Decolonizing Palestine challenges the weaponization of biblical texts to support the current settler-colonial state of Israel. Raheb argues that some of the most important theological concepts -Israel, the land, election, and chosen people - must be decolonized in a paradigm shift in Christian theological thinking about Palestine. Decolonizing Palestine is a timely book that builds on the latest research in settler-colonialism and human rights to place traditional theological themes within the wider socio-political context of settler colonialism as it is practiced by the modern nation-state of Israel. Written by a native Palestinian Christian theologian who continues to live in the region, Decolonizing Palestine provides an insider's perspective that disrupts hegemonic and imperialist narratives about the region.

The pastor of Christmas Church, a Palestinian Lutheran congregation, Mitri Raheb here presents a powerful collection of compelling personal stories of desperation and hope in the midst of lethal conflict, bringing the Palestinian/Israeli conflict up close and personal. Raheb's lifelong commitment to his people has kept him in the legendary birthplace of Christianity, even as Bethlehem has become a flashpoint in the world's most volatile and hate-filled conflict. His passionate personal testimony lifts up the stray gesture toward friendship, the brave attempts to rebuild life and livelihood in a destroyed land, and the unquenchable desire for justice and peace.

The book is the first comprehensive attempt to study and develop a hermeneutic of liberation in the context of the Israeli Occupation of the Palestinian land. It analyses the importance of culture, ethnicity, race, gender, ideology, theology, and politics vis-a-vis the processes of comprehension, analysis, interpretation, and contextualization of the Bible. The scholars from 16 countries bring not only an international scope of persuasions and perspectives, but also foster ecumenical, inter-disciplinary, multi-ethnic, and multi-cultural dialogue and philosophy. the book identifies a new path for theology that is responsible to its original source and that is relevant to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

In recent decades there has been a seismic shift in world Christianity. Whereas formerly Christianity existed as a Caucasian Euro-American phenomenon, the majority of Christians today reside in the Southern Hemisphere, or the Global South. And what is true for the demographics of Christianity has followed lockstep for its theological developments. The era of German theologians setting the tone for global church are gone. Today, some of the loudest and most creative voices in theology speak from the emerging contingencies of the Global South, for example, promoting Latinx, Black, Caribbean, and Asian theologies and their influence often influences the conversation in the United States and Europe. In addition, just as the center of Christianity has moved geographically from north to south, so with theological seminaries in the west, which have declined as training centers for clergy. These events coincide with new theological centers are opening in Asia, Africa, Oceania, and Latin America. The bottom line is--contemporary Christianity today looks significantly different than it did a century ago, and publications have been slow to acknowledge, let alone describe and elaborate upon, this major shift to the largest religion in the world. These shifts guide our intentions in this book. Such a reference book, which could also be used as a textbook, therefore is very much needed. In fact, there is nothing like the contents of this single-volume book in the publishing market which allows for high-quality, interdisciplinary, and international dialogue.

Mitri Raheb explores the recent history of the Palestinian Christians, and the complex meeting of the world's three major monotheistic religions. Clearly and without rancor, his book situates the continuing plight of Palestinians in the unique history of the Palestinian Christians, the national and regional struggles since World War II, and the rich yet complex juncture of the world's three major monotheistic religions. In the pains and hopes of his people, Raheb reveals an emerging Palestinian Christian theology.

The book analyzes major theological trends and shifts of the twentieth century and focuses on the Interplay between Theology and Politics regarding Israel and Palestine.

Autobiographies give a unique, eyewitness account of historical events experienced by one particular person, an account of a life with all its ups and downs, struggles and failures, successes and setbacks. Canaan autobiography recounts a very rich life of one of Palestine's leading ethnographers, medical doctor, public figure and one of the most productive intellectuals in the first half of the twentieth century. He recalls the socio-economic and political history of Palestine through the unique prism of his access to different strata in Palestinian society, something few others could replicate. Canaan's autobiography spans a period of seven decades of Palestinian history from the late Ottoman to the early Jordanian period: a condensed history of the whole country of Palestine. Through his words, we live the history of a whole nation, we feel the tectonic shift that took place in Palestine as one empire replaced another, and as Jewish immigrants replaced the displaced Palestinians.

