Radical Christianity in Palestine and Israel: Liberation and Theology in the Middle East

Description

Christianity arose from the lands of biblical Palestine and, regardless of its twentieth century associations with the Arab-Israeli conflict, to Christians around the world it remains first and foremost the birthplace of Christianity. Nevertheless the size of the Christian population among Palestinians today living in Israel and the Palestinian territories is now relatively insignificant. In Radical Christianity in the Middle East, Samuel J. Kuruvilla argues that Christian Palestinians often emply politically astute as well as theologically radical means in their efforts to prove relevant as a minority community within Israeli and Palestinian societies. Examining the political background of the gradual collapse of secular Arab Nationalism, to be replaced by Islamic liberation movements, he reveals a trend within the Christian Palestinian Church which saw increasing politicisation in the 1980s and 1990s. In the face of often-restrictive Israeli policies, such as land confiscation, along with the First Intifada, there was a drive towards setting up inter-Church and faith activism with the goal of Palestinian liberation. Contents Acknowledgements Glossary and List of Abbreviations 1 The Historical Background The Religious Importance of Jerusalem Muslim and Turkish Rule in Palestine: Impact on the Christians of the Holy Land The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem The St. John's Hospice Incident Greek-Palestinian Clergy-Laity Issues The Early History of Christian Zionism in the Holy Land The British Mandate Period The Jordanian Period The Church and the Israeli State The Church and the Palestinian National Struggle The Christian Interest in Jerusalem Palestinian Protestant Church History Since 1948: The Anglicans and Luteran Prosteants of the Holy Land Land and the Question of the 'Holy' Land: The Land of Palestine The Land and Justice Impact of the 1967 War on Palestinian Christians: Christian Demographic Decline Post-1967 Changes in the Land of Palestine: The Impact of Islamism 2 Political and Liberation Theologies: Implications for Israel-Palestine (The Theo-Political Context of Ateek and Raheb's work) Political and Liberation Theologies in Latin America and Asia: The Rise of Liberation Theology The Main Emphases of Liberation Theology Liberation Theology in Palestine Contextual Theology: A Definition Early Influences in Contextualization of Theology in Palestine, the Fountainhead of Contextualizatoin: Al-Liqa Centre in Bethlehem Patriarch Michel Sabbah Archbishop Elias Chacour: Reconciliation through Education Bishop Riah Abu El-Assal (Former Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem) The Concerns of Palestinian Theology Western Theological Thought and the Question of Palestine-Jewish Theology of Liberation: Rabbi Marc Ellis Rosemary Radford Ruether and the Theology of Christian Anti-Semitism in the West 3 The 'Sabeel' Ecumenical Liberation Theology Centre in Jerusalem: A Study of the Theology and Praxis of Naim Ateek The Origins of Liberation-Theological Attitudes towards Palestine Impact of Arab Nationalism Role of Arab Christian Identity in the Middle East Early Historical-Conflictual Experience of Naim Ateek The Birth of the Palestinian Ecumenical Liberation Theology Centre: Sabeel Use of the Exodus Narrative in Palestinian Liberation/Contextual Theology The Old Testament and Palestinian Liberation Theology The Adoption of Utilitarian Ideals Election and Universalism The Problem of Land 4 The Politics and Praxis of Naim Ateek and Sabeel Sabeel and Jerusalem Sabeel and the Peace Process The One-State Solution Sabeel and Human Rights Sabeel and a Christian Theology of Islam Sabeel's Theology of Engagement with the State of Israel The Palestinian Jesus: Using Crucifixion Imagery Amidst Accusations of Deicide Use of 'Liberation Theology' in the Politics of the Israel-Palestine Struggle Sabeel and the Question of Divestment Sabeel's Divestment Strategy Responses to Sabeel's Call for Divestment 5 Contextual Theology in Palestine: The Theological and Political-Cultural Practise of Mitri Raheb Palestinian Contextual Theology: The Roots 'Palestinianism' as an Integral Part of Biblical Interpretation Raheb's Contextual Theology Raheb's Cultural Theology and Praxis Raheb's Critical Theological Concepts: The Bible and Palestinian Christians Raheb's Reading of the Prophet Jonah 6 Palestinian Theological Praxis in Context: An Analysis of the Approaches of Ateek and Raheb from a Comparative Perspective Al-Liqa, Sabeel and Dar Annadwa Relevance to Palestinian Christains The Value of Muslims The Approach of Sabeel An Estimation of Raheb's Approach Appendix A: Palestinian Loss of Land 1946-2000 Appendix B: The Old City of Jerusalem Appendix C: Palestine Under the British Mandate, 1923-1948 Appendix D: Palestinian Villages Depopulated in 1948 and Razed by Israel Appendix E: Population Movements 1948-51 Appendix F: Palestinian Refugees, 2001 Appendix G: The Near East After the 1967 June War Appendix H: The Allon Plan, July 1967 Appendix I: Israeli and Palestinian Security-Controlled Areas Appendix J: Projection of the West Bank Final Status Map Presented by Israel, Camp David, July 2000 Appendix K: Final Status Map Presented by Israel-Taba, January 2001 Notes Bibliography Index