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Instructor Helps
The material in this section on Churches in Simakiyya can be used to highlight the fact that Islam is not the only religion in the Middle East. The Coptic Christians of Egypt, the Chaldeans of Iraq, and the Latin, Eastern, and Melkite Christians, along with some other Christian groups, make up a significant and sizable religious minority in the Arab world. The Copts are the largest single group with a population of about 10 million.
This material could be used as a case study unit in an introductory anthropology course to talk about the relationship between family and religion. It could also be used in anthropology or sociology courses as a case study in diversity, with some associated discussions about stereotyping and assumptions.
By using the material here and by exploring the
related links, a student could develop a deeper understanding of the Latin and Melkite Greek Patriarchates, which might be useful in courses about Church history or in survey courses about the contemporary Middle East.
Some questions for discussion in the classroom:
Why do we assume all people in the Middle East are Muslims?
Is there a strong relationship between family and religion in our own society?
Don't we tend to marry within our own religious group?
How does religious belief integrate people in a community?
Richard Jones
Email: rjones@leeuniversity.edu
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