Faculty of Theology

The Faculty of Theology in Damascus is a Christian theological education institution established in Syria through Presidential Decree No. 6 of 2019. It operates under the Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East and is described as the first academic institution in Syria dedicated specifically to the study of Christian theology. The faculty opened its doors in November 2021 in the historic Damascus area of Haret al-Zaytoun, near the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Dormition. The institution grew out of an earlier initiative known as the Christian Formation Center. Patriarch Gregory III Laham established that center in October 2002 in the building of the Patriarchal School, an institution founded in 1950 by Patriarch Maximos IV Sayegh with support from the benefactors Sahnaoui and Barsa. The center originally provided a four-year program in theological studies and issued a graduation certificate, but it did not initially have the status of a formally accredited higher-education institution. In 2019, following requests to the Syrian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the center was legally transformed into the Faculty of Theology and authorized to grant bachelor's degrees in theology. The faculty was created partly to address the limited availability of formal Christian theological education within Syria. Before its establishment, Syrian students seeking recognized theological degrees often had to study in Lebanon or elsewhere. Its degree program was intended to provide academic credentials that would be recognized locally and potentially support further study abroad. The faculty states that its curriculum follows standards associated with the Vatican's Congregation for Catholic Education, while efforts toward formal Vatican recognition were described as ongoing. Such recognition would potentially make it easier for graduates to pursue advanced theological study, including doctoral programs, at foreign institutions. Its educational model combines classroom teaching at the Damascus campus with online access through an agreement with the Syrian Virtual University. The institution's stated objectives include undergraduate theological education, research, intellectual engagement, the development of modern theological thought, and cooperation with universities and religious institutions outside Syria. It also presents itself as a potential venue for interfaith dialogue and coexistence, stating that students from different Christian denominations and other religious backgrounds may be welcomed. The faculty's creation occurred amid severe demographic and political pressures on Syria's Christian communities. The Christian population had declined substantially through emigration associated primarily with the Syrian civil war and its wider consequences. Supporters viewed the institution as a means of preserving Syria's Christian intellectual and religious heritage and of strengthening the educational infrastructure available to Christians who remained in the country. At the same time, the faculty became politically controversial. Critics argued that its formal establishment under the government of Bashar al-Assad coincided with efforts to reorganize religious authority and present the Syrian state as a protector of religious minorities. Some commentators interpreted the project as part of a broader state strategy involving the centralization of religious institutions and the weakening of independent religious authorities. Separate criticism concerned alleged alterations to part of Damascus's historic city wall near Bab Sharqi to create vehicle access to the faculty's premises. The extent of authorization and responsibility for that alleged alteration has not been established in the available material. The faculty therefore occupies several roles at once: a degree-granting theological school, an institution linked to the Melkite Greek Catholic hierarchy, a response to the shortage of accredited Christian theological programs in Syria, and a subject of debate about religion, state policy, minority politics, and heritage preservation. Publicly available information does not establish detailed enrollment figures, current leadership beyond its early administration, financial data, or a standalone official website.

