La Naissance de La Transjordanie et la Présence Chrétienne. Communautés Religieuses, Minorités Religieuses Protégées et Identités Tribales

The foundation of the Hashemite emirate of Transjordan undermined the traditional balances existing between Christian and Muslim Arab tribes (nomads, semi-nomads, and sedentary tribes) and favored the constitution of religious communities. In this context, the Holy See contributed to the ecclesiastical organization of both Latin and Melkite (Greek-Catholic) establishments. This article presents the ways in which the local Churches of Transjordan were organized despite the fact that the religious authorities were located in Damascus and Jerusalem, i.e. outside the boundaries of the new nation. At the same time, the status of Christians living in Transjordan was being transformed— they moved from having a tribal status to having that of a protected religious minority (without losing their traditional tribal identity).