Persecution of Christians in the Middle East has been a recurring theme since the middle of the nineteenth century. The topic has experienced a resurgence in the last few years, especially during the Trump era. Middle Eastern Christians are often portrayed as a homogeneous, helpless group ever at the mercy of their Muslim enemies, a situation that only Western powers can remedy. The Politics of Persecution revisits this narrative with a critical eye.

Mitri Raheb charts the plight of Christians in the Middle East from the invasion of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1799 to the so-called Arab Spring. The book analyzes the diverse socioeconomic and political factors that led to the diminishing role and numbers of Christians in Palestine, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan during the eras of Ottoman, French, and British Empires, through the eras of independence, Pan-Arabism, and Pan-Islamism, and into the current era of American empire. With an incisive exposé of the politics that lie behind alleged concerns for these persecuted Christians--and how the concept of persecution has been a tool of public diplomacy and international politics--Raheb reveals that Middle Eastern Christians have been repeatedly sacrificed on the altar of Western national interests. The West has been part of the problem for Middle Eastern Christianity and not part of the solution, from the massacre on Mount Lebanon to the rise of ISIS.

The Politics of Persecution, written by a well-known Palestinian Christian theologian, provides an insider perspective on this contested region. Middle Eastern Christians survived successive empires by developing great elasticity in adjusting to changing contexts; they learned how to survive atrocities and how to resist creatively while maintaining a dynamic identity. In this light, Raheb casts the history of Middle Eastern Christians not so much as one of persecution but as one of resilience.

The development of the Palestinian Identity has been the focus of many studies and conferences. However, all of the studies so far concentrate on the emergence of this identity in the last hundred years. Although several papers in this book still have dealt with the development of the Palestinian Identity in late Ottoman and early British Mandate Palestine, another focus of the event was however on analyzing the understanding of the Palestinian Identity in relation to the biblical story, history and archeology and how this understanding has been reflected in poetry and the art. The self-Understanding of the Palestinians of themselves in relation to time and space and their relationship to other marginalized groups is a question of high political and social relevance. The participation of scholars from different parts of the world in the event did not only bring an international scope, persuasions and perspectives, but helped fostering an ecumenical, interdisciplinary, multi-ethnic and multi-cultural environ, dialogues and philosophy. Contributing Scholars Bader, Liana - Bechmann, Ulrike - Borgman, Erik - Callendar, Dexter - Fernandez, Eleazar - Fuchs, Ottmar - Jubeh, Nazmi - Musallam, Adnan - Raheb, Mitri - Rivera, George - Shomali, Qustandi - Smith, Robert - Staubli, Thomas - Stegeman, Janneke - Van-Reisen, Mirjam

The studies on diaspora, migration and identity formation outside the mother land are increasing in number and scope. In the last ten years several papers, doctoral theses and books were published focusing on certain aspects of the Palestinian diaspora and identity. This book contains the proceedings of an international conference that was held in Bethlehem/Palestine in 2015. The conference brought together 41 international researchers, in addition to over 50 local Palestinian academicians. Around 30 of those contributed to the event as guest lecturers, presentation respondents, and dialogue moderators. Also, the participation of scholars from 15 countries worldwide (e.g., Palestine, Europe, USA, Latin America, Africa and Asia) brought to the event not only an international scope, persuasions and perspectives, but fostered an ecumenical, interdisciplinary, multi-ethnic and multi-cultural dialogues.

The Christian church was born in the Middle East and grew there for centuries. Its interaction with Islam turned Christianity in this once predominantly Christian region into a marginalized jewel, surviving at great peril within a difficult, even sometimes hostile, political and religious climate. Of course, the story of Christianity over the last 1,300 years is not solely one of conflict, marginalization, and persecution but is also about accommodation, interchange, and cooperation. This introductory book details the history of the church in its Middle Eastern birthplace through the past two thousand years. It is a story described as a lost history by Philip Jenkins, but it is here uncovered and placed on display. For those with eyes to see, the church of the Middle East is here revealed as a precious jewel, still catching the light.

