The jamʿiyyāt (learned societies) are hallmarks of the Arab Nahḍa (“Renaissance”) in Beirut. This article focuses on the agency of Syrian members and studies the earliest three institutions in the context of social dynamics, economic linkages, political aspirations, and religious contestations. Centred around Syrians and Protestant missionaries, the Syrian Society of Arts and Sciences (1847) functioned as a site of growing American religious and cultural soft power. At the Oriental Society (1849), Syrian Catholic notables from the recently collapsed political regime assembled, alongside French Jesuit missionaries, to maintain their erstwhile power and prestige. Lastly, at the Orthodox Syrian Society (c. 1850), the traditional Orthodox elite attempted to preserve their flock and prove sociopolitical relevance in the face of Protestant and Catholic encroachments. Through the religious and political struggles that played out at the three jamʿiyyāt, this article demonstrates the politicization of confessional identities at the hands of Syrians and foreigners alike.

This article is a comprehensive evaluation of the first learned society of the Nahḍa (Renaissance) in Beirut. I argue that Majmaʿ al-Tahdhīb (the Refinement Council, est. 1846) was not a learned society but an ad hoc seminary formed to train converts for itinerant preaching and to build camaraderie among the nascent Protestant confession. In order to unearth the mission of Majmaʿ al-Tahdhīb and amplify the voices of its members – twelve Syrians and two Americans – this essay reconstructs their biographies and the condition of the Protestant community until 1846. This case study explicates the personal and professional entanglements of these fourteen men in terms of social connections, educational opportunities, economic needs, and religious convictions. It contextualizes the early years of several prominent Nahḍa figures by highlighting the material and spiritual aspects of their lives in 1840s Beirut.

This Presidential Address is a call to arms for the profession. It outlines many areas in which we could be major contributors if we are prepared to undertake the necessary research, discussion and seminar work. In covering the historical landscape of actuarial work, emphasis is placed on looking to the future in life assurance, pensions and investment. Education, public interest and marketing are all covered in the context of what we need to do and the need to get it done sooner rather than later. Our future, and that of the Faculty, is again opened up for debate to ensure that we remain objectively focussed.