A Jesuit-Lyonnais project in nineteenth-century Beirut: Multiplicities of the local and global at the Université Saint-Joseph

This article discusses the founding of the Jesuit University of Saint Joseph in Beirut in 1875 and its dual allegiance to Rome and France. Generally considered as a French project, the Jesuit mission relies more on the supranational authorities of the congregation and its networks than on the means of the French empire. Questioning more precisely how the Jesuits managed to build such an imposing urban complex in a city governed by Ottoman law, it appears that the notions of empire and nation were less restrictive in the 19th century. Established simultaneously in several neighborhoods and spheres of influence, the Jesuits were able to maneuver and ensure the survival of their project. Operating on the fringes of what constituted “foreign” or “colonial” power, the Jesuits consolidated their positions in the city; their constructions would later be integrated and serve as a basis for French colonial interests. The case of Saint-Joseph University thus allows us to understand colonial architecture not as an extension of colonial power but as a condition of its advent.