Sciences and religions in the late modern period

The publication of the Arabic translation of the Bible by Beirut Protestant missionaries was a turning point in the history of Arabic culture be it in terms of printing techniques or style. It called upon Maronites, Melkites Roman Catholics and even some Muslims. This work was part and parcel of a broad intellectual and specifically linguistic awakening movement. At the end of the 19^th century, written Arabic already differed to some extent from that of the early 19^th century, which had been passed on in manuscript form for a thousand years. The transformation process affected the lexicon, conceptual references and grammatical structures. As it gathered speed over the following century, cultural gatekeepers sought to control it as can be judged, for instance, by the diverging efforts of Arabic academies from the twenties on. It did not stop the sense of common identity or the more and more widespread diffusion of works in Arabic. In specific terms, the Arabic translation of the Bible had a direct influence on Khalil Gibran^[1] whose literary output thereafter sought to define a personal conception of the unity of faith beyond their diversity: “« Each seed thrown by Autumn on the surface of the earth has its own way to part its shell from its kernel. But however different the means, the aim is the same: to rise up to the sun. »”