The Christian church was born in the Middle East and grew there for centuries. Its interaction with Islam turned Christianity in this once predominantly Christian region into a marginalized jewel, surviving at great peril within a difficult, even sometimes hostile, political and religious climate. Of course, the story of Christianity over the last 1,300 years is not solely one of conflict, marginalization, and persecution but is also about accommodation, interchange, and cooperation. This introductory book details the history of the church in its Middle Eastern birthplace through the past two thousand years. It is a story described as a lost history by Philip Jenkins, but it is here uncovered and placed on display. For those with eyes to see, the church of the Middle East is here revealed as a precious jewel, still catching the light.

In recent decades there has been a seismic shift in world Christianity. Whereas formerly Christianity existed as a Caucasian Euro-American phenomenon, the majority of Christians today reside in the Southern Hemisphere, or the Global South. And what is true for the demographics of Christianity has followed lockstep for its theological developments. The era of German theologians setting the tone for global church are gone. Today, some of the loudest and most creative voices in theology speak from the emerging contingencies of the Global South, for example, promoting Latinx, Black, Caribbean, and Asian theologies and their influence often influences the conversation in the United States and Europe. In addition, just as the center of Christianity has moved geographically from north to south, so with theological seminaries in the west, which have declined as training centers for clergy. These events coincide with new theological centers are opening in Asia, Africa, Oceania, and Latin America. The bottom line is--contemporary Christianity today looks significantly different than it did a century ago, and publications have been slow to acknowledge, let alone describe and elaborate upon, this major shift to the largest religion in the world. These shifts guide our intentions in this book. Such a reference book, which could also be used as a textbook, therefore is very much needed. In fact, there is nothing like the contents of this single-volume book in the publishing market which allows for high-quality, interdisciplinary, and international dialogue.

The situation of Christians in the Middle East has become an important topic of international discussion as well as an important theme covered in the media, as several CBS Sixty Minutes programs have highlighted the plight of Christians in Palestine, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Egypt. In the Eye of the Storm tells the story of the plight of twenty-first-century Middle Eastern Christians in five countries (Palestine, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and Egypt) in the context of the so-called Arab Spring and within a destabilized region that is a geopolitical triangle shaped by Israeli hegemony and Arab-Iranian tensions. The book places the situation of the Christians within the wider sociopolitical context of the Middle East in the twenty-first century. A unique feature of this book is that it is written mainly by native Christians who have spent their entire lives in the region and continue to live there. In the Eye of the Storm, therefore, provides an insider perspective rather than a hegemonic and colonial outsider perspective. This book hopes to offer a sociopolitical framework for the Christians of the Middle East, thus allowing them to tell their own story as they see it and not one that has been projected onto them by outside forces.

The situation of Christians in the Middle East has become an important topic of international discussion as well as an important theme covered in the media, as several CBS Sixty Minutes programs have highlighted the plight of Christians in Palestine, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Egypt. In the Eye of the Storm tells the story of the plight of twenty-first-century Middle Eastern Christians in five countries (Palestine, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and Egypt) in the context of the so-called Arab Spring and within a destabilized region that is a geopolitical triangle shaped by Israeli hegemony and Arab-Iranian tensions. The book places the situation of the Christians within the wider sociopolitical context of the Middle East in the twenty-first century. A unique feature of this book is that it is written mainly by native Christians who have spent their entire lives in the region and continue to live there. In the Eye of the Storm, therefore, provides an insider perspective rather than a hegemonic and colonial outsider perspective. This book hopes to offer a sociopolitical framework for the Christians of the Middle East, thus allowing them to tell their own story as they see it and not one that has been projected onto them by outside forces.

