Palestinian Christians and the Old Testament: History, Hermeneutics, and Ideology

448 Pages·2015·2.68 MB·English

by  Will Stalder

Reading in the midst of crisis—
S
t
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Th e foundation of the modern State of Israel in 1948 was spiritually catastrophic for many
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Palestinian Christians. Th e characters, names, events, and places of the Old Testament took
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on new signifi cance with the newly formed political state; vast portions of the text became
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diffi cult. Stalder asks how Palestinian Christians have read the Old Testament in the period
before and under the British Mandate and in light of the foundation of the modern State of
Israel, outlining a future hermeneutic that respects religious communities without writing off
the Old Testament prematurely.
Praise for Palestinian Christians and the Old Testament
“Up until recently, the Palestinian view of the Old Testament has seldom been heard by biblical
scholars. Will Stalder has now given us an important survey of key Arab Christian leaders and
their hermeneutical activities in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, preceding the
division of Palestine in 1948 (which the Palestinians regarded as a “catastrophe”). Th eir inter-
pretation of the biblical text needs to be a part of the debate, and Stalder’s study is a signifi cant P Palestinian Christians and the Old
aid to bringing in this perspective. It aims to be and is a step forward in the reconciliation of a
Palestinians and Israelis.” le Testament
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Lester Grabbe | Emeritus, University of Hull, UK t
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i History, Hermeneutics, and
“In this insightful and illuminating study, Will Stalder manages to introduce his readers to a a
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neglected aspect of Old Testament study: the Palestinian Christian interpretation. Palestin- Ideology

ians and non-Palestinian Christians, Jews, and others will hugely benefi t from his analysis and C
from the innovative perspective he opens up for a fresh interaction with the Old Testament.” h
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Joachim Schaper | King’s College, University of Aberdeen, UK is
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“Will Stalder’s book presents a nuanced and informed discussion of past and present Palestin-
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ian Christian interpretations of the Old Testament. It is my hope that this book will not only s

foster empathy between the many diff erent communities in the Middle East who confess that a
Jesus is the Messiah but also off er a way forward toward reconciliation and unity.” n
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Lena-Sofi a Tiemeyer | King’s College, University of Aberdeen, UK
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h
e

O
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Will Stalder received his PhD in divinity (Old Testament/Hebrew

Bible) from the University of Aberdeen, UK, in 2012. He is minister of T
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Methlick Parish Church in Methlick, Scotland. Th is volume is a revi-
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sion of his dissertation completed at the University of Aberdeen under t
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the direction of Professor Joachim Schaper of the School of Divinity,
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History, and Philosophy at King’s College.
e
n
t Will Stalder
Religion / Old Testament
e m e r g i n g s c h o l a r s
Palestinian Christians and the Old
Testament

Palestinian Christians
and the Old
Testament
History, Hermeneutics, and Ideology
Will Stalder
Fortress Press
Minneapolis
PALESTINIAN CHRISTIANS AND THE OLD TESTAMENT
History, Hermeneutics, and Ideology
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PaperbackISBN:978-1-4514-8214-0
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-4514-9975-9
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To my dear, my wife, and best friend: Courtney!
יל ידודו ידודל ינא
Without you, this would have been impossible! Thank
you!
Ich liebe dich! Je t’aime!

Contents
Preface ix
Abbreviations xiii
Introduction xvii
Part I.Palestinian Christians and the Old
Testament: Hermeneutics
1. The Elements of Palestinian Christian 3
Hermeneutics of the Old Testament
Part II.Palestinian Christians and the Old
Testament: History
2. Palestinian Christianity and the Dawn of Zionism 79
3. Palestinian Christianity and the “Promise” of a 137
Jewish Homeland
4. Palestinian Christianity and the “Catastrophe” of 175
the Modern State of Israel
Part III.Palestinian Christians and the Old
Testament: Ideology
5. Perspectives on Palestinian Christian 201
Hermeneutics of the Old Testament
6. A Prescription for a Palestinian Christian 243
Hermeneutic of the Old Testament
Conclusion 323
Bibliography 343
Index 395
Preface
Welcome
لاً هس و لاً هأ
םיאבה םיכורב
It was a 2001 trip to Israel and Palestine that challenged the very
core of my political and theological presuppositions about the land
of Israel and Palestine and its people. Interactions with Palestinian
Christians in Bethlehem and the Galilee and conversations with
Jewish friends in Jerusalem set the stage for a decade of intellectual
and spiritual soul-searching. During this time I finished seminary at
Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (MDiv), moved to Scotland
to do youth work, trained for the Ministry of Word and Sacrament
with the Church of Scotland, and studied at the University of
Aberdeen (MLitt in Jewish Studies and a PhD in Divinity). Still the
question stirred in my mind: “How could my friends in both worlds,
PalestinianandIsraeli,bereconciled?”SubsequenttripstotheMiddle
East in 2002, 2005, 2006, and 2007 only solidified my interest and
concern, and with the encouragement and support of a surprising
number of people I started looking at Palestinian Christians and the
Old Testament. The topic allowed me to explore my interests in
ix