The Faculty of Theology in Damascus developed from the Christian Formation Center established by Patriarch Gregory III Laham in October 2002. The center operated in the Patriarchal School building, whose own history went back to 1950, when Patriarch Maximos IV Sayegh founded it with support from the benefactors Sahnaoui and Barsa. Bishop Youssef Absi, a member of the Basilian Salvatorian Order, was placed in charge of the new center, and Jesuit priest Rami Elias served as its first director until 2012. The center initially provided a four-year course of theological study and awarded a completion certificate. It was part of a broader network of religious and theological training in Syria, but unlike a formally licensed higher-education institution it did not initially provide a state-recognized bachelor's degree. This distinction was significant because Syrian students seeking recognized academic theology qualifications often needed to travel to Lebanon or other countries. In 2012, Gregory III appointed Father Youssef Lajin of the Basilian Chouerite Order as the center's new director. Lajin later became the first dean of the institution after the Syrian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research approved its new status. Repeated petitions to the ministry, reportedly accompanied by support from First Lady Asma al-Assad, culminated in Presidential Decree No. 6 of 2019. The decree formally licensed the institution, renamed it the Faculty of Theology, and authorized it to offer bachelor's degrees in theology. It also gave the dean authority to represent the institution externally. The faculty opened formally in November 2021. Its inauguration brought together representatives of the Syrian government, the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, and Damascus's cultural and religious communities. The opening was attended by Presidential Affairs Minister Mansour Azzam, Higher Education and Scientific Research Minister Bassam Ibrahim, Patriarch Youssef Absi, and other officials and community figures. Initial plans reportedly contemplated a first-year cohort of approximately 50 students, although the available reference material does not provide confirmed enrollment figures. The faculty's academic purpose extends beyond clerical formation. Its stated mission includes undergraduate education, research, critical thinking, engagement with contemporary theological questions, and the development of theological ideas connected to Syria's local social environment. It also presents Damascus as a natural setting for interfaith exchange because of the city's long history of Christian, Muslim, and other religious communities. The institution says that admission and participation are intended to be open beyond a single Christian denomination and that cooperation with foreign universities and institutions is part of its long-term vision. The program is delivered through both campus-based and online arrangements. An agreement with the Syrian Virtual University allows registration through that university's portal, while teaching is available in person at the faculty and online through the virtual university's systems. The faculty states that its curriculum complies with standards associated with the Vatican's Congregation for Catholic Education. However, the reference material describes full formal Vatican recognition as an objective still under discussion rather than as an accomplished fact. The institution has also expressed an ambition to develop scholarships so that students could continue toward specialization and doctoral study abroad. The faculty's establishment occurred during a period of major decline in Syria's Christian population, driven largely by wartime displacement and emigration. Supporters therefore regarded the institution as a way to preserve Christian education and cultural continuity inside Syria. It also filled a structural gap by creating a locally based, formally accredited route into Christian theological studies. The institution has nonetheless been politically and culturally contested. Critics argued that its establishment under the Assad government was connected to a wider effort to reorganize religious authority, promote a state narrative of minority protection, and marginalize independent Sunni institutions. Commentators cited the timing of its authorization alongside changes affecting religious governance, including the abolition of the office of the Grand Mufti. These interpretations remain political criticisms rather than established institutional findings. Another controversy concerns the historic urban environment around the faculty. Critics alleged that a section of the ancient Damascus city wall near Bab Sharqi was removed or modified to create a vehicle entrance. The site lies near a historically significant area associated with the Old City of Damascus, a UNESCO World Heritage property. Public criticism focused on the alleged lack of transparency about permissions and on the wider risk that wartime conditions could facilitate damage to historic monuments. The available material does not independently verify the allegation or identify the responsible authority. The Faculty of Theology consequently represents both an educational development and a politically sensitive institution. It is linked to one of Syria's historic Christian patriarchates, provides a new route to academic theological qualifications, and seeks to function as a center for research and coexistence. At the same time, its establishment and physical setting have made it part of broader debates over state power, sectarian politics, minority identity, and heritage conservation in contemporary Syria.

• 2022

  Chilean philosophical collection donated

  [1]Faculty of Theology (Damascus)en.wikipedia.org

  The Chilean Embassy in Damascus donated philosophical books on topics including metaphysics and ethics.

• 2021

  Inauguration and opening

  [1]Faculty of Theology (Damascus)en.wikipedia.org

  The faculty opened in Damascus in November, with government, church, cultural, and religious representatives attending the inauguration.

• 2019

  Faculty legally recognized

  [1]Faculty of Theology (Damascus)en.wikipedia.org

  Presidential Decree No. 6 licensed the institution as the Faculty of Theology and authorized bachelor's degrees in theology.

• 2012

  New center director appointed

  [1]Faculty of Theology (Damascus)en.wikipedia.org

  Father Youssef Lajin became director of the Christian Formation Center and later served as the first dean of the formal faculty.