Bethlehem has a unique setting spanning a fertile landscape to the west and desert to the east. Its diverse environment made it a center for Baal and Adonis on the one hand, and the perfect setting for desert monasteries on the other. Its historical and religious significance turned it into a place for pilgrimage and a tourist destination, while its location on one of the ancient trade routes made it a city for expansive cultural exchange. The city's present-day inhabitants of Christian and Muslim Palestinians make it a unique place for inter-religious interaction. Different aspects of this rich socio-cultural history are the focus of twelve essays by: Michele Bacci/ Amanda Batarseh/ Nicholas Blincoe/ Glenn Bowmann/ Nuha Khoury/ Lance Laird/ Elizabeth Marteijn/ Falistin Naili/ Tom Selwyn/ Sawsan Shomali/ Dana Soboh/ Gislen Widen.

It was in 1988 that Mitri Raheb was ordained Pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Jordan and the Holy Land and was installed as Pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem after finishing his seminary studies and doctorate in Germany in Church History. Besides being a Pastor, Mitri Raheb continued to be involved in the theological discussion and research both at home as well as in regional and international settings. The selected articles were given by Rev. Raheb at several occasions. The first article on Christianity and Religious plurality was given at Fuller Seminary in 2003 during the author sabbatical as Mission Partner in Residence with the PCUSA. The second and third articles on the political and ecclesiastical context in the Arab Peninsula during the 6-7th centuries were part of a Post doctoral research that the author did during his stay at Harford Seminary in Connecticut. The article on the History of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land is a summary of the author's doctoral dissertation at Marburg University and of his German book Das reformatorische Erbe unter den palaestinensern published by Guetrsloh in 1990. The article on the Situation of the Palestinian Christian community in the Holy Land was given as lecture to several church delegation interested in the situation of the Christians of the Holy land, while the article on the Arab Spring was given at a regional conference in Lebanon. The last chapter of the book is different in nature since it is actually a short lecture given at a hearing at the Danish Parliament, Christiansburg, in Copenhagen on May 21st 2012. Diyar publisher is happy to publish these mostly unpublished articles of Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb to coincide with his silver ordination in May 2013.

This book contains the proceedings of the International conference, Shifting Identities: Changes in the social, political, and religious structures in the Middle East, which was held in Cyprus in July 2015. The conference brought together around 50 professors, historians, theologians, social scientists and researchers from over 15 countries including Europe, the USA, and the Middle East. Case studies from Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Iran, and Sweden were presented. Some of these case studies focused on particular community like the Armenians, Syrian orthodox, or Protestants while others studies chose to tackle issues like feminism or Arabism in the Middle East. Several of the articles struggled theologically to find a meaning to what is happening in the aftermath of the so-called Arab Spring showing a way forward. Shifting identities is not a pure theoretical exercise but are related to shifts that were experienced by several of the authors in the course of their biographical journeys.

A Palestinian theologian from Bethlehem and a New Testament scholar from the United States explore the meaning of the crucifixion in light of both first and twenty-first century Palestinian contexts. Together, their insights coalesce around themes that expose the divine power of the cross both for Jesus's first followers and for contemporary readers alike.

Jerusalem is key to peace. Jerusalem, the religious epicenter of the three monotheistic religions and the geographic nexus of the mappa mundi, is now again the center of attention in an escalating political struggle in the Middle East. The move of the US embassy to Jerusalem in May 2018 has sparked many questions. While for many it meant the end of any prospect for peace, the Trump administration continue to claim that the deal of the century is yet to come. While the importance of the city for Jews is highlighted, its importance for Christians and Muslims in general and Palestinian Christians in particular is ignored. This book contains the findings of the latest research and studies conducted by Dar al-Kalima University College of Arts and Culture in 2018. The first chapter looks at the Scottish and English religious perception of Jerusalem as a source for British politics. The second chapter looks at the imagined Jerusalem in the Age of Trump. The third chapter examines the importance of Jerusalem in modern Christian thought while a fourth chapter looks at the role of Palestinian Christians in the Palestinian struggle for liberation, followed by a fifth chapter contains the results of a survey about the Christian institutions in Jerusalem. The following two chapters tackle the issue of Holy Sites especially in relation to the international agreements with possible solutions. The last chapter looks at the present context of Jerusalem and the situation of the Palestinians who are denied citizenship and have to face a settler colonial Israeli project.