A Palestinian Theology of Liberation: The Bible, Justice, and the Palestine-Israel Conflict

by Naim Stifan Ateek

Overview

Addressing what many consider the world's most controversial conflict, Naim Ateek offers a succinct primer on liberation theology in the context of the Palestinian struggle for freedom and self-determination. Beginning with the historical roots of this struggle, he shows how the memory of the Holocaust served to trump the claims and aspirations of the native inhabitants of Palestine, and how later Israeli occupation and settlements in the West Bank have contributed to their suffering and oppression. Supported by many Western Christians, Israeli claims to the land rely on a particular exclusivist reading of the Bible. In contrast, a Palestinian theology of liberation responds with a counter-strategy for biblical interpretation, emphasizing the prophetic themes of inclusivity and justice. Ateek concludes by providing principles for achieving security, peace, and justice for all peoples in Israel/Palestine.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781626982604
Publisher:	Orbis Books
Publication date:	10/12/2017
Pages:	192
Sales rank:	421,929
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Rev. Dr. Naim Stifan Ateek, an Anglican priest, is a Palestinian Arab and a citizen of Israel. A former canon of St. George's Cathedral, Jerusalem, he is founder of Sabeel, an ecumenical center in Jerusalem that uses a theological approach to work for liberation for Palestinians. He is the author of Justice and Only Justice and A Palestinian Christian Cry for Reconciliation.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments xiii

Foreword Walter Brueggemann xv

Introduction 1

1 Liberation Theology Worldwide 9

History and Development 9

How Does Liberation Theology Relate to Traditional Theology? 12

2 Who Are the Palestinian Christians? 15

The First Factor: The Theological Controversies 17

The Second Factor: The Coming of Islam 19

TheThird FactonThe Coming of the Crusades 19

The Fourth Factor:The Coming of the Protestants 20

The Fifth Factor: The Coming of the Zionists and the State of Israel 21

3 The Threefold Nakba 25

The Human Nakba 26

The Identity Nakba 27

The Faith Nakba 28

4 Other Historical Events that Led to the Emergence of Palestinian Liberation Theology 31

The Holocaust 32

The War of 1967 and the Rise of Religious Zionism 34

The First Intifada 36

5 Reclaiming the Humanity of Jesus 41

Jesus in Nazareth (Luke 4:18-19) 42

The Unjust Judge (Luke 18:1-8) 43

Jesus Christ as Our Hcrmeneutic 44

6 Development of Religious Thought in the Old Testament 47

God of Some or God of All 47

Some Difficult Old Testament Texts 49

A Demand for Ethnic Cleansing 49

A Demand for Ethnic Annihilation 50

A Vengeful God 51

The Ultimate Enemy: Amalek 52

Some Examples 56

Bigotry and Racism 58

Land for Some or Land for All 60

A Theology that Transcends Leviticus 62

Ezckiel Critiques Other Theologies of His Day 67

How Does This Bear on the Palestinian Question? 68

Jerusalem for Some or Jerusalem for All 68

God of War or God of Peace 71

Psalm 24 73

Isaiah 42:13 73

Psalm 68:21,30 74

Isaiah 2:2-5 (A Vision of Peace and Nonviolence) 74

Micah 4:4-5 (A Vision of Peace and Interfaith) 75

The Theology of Jonah 76

Conclusion: Exclusive and Inclusive Theologies, Then and Now 81

7 Christ Is the Key 83

Expanding and Deepening the Understanding of God and Neighbor 83

Jesus Reinterprets the Tradition 90

The Gospel of Matthew 90

The Gospel of Mark 91

The Gospel of Luke 92

Paul Reinterprets the Tradition 93

Galatians 3:6-9 94

Galatians 3:15-18,22 94

Galatians 3:23-24, 26, 28-29; 4:6-7 94

Romans 4:13-17 95

John Reinterprets the Tradition 99

Creation Is Reinterpreted in the Light of Christ 99

Election Is Reinterpreted in the Light of Christ 99

The Land Is Reinterpreted and Re-Directed in the Light of Christ 101

Ritual Purity Is Revamped in the Light of Christ 103

The Temple Is Made Redundant and a Different Temple Is Built 103

God's Inclusive Love Is Extended to the Whole World through Christ 104

8 Justice at the Center 105

New Threats and Dangers in Israel 106

New Israeli Myths 108

Threats in Palestine 110

Resolving the Conflict 111

Just Solutions? 111

Jerusalem 115

A Plea for a Strategy of Nonviolence 117

Seven Dimensions of justice 119

The Peace Circle 121

9 The Emergence of Sabeel and Its Friends 123

Background 123

Archbishop Joseph Raya 124

Archbishop Elias Chacour 125

Indigenization of Church Leaderships 126

Palestinian Liberation Theology 126

Kairos Palestine 127

The Sabeel Center and Its Friends 129

Friends of Sabeel (IFOS and FOS) 131

Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA) 132

Friends of Sabeel UK 133

Canadian Friends of Sabeel (CFOS) 134

Friends of Sabeel in Scandinavia 134

Friends of Sabeel Norway (FoSN) 135

Friends of Sabeel Australia (FOS-AU) 135

Friends of Sabeel Ireland 136

Friends of Sabeel The Netherlands 136

Friends of Sabeel Germany 137

Friends of Sabeel France 137

10 The Heart of Faith and Action in the Twenty-first Century 139

What Is Palestinian Liberation Theology? 139

The Word of God 141

Three Essential Pillars for Resolving the Palestine/Israel Conflict 142

The Heart of Religious Faith 143

Who Is My Neighbor? 143

Who Is Our God? 143

The Hermeneutical Key 147

No Substitute for Justice 147

Sumood and Thabaat 149

We Are Servants of God's Kingdom 150

Resources 153

Purpose Statement of Sabeel 153

Sabeel Prayer 153

Sabeel International Conferences and Related Publications 154

Sabeel Publications 155

Cornerstone 156

Contemporary Way of the Cross 156

The Wave of Prayer 156

Bibliography 157

Index 163

Editorial Reviews

"Merits wide attention and close sustained study . . . . "—Walter Brueggemann

From the Publisher