Febe Armanios

This project explores the rise, expansion, and influence of Christian television in the Middle East, from the early 1980s to the present. Christian broadcasting was initially established by American televangelists who sought to spread their charismatic brand of Christianity. The development of American-sponsored channels, however, challenged Middle Eastern Christians to defend their own voices and pioneer their own religious channels, which captured a local perspective on spirituality, theology, culture, and politics. Even though some broadcasts have continued to promote American evangelical agendas, television has simultaneously created a new forum for indigenous Christians long excluded from public religious expression in their home countries. This project will be published as a book and through other forms of academic writing. It will also be disseminated in blog entries, op-eds, and public lectures, as well as through conversations with journalists and writers who cover issues related to religion, media, and the Middle East.