I Am a Palestinian Christian

Abstract

Many small pieces fit together to create the puzzle that is Palestine. One of thesmaller, but certainly not insignificant, pieces of the puzzle is the PalestinianChristian community, which clearly traces its origins back to the first century.Mitri Raheb makes the comment that it is not necessary for a PalestinianChristian to go on pilgrimage because one “is already at the source itself, thepoint of origin” (p. 3). Pilgrimage in the sense of a physical journey is perhapsnot necessary, but some sort of spiritual exploration, which is at the heart of pilgrimage,is indeed in order. Raheb performs this pilgrimage in two ways: byexploring his family’s complicated denominational background and by providinga refreshing exegesis of a handful of biblical texts.One might assume that Palestinian Christians are all members of churchessuch as the Syrian Orthodox, Armenian, or Jacobite, together with a few adventurousconverts to eastern Orthodoxy or Roman Catholicism. The thought of aPalestinian Lutheran community is one that stretches the Western image of thePalestinian Christian community but does give a more accurate picture of thecomplicated Christian church in Palestine. In spite of its small and fragmentednature, the Palestinian Christian community has traditionally held an importantplace in the life of Palestine. Members of this community are historically progressiveand urban-oriented, many earning a living as merchants and shopkeepers(p. 19). The community is also traditionally well-educated and multilingual,in large part because of the evangelistic efforts of denominations such asGerman Lutherans and the English-speaking Anglican Church as well as otherProtestant denominations. Raheb notes that this Christian community has neverenjoyed political autonomy, as it has always existed withii occupied territory,ruled by Byzantines (technically Christian, although more concerned with politicaland cultural hegemony) and their Muslim and Ottoman successors and thenby British mandate and now by Israel. The absence of autonomy is a threat tothe swival of any community, especially a small community. Lack of self-government,or appropriate representation in the government, leads to a number ofsignificant threats to the community’s viability. Issues of economic, social, andpolitical injustice are all problems with which the Palestinian Christian communityhas had to contend.Emigration- or moving to new places where political, economic, and socialoppression are not as devastating-is one traditional way a community seeks topreserve itself; and, Raheb notes, it also has significant biblical antecedents,which become important later in the book as he explores the Exodus. Since1948, the size of the Palestinian Christian community has decreased significantly,in large part due to emigration to South and North America and WesternEurope. The comment has been made that within a few generations there will be ...