Jayson Casper takes us into the world of journalism as a Middle Eastern correspondent for Christianity Today. Currently based in Lebanon, he shares insights about the region’s traditional Christian churches and how Christians in the Middle East are personally affected by what are foreign politics in America.

What You’ll Learn:

• Some ways Muslims and Christians relate to one another in the Middle East
• About the Orthodox and Coptic Christian communities
• An inexpensive way to ‘travel’ to the Middle East

About the Guest: 

Jayson Casper reports at the intersection of religion, politics, and culture as an international corresponded for Christianity Today, in the Middle East.

He currently lives with his family in Beirut, Lebanon. Prior to that, he reported from Cairo, Egypt, and has also lived in Jordan, Tunisia, and Mauritania. Additionally, Jason works with IDEAS, an organization that connects skilled Christian professionals to development and educational opportunities throughout the world. He is competent in Arabic and has a degree in Islamic Studies. Jayson is thankful for his role to faithfully represent misunderstood peoples.

Links Related to Episode:

Jayson Casper — Sympathetic Reporting on the Middle East

Connect with Jayson Casper on Twitter

Timestamped Show Notes:

01:41 - Topic: The Importance of Representing all Views in Journalism

01:50 - Family, from America to Lebanon

03:39 - A Day in the Life of a Journalist

06:59 - Reporting Complexities Fairly

08:56 - Representing 2% of Population

10:04 - What is Sympathetic Reporting?

10:28 - Hope, Reflection and Prayer

13:28 - Handling a Accusation of Bias

16:22 - Religion Impacting News in the Middle East

18:05 - Religion a Factor in Community Relations

18:23 - Religion a Factors in Politics

20:37 - Christians in the Middle East and Diaspora

21:37 - Relations Between Christian and Muslim Communities in the Middle East

23:17 - Religious Identity and Neighborliness

24:02 - Suprised by Christians in the Middle East

25:26 - Christians in Egypt

27:10 - Learning about the Middle Eastern Culture

27:46 - Cheaper Way to 'Travel' to the Middle East

28:04 - Middle Eastern Hospitality

28:22 - Connecting Middle Eastern Christians to Americans

29:17 - Contacting Jayson Casper

30:45 - Joke: A Sheikh and Albert Einstein

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