Journey
Biography
Jesuit · Educator · Philosopher · Academic
Education
Born in Lebanon, Fr. Salim Daccache entered Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth, where he earned his licence in philosophy in 1973. Drawn to the Jesuit vocation, he joined the Society of Jesus and moved to Paris to deepen his theological and philosophical formation.
His doctoral thesis at the Sorbonne — on the Kalām of Abu Mansur al-Maturidi — reveals a thinker at the crossroads of Islam and Christianity, devoted to the dialogue of civilisations. A second doctorate, in educational sciences at Strasbourg, attests to the breadth of a plural intellectual vocation.
"School is not only a place of learning — it is a social microcosm where pluralism and living together are either forged or broken."
Licence in Philosophy
Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth · 1973
Master's in Theology & Philosophy
Centre Sèvres, Jesuit Faculties of Paris · 1983
Doctorate — Letters & Philosophy
Université Panthéon-Sorbonne I · 1988
The Kalām of Abu Mansur al-Maturidi (10th c.)
Doctorate — Educational Sciences
Université de Strasbourg · 2011
School pluralism in Lebanon
Jesuit path
Educational mission & Ignatian spirituality
Having entered the Society of Jesus, Fr. Daccache embodies the Ignatian tradition of service to faith, justice and culture. His priestly life is closely bound to education, research and interreligious dialogue.
His educational vision rests on a Christian humanist ideal: the university as a place of mission, the transmission of knowledge as an act of faith, and intellectual engagement as a form of contemplative prayer.
50+
Years of Jesuit service
1875
Founding of USJ
Even in the most critical circumstances, cultural and intellectual resilience is not a luxury — it is the essential instrument for overcoming the challenges of our time.
Fields
Islamic philosophy
10th-century Kalām · Abu Mansur al-Maturidi · Medieval intellectual exchange
Syriac spirituality
Eastern Christian heritage · Translations from Syriac · John of Dalyatha
Lebanese education
School pluralism · Values & citizenship · Multi-confessional systems
Interreligious dialogue
Director of GLADIC · Muslim–Christian relations · Peace and civilisations
Timeline
Licence in philosophy — USJ Beirut
The beginning of an unbroken bond with Université Saint-Joseph.
Master's in Theology & Philosophy — Centre Sèvres, Paris
Ignatian formation at the Jesuit Faculties of Paris.
Doctorate — Panthéon-Sorbonne I
Thesis on the Kalām of Abu Mansur al-Maturidi.
Rector — Collège Notre-Dame de Jamhour
Twenty years at the head of one of Lebanon's largest Jesuit schools (4,000 pupils).
Editor-in-chief — Al-Machriq Review
The oldest Arabic cultural review of the Society of Jesus.
Dean — Faculty of Religious Sciences, USJ
Director — Institute of Oriental Letters, USJ
Doctorate in Educational Sciences — Université de Strasbourg
Rector — Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth
Leading USJ through the gravest crises in Lebanon's contemporary history.