Shalom/Salaam/Peace: A Liberation Theology of Hope »

From the first chapters overview of the historical, scriptural and theological rationale for the present situation in Israel/Palestine, the author leads us through the realities of life in Israel/Palestine with its politics, wars, security wall, settlements and ongoing struggles between the Palestinians and the Israelis. The ownership of land, water rights, human rights and religious rights are among the main issues that weave through this book---a book which is about two peoples and three religions struggling for their very survival. Lifted up for us are examples of key figures who are promoting peace and justice---some at the cost of their lives. The second chapter offers Liberation Theology as a viable way to bring peace in Israeli/Palestinian. From the Exodus, the author leads the reader through the history of Liberation Theology---its establishment within the Roman Catholic Church at Vatican Two in Rome in 1962-1965 and the reality of Base Christian Communities (Communidades de Base) as seen, particularly, in El Salvador and Salvadoran refugee camps in Honduras in the 1980s. Liberation Theology as it has developed and been lived in Israel/Palestine is then examined. As with Israel/Palestine the book looks at examples of key figures who are presently promoting peace and justice, again, some at the cost of their lives. The indigenous Christian community in Israel/Palestine (which has been reduced to a minority of between one to two percent) is lifted up as a people of hope for the area. With the ongoing violence from the Israeli Defense Force (IDF), who routinely bulldoze homes and make air attacks upon civilians while searching for terrorists, and the extremist Palestinian Muslims who have bombed buses, cafes and markets in their suicide bombings, the Palestinian Christians are the only ones who have not yet resorted to violence. They have managed to maintain a non-violent stance, out of their faith base, as they have been forced out of their homes and villages and towns and cities and had restrictions imposed upon them by the Israeli government. Those who are leading the Christian community in this non-violent stance and those who are living out this way of life are seen as the Davids of this time, in this place. Be they indigenous Palestinian Christians or International witnesses and supporters of peace, or Jewish or Muslim peace seekers---all are given as examples of what is possible in an impossible situation.

List of Maps and Photographs

Introduction From the Particular to the Global and Back to the Project 1

Pt. 1 The Land as Place

The Land of Israel/Palestine 13

Jerusalem 17

The Ownership of Land 25

The Theology of the Land 30

Generations of God Gifting the Land 31

Conquering in the Name of God 41

One God: Three Faiths 44

The Word of God 48

Scripture from a Palestinian Christian Perspective 52

Scripture from a Muslim Perspective 54

Scripture from a Jewish Perspective 54

A Timeline from 1840-1967 57

The Land and Population in Modern Day Israel/Palestine 65

Settlers and Settlements 67

Zionism: Secular and Religious 74

Politics, Wars and New Beginnings 81

Peacemakers: Jewish, Christian and Muslim 85

The Wall, the Fence, the Barrier 98

The Law Ancient, the Reality Today 103

Pt. 2 Liberation Theology

Exodus 107

Peacemakers Versus Disturbers of the Peace 110

Liberation Theology and Vatican II 113

Economic Development and Developing Revolutions 119

Founders of Liberation Theology 125

Leaders and Martyrs of the Revolution 129

Martyrs of Liberation Theology 135

Base Christian Communities (Communidades de Base) 140

Liberation Theology in North America 144

Liberation Theology: Jewish and Islamic 148

Liberation Theology: Palestinian Christian 150

Palestinian Resistance Groups 156

The Peacemakers in Israel/Palestine 158

Israeli Jewish Peace Groups 171

Palestinian Christian and Muslim Peace Groups 174

International Peace Groups 177

Tragedy Behind the Theology 181

Conclusion 192

Bibliography 200

General Index 205

Scripture Index 222