Revisiting aNahḍaorigin story:Majmaʿ al-Tahdhīband the Protestant community in 1840s Beirut

Abstract

AbstractThis article is a comprehensive evaluation of the first learned society of theNahḍa(Renaissance) in Beirut. I argue thatMajmaʿ al-Tahdhīb(the Refinement Council, est. 1846) was not a learned society but anad hocseminary formed to train converts for itinerant preaching and to build camaraderie among the nascent Protestant confession. In order to unearth the mission ofMajmaʿ al-Tahdhīband amplify the voices of its members – twelve Syrians and two Americans – this essay reconstructs their biographies and the condition of the Protestant community until 1846. This case study explicates the personal and professional entanglements of these fourteen men in terms of social connections, educational opportunities, economic needs, and religious convictions. It contextualizes the early years of several prominentNahḍafigures by highlighting the material and spiritual aspects of their lives in 1840s Beirut.