• 2002

  Christian Formation Center founded

  [1]Faculty of Theology (Damascus)en.wikipedia.org

  Patriarch Gregory III Laham established the Christian Formation Center in the Patriarchal School building as a precursor to the faculty.

• 1950

  Patriarchal School established

  [1]Faculty of Theology (Damascus)en.wikipedia.org

  Patriarch Maximos IV Sayegh founded the Patriarchal School in Damascus with support from the benefactors Sahnaoui and Barsa.

A formally recognized Christian theological institution intended to combine academic degree education, ecclesiastical formation, research, interfaith engagement, and preservation of Syria's Christian intellectual heritage.

• Higher-education degree · 2019

  Bachelor's degree in theology

  The faculty's principal academic offering is a bachelor's-level theology program created after its formal licensing in 2019. It provides a recognized local route for Christian theological study that previously often required Syrian students to study abroad, particularly in Lebanon. The program is intended to combine theological instruction with academic research, critical thinking, and engagement with the social and religious context of Syria.

• Theological education · 2002

  Christian theological studies program

  The program developed from the Christian Formation Center's original four-year curriculum, which awarded a graduation certificate before the institution received formal academic status. The faculty's expanded model is designed to support theological formation and scholarly study under the Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchate while remaining open in principle to students from different denominations and religious backgrounds.

• Educational delivery

  Hybrid and online course delivery

  Through an agreement with the Syrian Virtual University, students can register through the university's portal and access instruction either at the Damascus campus or online. This arrangement extends the faculty's reach beyond a strictly campus-based model and supports students who may face geographic or logistical barriers to attendance.

• Alleged damage to the historic Damascus city wall

  Critics alleged that access construction associated with the faculty altered or removed part of the historic city wall near Bab Sharqi. The alleged work prompted concerns about conservation of the Old City of Damascus and criticism over the absence of clear public information about authorization. The available source material does not independently establish the precise extent of damage or identify the responsible party.

  Source

• Political criticism over state use of minority protection narratives

  Several commentators criticized the faculty's establishment as potentially serving the Assad government's effort to project religious inclusivity, consolidate authority over religious institutions, and build political support among minorities. These claims are allegations and political interpretations rather than documented findings against the faculty itself.

  Source

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• 2019

  Convert the Christian Formation Center into a degree-granting facultyStrategy

  Background

  The earlier center offered theological training but did not provide the same formal academic status as a recognized higher-education institution. Syrian students seeking accredited theology degrees often had to study outside the country.

  Action taken

  The institution pursued government recognition and was formally licensed under Presidential Decree No. 6, renamed the Faculty of Theology, and authorized to offer bachelor's degrees.

  Aftermath

  The decision created a locally based academic route for Christian theological study and enabled the faculty to present itself as a recognized higher-education institution.

  Source

• Pursue broader ecclesiastical and international recognitionStrategy

  Background

  The faculty sought to ensure that its theology curriculum would support recognition by Catholic universities and future progression into advanced study abroad.

  Action taken

  It aligned its curriculum with standards associated with the Vatican's Congregation for Catholic Education and continued efforts toward official Vatican recognition, while envisioning international university partnerships and scholarships.

  Aftermath

  The institution stated that recognition could help graduates pursue specialist and doctoral studies overseas, but the available material does not confirm that full Vatican recognition had been granted.

  Source

• Adopt hybrid delivery through the Syrian Virtual UniversityStrategy

  Background

  Online delivery offered a way to broaden access to theological education in a country affected by conflict, displacement, and infrastructure constraints.

  Action taken

  The faculty entered an agreement allowing registration through the Syrian Virtual University and combining campus-based teaching with online course access.

  Aftermath

  The arrangement expanded the institution's delivery model beyond conventional classroom instruction, although enrollment and outcomes are not reported in the available sources.

  Source

1. 1Faculty of Theology (Damascus)en.wikipedia.org