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

The foundation of the modern State of Israel in 1948 is commemorated by many Palestinians as a day of catastrophe. Many Palestinian Christians claim that the nakba was also spiritually catastrophic: the characters, names, events, and places of the Old Testament took on new significance with the newly formed political state, which caused vast portions of the text to become unusable in their eyes and be abandoned.

Stalder asks how Palestinian Christians have read the Old Testament in the period before and under the British Mandate and now, in light of the foundation of the modern State of Israel, then contemplates how they might read these sacred texts in the future, interacting with proposals by Michael Prior, Charles Miller, and Gershon Nerel. His particular goal is to outline a possible hermeneutic that does not disregard the concerns of the respective religious communities without writing off the Old Testament prematurely.

Paperback
ISBN: 9781451482140

Ships in 2 or more weeks
This item is not returnable

$44.00

Hardcover
ISBN: 9781451499759

Ships in 6 or more weeks

$99.00

eBook
ISBN: 9781451496758

eBook

Kindle - Nook - Google

Endorsements

“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”). Their interpretation of the biblical text needs to be a part of the debate, and Stalder’s study is a significant aid to bringing in this perspective. It aims to be and is a step forward in the reconciliation of Palestinians and Israelis.”
—Lester Grabbe
Eneritus, University of Hull, UK

“In this insightful and illuminating study, Will Stalder manages to introduce his readers to a neglected aspect of Old Testament study: the Palestinian Christian interpretation. Palestinians and non-Palestinian Christians, Jews, and others will hugely benefit from his analysis and from the innovative perspective he opens up for a fresh interaction with the Old Testament.”
—Joachim Schaper
King’s College, University of Aberdeen, UK

“Will Stalder’s book presents a nuanced and informed discussion of past and present Palestinian Christian interpretations of the Old Testament. It is my hope that this book will not only foster empathy between the many different communities in the Middle East who confess that Jesus is the Messiah but also offer a way forward toward reconciliation and unity.”
—Lena-Sofia Tiemeyer
King’s College, University of Aberdeen, UK

Samples

Contents

Introduction

Excerpt from Chapter 1