Arab Saints?

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Pope_Noah_I

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I need to write an essay on an Arab who influenced Western Civilization. Considering that all the figures we’re learning about are in my Middle East class are Muslims, I figured it’d be a good idea to do a Christian Saint. (St. John of Damascus isn’t a choice, since we learned about him in class.)
 
Pope_Noah_I said:
I need to write an essay on an Arab who influenced Western Civilization. Considering that all the figures we’re learning about are in my Middle East class are Muslims, I figured it’d be a good idea to do a Christian Saint. (St. John of Damascus isn’t a choice, since we learned about him in class.)
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Sergius was a very popular saint in Syria and Christian Arabia.
Also there are:
St. Cyrl of Jerusalem.
St. Maron.
St. Ephrem of Syria
St. Isaac of Syria
 
Pope_Noah_I said:
I need to write an essay on an Arab who influenced Western Civilization. Considering that all the figures we’re learning about are in my Middle East class are Muslims, I figured it’d be a good idea to do a Christian Saint. (St. John of Damascus isn’t a choice, since we learned about him in class.)
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St John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church, Archbishop of Constantinople
 
I don’t know that any of those named above, aside perhaps for St. John of Damascus, were Arabs. They generally predate Arab expansion across the Middle East by several centuries.

That said, I don’t actually know the names of any Arab saints off-hand. I should, but I don’t. :o

Peace and God bless!
 
I sincerely doubt that St. John Damascene or anybody listed on this thread were Arabs.

St. Cyril of Jerusalem was probably a Greek or at least was a Hellenic culturally.
St. Maron, St. Ephrem of Syria ,St. Isaac of Syria were all culturally and ethnically Syriac.

You may wish to look for more modern Antiochene Orthodox saints for arab saints. You probably won’t find a lot of Arab Christians of great prominence in the middle ages.
 
Yes, most “arab” saints are modern and certain haven’t drastically affected Western Civilization. St. Raphael of Brooklyn in the USA was an arab.
 
The other problem is that Arabia was the heart of Gnosticism in the 3rd-6th centuries…

What few ethnically Arab individuals in the first few centuries are likely to be Coptic saints or Assyrian Saints.
 
Dear brother Aramis,
Aramis said:
The other problem is that Arabia was the heart of Gnosticism in the 3rd-6th centuries…

What few ethnically Arab individuals in the first few centuries are likely to be Coptic saints or Assyrian Saints.
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Coptic saints in the first few centuries would not have been Arabs. Arabs are ethnically and historically from the Syrian lands and thereabouts, not North Africa.

Assyrian and Syrian saints would be the best bet.

St. George (of the famous St. George and the Dragon legend) may have been part Arab, as his mother was Palestinian.

Blessings,
Marduk
 
Not one of the saints listed (with the possible exception of S John of Damascus) could be considered ethnically Arab. And that includes St George of dragon fame. As [post=7593975]Ghosty[/post] pointed out earlier, they predate the Arab invasions. Given the name ascribed to S George’s mother (“Polychronia”) one would have to assume that she was of Hellenic extraction.

It seems to me that [post=7594116]Formosus[/post] is on the right track. One would best look for Antiochian (aka “Greek”) Orthodox or Melkite saints with births dating from after the Arab invasions. (NB: even all those would not be ethnically Arab, but some would qualify.) Prior to that time, along with the Bedouins in the Negev region and elsewhere, the northern extent of Arab settlement was Nabatea. It’s quite likely that some Nabateans, at least, became Christian.
 
Dear brother Malphono,

Not necessarily. Anyone from the “Levant” in the early first millenium A.D. would have a good chance of being ethnically Arab, even if they adopted Greek or Roman culture or names.

For certain, Maronites are ethnically Arab, so I would say Maronite saints would be the best bet, especially as they were isolated from the Greek world for so long.

Blessings,
Marduk
malphono said:
Not one of the saints listed (with the possible exception of S John of Damascus) could be considered ethnically Arab. And that includes St George of dragon fame. As [post=7593975]Ghosty[/post] pointed out earlier, they predate the Arab invasions. Given the name ascribed to S George’s mother (“Polychronia”) one would have to assume that she was of Hellenic extraction.

It seems to me that [post=7594116]Formosus[/post] is on the right track. One would best look for Antiochian (aka “Greek”) Orthodox or Melkite saints with births dating from after the Arab invasions. (NB: even all those would not be ethnically Arab, but some would qualify.) Prior to that time, along with the Bedouins in the Negev region and elsewhere, the northern extent of Arab settlement was Nabatea. It’s quite likely that some Nabateans, at least, became Christian.
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mardukm said:
Not necessarily. Anyone from the “Levant” in the early first millenium A.D. would have a good chance of being ethnically Arab, even if they adopted Greek or Roman culture or names.
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No.
mardukm said:
For certain, Maronites are ethnically Arab, so I would say Maronite saints would be the best bet, especially as they were isolated from the Greek world for so long.
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Absolutely incorrect.
 
ByzCath said:
Just asking a question.

Maronite is an ethnicity?

So a Maronite born in Lebanon is not an Arab?
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Maronite is not an ethnicity, it’s a sect of Christianity so close to Catholicism, most of maronites are Christian Arabs ( they live mostly in Lebanon and Syria) and they belong to Maron which was a Syrian Saint
 
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