Church Culture, Religious Belief, and Geopolitics in the Middle East

Abstract

The relationship between church culture, religious belief and geopolitics in the Middle East is studied in this paper; it has always been a region under the influence of major monotheistic religions and still faces political instability. Religion is still a necessary part of people's lives and the functioning of society, but now, many religious groups have also closely cooperated with political power and state interests. The research is to study how Christian communities and church culture continue to affect the social system, minority life and political thought in the area. Based on the research method of literature review, academic studies, policy reports and recent case analyses from Egypt, Iraq, Syria and Palestine have been drawn upon. Based on the above results, it can be concluded that the culture of churches serves numerous functions in society and may offer some support during times of uncertainty. At the same time, religion will also be employed for political purposes and enter the area of laws and order or politics. Evidence also shows that changes in the population, migration and conflict are altering the existence and position of Christian communities. In short, the religion in the Middle East should not be studied in isolation. It will be more noticeable in the context of politics and geopolitics. This paper finds that a combination of two views is needed to both consider the culture of religion and the overall structural reasons for the development of this area.