a touch\u00e9 aussi les missionnaires, qui esp\u00e9raient convertir aussi bien catholiques et orthodoxes que musulmans. Il fut rapidement douch\u00e9. Il a fallu s\u2019installer dans la dur\u00e9e avec la perspective de rester une minuscule minorit\u00e9, ceci aussi sur le plan \u0153cum\u00e9nique et th\u00e9ologique. On estime qu\u2019aujourd\u2019hui les protestants repr\u00e9sentent env. 0,5% de la population du pays. Les Eglises \u00e9vang\u00e9liques, baptistes, pentec\u00f4tistes etc. regroupent plus de membres que les trois Eglises \u00ab\u00a0historiques\u00a0\u00bb, l\u2019Eglise nationale \u00e9vang\u00e9lique, l\u2019Eglise presbyt\u00e9rienne (NESSL) et l\u2019Eglise \u00e9vang\u00e9lique arm\u00e9nienne. Ces r\u00e9alit\u00e9s statistiques sont aussi le fruit du destin dramatique de ce pays, victime des conflits r\u00e9gionaux depuis plus de cent ans. Donc la question fait sens: comment fait-on de la th\u00e9ologie protestante dans un tel contexte\u00a0? <\/span><\/p>\n Le probl\u00e8me se manifeste dans la situation actuelle de la NEST. Elle est aujourd\u2019hui une institution qui veut d\u00e9velopper sa flexibilit\u00e9, sa capacit\u00e9 de r\u00e9action, son ambition de qualit\u00e9. Mais aussi ne plus d\u00e9pendre de la th\u00e9ologie occidentale, que l\u2019on qualifie selon les interlocuteurs de trop \u00e9trang\u00e8re au contexte ou de colonialiste dans sa mani\u00e8re de pr\u00e9tendre \u00e0 la plus haute scientificit\u00e9. Or, m\u00eame si plus de 80% des pasteurs et responsables de toute la r\u00e9gion ont \u00e9t\u00e9 et sont form\u00e9s ici, les ressources des Eglises sont insuffisantes pour financer une telle facult\u00e9. Il faut innover, offrir des formations \u00e0 g\u00e9om\u00e9trie et intensit\u00e9 variables, sortir des cadres d\u2019intervention et de communication acad\u00e9miques traditionnels. Il faut aussi aborder des th\u00e8mes d\u2019actualit\u00e9 ou plus accessibles \u00e0 un grand public, (re)cr\u00e9er des synergies et des alliances, trouver des financements dans des services ou des locations d\u2019infrastructure, etc. Tout ceci a aussi un fondement th\u00e9ologique. En voici quelques aspects\u00a0: <\/span><\/p>\n Il faut bien s\u00fbr \u00e9quiper les pasteurs de mani\u00e8re pertinente pour notre temps et former les cadres des Eglises qui portent la NEST (aux trois Eglises d\u00e9j\u00e0 cit\u00e9es il faut ajouter l\u2019Eglise luth\u00e9rienne de Palestine et le dioc\u00e8se anglican de J\u00e9rusalem qui couvre, outre Israel et la Palestine, la Jordanie, la Syrie et le Liban. Elles forment avec douze autres communaut\u00e9s \u00e9vang\u00e9liques le Conseil supr\u00eame des Eglises protestantes au Liban et en Syrie). La qualit\u00e9 de l\u2019\u00e9ducation apport\u00e9e par les protestants a \u00e9t\u00e9 et est toujours la marque de fabrique reconnue et appr\u00e9ci\u00e9e de toute la population. Mais le mod\u00e8le traditionnel du pasteur de paroisse est-il durable au vu de la taille des petites communaut\u00e9s\u00a0? Les femmes sont admises au minist\u00e8re, mais beaucoup h\u00e9sitent \u00e0 se lancer sans autre garantie dans une telle aventure. Des hommes aussi souhaiteraient pouvoir conjuguer activit\u00e9 s\u00e9culi\u00e8re et minist\u00e8re eccl\u00e9sial. Chaque Eglise d\u00e9finit seule son eccl\u00e9siologie et sa th\u00e9ologie des minist\u00e8res. Mais les \u00e9changes entre les divers membres de ces Eglises \u00e0 l\u2019int\u00e9rieur de la NEST stimule la r\u00e9flexion sur l\u2019avenir.