1. Religious Authority and Sectarianism in Lebanon
- Author:
- Alexander Henley
- Publication Date:
- 12-2016
- Content Type:
- Research Paper
- Institution:
- Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
- Abstract:
- Lebanese religious leaders are often treated as authentic representatives of their sects and are given broad powers over religious affairs. However, their leadership is not organic, nor are they necessarily popular, as these individuals are trained and selected by elite institutions. These figures do not incite sectarian hatred, and even aim to reduce it, but the way they are empowered and their monopoly on spiritual matters inhibit social integration among various religious communities and reinforce sectarian divisions.
- Topic:
- Religion, Sectarianism, and Authoritarianism
- Political Geography:
- Lebanon