<\/span><\/p>\n La th\u00e9ologie permet aussi de se distinguer des autres Eglises. Face \u00e0 une tradition orthodoxe majoritaire, mais aussi catholique-maronite orient\u00e9e surtout sur le rituel, la th\u00e9ologie protestante avec son focus sur le texte biblique et son approche critique et scientifique re\u00e7oit une certaine reconnaissance des autres Eglises. De m\u00eame, sa capacit\u00e9 de r\u00e9action et sa flexibilit\u00e9 institutionnelle lui permettent de jouer un r\u00f4le pionnier dans des initiatives nouvelles. Mais cette concentration sur le texte biblique uniquement met aussi la th\u00e9ologie protestante au d\u00e9fi de se positionner par rapport aux th\u00e9ologies du \u00ab\u00a0remplacement\u00a0\u00bb, et au sionisme chr\u00e9tien, tr\u00e8s pr\u00e9sentes chez les protestants occidentaux. De m\u00eame en ce qui concerne le racisme anti-arabe dissimul\u00e9 dans le rejet de l\u2019Islam. La d\u00e9colonisation de la th\u00e9ologie protestante est aujourd\u2019hui une \u00e9vidence pour la NEST.<\/span><\/p>\n Les qualit\u00e9s traditionnelles du protestantisme conduisent la NEST \u00e0 oser une relation de qualit\u00e9 avec l\u2019Islam et \u00e0 aider les protestants (mais pas seulement\u00a0!) \u00e0 interagir avec les musulmans d\u2019une mani\u00e8re th\u00e9ologique. Refusant le qualificatif typiquement occidental, plaintif et vaguement paternaliste appliqu\u00e9 aux Eglises protestantes de la r\u00e9gion de \u00ab\u00a0minorit\u00e9 des minorit\u00e9s\u00a0\u00bb, la th\u00e9ologie protestante se bat contre cette autod\u00e9finition d\u00e9pressive et d\u00e9pr\u00e9ciatrice, qui a comme cons\u00e9quence r\u00e9elle que les protestants ne se sentent pas appartenir \u00e0 cette r\u00e9gion. Gr\u00e2ce \u00e0 la remise en question de cette pens\u00e9e, la th\u00e9ologie et les Eglises protestantes se positionnent comme faisant partie de la majorit\u00e9 des citoyens et croyants libanais, ceux qui veulent et travaillent \u00e0 une soci\u00e9t\u00e9 juste, tol\u00e9rante et paisible. Sans id\u00e9aliser ni d\u00e9moniser les autres communaut\u00e9s, en restant critique sans devenir pol\u00e9mique, la th\u00e9ologie protestante de la NEST se veut constructive, favorise et r\u00e9alise elle-m\u00eame un engagement social et culturel inclusif pour toute la communaut\u00e9. <\/span><\/p>\n Ces pr\u00e9suppos\u00e9s sont mis en \u0153uvre tr\u00e8s mat\u00e9riellement dans le programme de la NEST par le fait qu\u2019elle fonctionne comme un campus r\u00e9sidentiel, offrant tous les services sur place, y compris une vie spirituelle, des activit\u00e9s et engagements sociaux et des loisirs, afin d\u2019exercer d\u00e8s le d\u00e9part le bien-vivre ensemble.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Serge Fornerod, 12.09.2026<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Pour les prochains mois, je vis et j\u2019\u00e9tudie \u00e0 la Near East School of Theology (NEST). 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